Better jobs, better outcomes – the case for healthy work standards

The vast majority of people who become economically inactive leave (and are most likely to return to) sectors dominated by shift-based and site-based work. The top five are retail, transport, hospitality, health and care, followed by construction. Workers frequently face rigid schedules and tough working conditions which can make it difficult to find the flexibility or predictability they need to accommodate a disability, health condition or caring responsibilities.

What limited support is available through Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) programmes to tackle this is too focused on making people more suitable for unsuitable jobs. Instead, more state support needs to be directed at supporting employers to influence the way work is designed and managed in these sectors if we are to see meaningful change in disability employment gaps or economic inactivity rates.  

The government’s welfare reform White Paper this Autumn, the independent review led by Sir Charlie Mayfield and the phased implementation of the Employment Rights Bill offer a vital chance to achieve this shift. But this requires closer working with industry, unions and experts to negotiate agreements to achieve common objectives in sectors that face real operational constraints and obstacles to designing work differently and which often involve practices that cause or exacerbate health issues at work.  

In this critical window to change the way we work for the better, Timewise is arguing for changes including:

• New healthy work standards to set clear guidelines for employers on the design of high-quality jobs, with sector and role-specific advice and guidance developed in partnership with industry, civil society and unions. 
• Sectoral agreements negotiated between government and priority sectors such as transport, retail and construction around targets for reducing sickness absence, improving retention and workforce participation, supported by a Frontline Workplace Innovation Fund and tailored HR and business support.
• Job design and job brokerage capability built into existing government schemes including Pathways to Work and Work Well and reforms to Access to Work including a stronger focus on job retention and work design.
• Trialling of targeted schemes to improve participation for those with work limiting conditions, such as supported employment and employer subsidy schemes for adaptation.
• Reforms to Statutory Sick Pay to keep workers on sick pay closer to work for longer. The current system is failing to identify health and mental health conditions early enough, and it is not doing enough to prevent those with such conditions either from falling out of work or moving onto sickness benefits. 
• Voluntary measures adopted by employers to advertise jobs with specified options for flexible working to support the creation of more flexible and part-time jobs, backed up by industry support to design flexible roles.

Published August 2025