Autumn Statement 2015: The government will undertake a review of sickness absence in the public sector.
This will be followed by a consultation into how to reduce the impact of sickness absence on public sector service delivery. Legislation will also be considered where necessary.
The Spending review and autumn statement 2015 policy paper noted: “It is right that the government reviews how the current systems for managing and compensating for sickness are working and looks at what reforms might be needed to move to a more modern and productive state.”
Public sector sick pay is estimated to cost £4.5 billion a year, according to Dame Carol Black and David Frost’s Health at work: an independent review of sickness absence report, published in November 2011.