On 23 September 2026, the UK Government published its latest update, Keep Britain Working: A National Growth Opportunity, setting out its proposed approach to improving workplace health, supporting people to remain in work and reducing the number of people leaving the workforce because of ill health.
Knowing what to do, where to start and what to do next can be challenging. We help organisations put the right foundations in place, in the right order, so you can build a more effective approach to workplace mental health risk.
Around 2.8 million working-age people are economically inactive because of ill health or disability, around 800,000 more than in 2019. The government estimates that health-related economic inactivity costs the UK approximately £212 billion a year.
The update makes the case for earlier intervention, better workplace support and a stronger focus on helping people remain in work.
A proposed new Workplace Health System
At the centre of the update is a proposed Workplace Health System, built around three key pillars:
1. Better, more inclusive workplaces
Creating workplaces that support health, inclusion and people’s ability to remain in work.
2. Better workplace health provision
Improving access to appropriate support, earlier intervention and coordinated workplace health services.
3. Better intelligence on workplace health and inclusion
Improving how organisations understand workplace health, inclusion, retention and what interventions are actually working.
Together, these proposals represent a shift towards a more preventative and proactive approach to workplace health.
The proposals are still being developed and tested, so they should not be treated as new legal requirements at this stage. However, they provide an important indication of the direction of travel for employers.
Where does mental health fit in?
Workplace health is broader than mental health alone. However, mental health and psychosocial risks are an important part of the workplace health conversation.
For employers, this means understanding not only the outcomes, such as stress, poor mental health or absence, but also the workplace factors that may contribute to those outcomes.
This is where mental health risk management and mental health risk intelligence tool can support a more preventative approach: helping organisations identify what is happening across their workforce, understand the underlying workplace risks and use that information to inform action.
What should employers do now?
You don’t need to wait for the final framework to start thinking about what this could mean for your organisation.
1. Have a look at the update
Understanding the government’s proposed direction now can help you consider where your organisation is already well prepared, and where there may be gaps.
READ THE FULL GOVERNMENT UPDATE
2. Need support preparing for the proposals?
If you want to understand how the Keep Britain Working update could apply to your organisation, our team can help you build the skills and intelligence needed to identify, assess and understand workplace mental health risks.