The Keep Britain Working Review delivers a clear message to employers: workplace health is no longer simply a wellbeing consideration. It is an organisational, societal and economic priority. The review highlights the growing impact of health-related economic inactivity, rising levels of mental ill-health and the critical role employers can play in helping people stay in work, recover sooner and thrive throughout their careers.
Mental health is a business issue
The review identifies ill-health as one of the UK’s largest drivers of economic inactivity and highlights the increasing prevalence of mental health challenges among working-age people. Organisations that thrive will move beyond reactive wellbeing initiatives and focus on prevention. For HR leaders, the challenge is not choosing between employee wellbeing and organisational performance. The two are increasingly inseparable.
Where EAPs support the review’s ambitions
One of the strongest themes running through the review is the importance of early intervention. According to EAPA UK, Employee Assistance Programmes now support approximately 24.45 million employees across more than 105,000 UK organisations, representing around three-quarters of the workforce. In a single year, more than 640,000 employees accessed support through their EAP, with 68% receiving counselling for mental health-related concerns. EAP providers collectively delivered over 1.3 million counselling sessions during that period, highlighting the scale at which workplace support is already helping employees address challenges before they develop into longer-term absence, reduced productivity or disengagement from work. These figures reinforce a central message of the review: early intervention matters. An effective EAP provides employees with rapid access to confidential support at the point problems first emerge, often preventing issues from escalating into absence, presenteeism or workforce exit.
Prevention is better than absence management
The most effective organisations do not wait until an employee is absent before offering support. They build cultures in which wellbeing conversations are normal, managers feel confident discussing health issues and employees know exactly where to turn for professional help. When EAPs are combined with supportive leadership, effective line management, mental health awareness training and clear wellbeing strategies, organisations are better positioned to improve retention, strengthen engagement and reduce the human and commercial impact of poor mental health.
An opportunity for HR leaders
The review should be viewed as more than a policy document. It is a call for employers to rethink how workplace health is supported and to recognise the important role they play in helping people remain healthy, productive and economically active.
Enlighten’s view
We strongly support the recommendations set out in the review. For HR leaders, this is an opportunity to move beyond simply managing absence and towards creating workplaces that actively support health and wellbeing. EAPs are not the complete solution, but they are one of the most established, accessible and scalable tools available to employers seeking to turn the review’s recommendations into practical action. Good work supports good health, and good mental health support helps people stay in good work. As the Keep Britain Working Review makes clear, prevention and early intervention are no longer optional. They are essential to building a healthier, more resilient and more productive workforce.
Sources
Keep Britain Working: Final Report – GOV.UK
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