The Government has announced that almost 200 employers have signed up to become workplace “Vanguards” as part of its Keep Britain Working programme, marking the latest stage in efforts to reduce the number of people leaving employment because of ill health.
The initiative brings together employers from across the public, private and voluntary sectors to trial new approaches that help people remain in work, return more quickly following illness, and prevent health conditions from leading to long-term economic inactivity.
With labour shortages continuing across many industries and health-related inactivity remaining well above pre-pandemic levels, ministers argue that supporting people to stay in work is becoming an increasingly important part of both economic and health policy.
Keep Britain Working programme recruits almost 200 workplace Vanguards
The latest cohort of employers will act as test beds for new ideas designed to improve workplace health and retention. Rather than introducing a single national model, the Government intends for participating organisations to trial different approaches and share evidence on what delivers the best outcomes.
The “Vanguards” include organisations of different sizes and sectors, allowing policymakers to examine how successful interventions vary between workplaces. The lessons learned will inform future guidance for employers and could shape wider employment policy over the coming years.
The programme follows recommendations made by Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent Keep Britain Working Review, which concluded in November 2025, that employers have a much greater role to play in preventing people from leaving the workforce altogether. Rather than waiting until employees have already become economically inactive, the review argues for earlier intervention when health problems first begin to affect performance or attendance.
This preventative approach reflects a growing consensus that retaining experienced staff is often more effective than attempting to recruit replacements once people have left employment.
Government looks to employers to prevent people leaving work through ill health
A central theme of the programme is that employers can make a significant difference by identifying problems earlier and offering practical support before individuals reach crisis point.
Examples include more flexible working arrangements, occupational health support, workplace adjustments for disabled employees, structured return-to-work plans after periods of sickness absence, and better conversations between managers and staff about health and wellbeing.
The Government believes these measures can improve outcomes for both employees and employers. Workers are more likely to remain economically active, while businesses benefit from improved staff retention, reduced recruitment costs and lower levels of long-term sickness absence.
The announcement also reflects the increasing recognition that workplace health is not solely a matter for healthcare providers. Businesses, managers and HR professionals all have a role to play in creating environments where employees can continue working safely despite developing health conditions.
For many employers, particularly SMEs, the challenge will be balancing these ambitions with limited resources. The evidence gathered through the Vanguard programme is therefore expected to focus on practical interventions that can be implemented across organisations of varying sizes.
Business, health services and government urged to work together on workforce participation
The programme forms part of a broader shift towards greater collaboration between employers, health services and government departments.
Rather than treating employment and healthcare as separate policy areas, ministers increasingly view good work as an important contributor to better physical and mental health. Helping people remain in employment, where appropriate, is therefore seen as benefiting both individuals and the wider economy.
This collaborative approach also comes against the backdrop of continuing concern over the UK’s economic inactivity figures. Hundreds of thousands of people remain outside the labour market because of long-term health conditions, creating challenges for employers seeking staff while placing additional pressure on the welfare system and public finances.
The Government hopes the experiences of the nearly 200 Vanguard organisations will provide a stronger evidence base for future policy, identifying interventions that can be scaled nationally and encouraging more employers to adopt successful approaches voluntarily.
Whether the programme delivers lasting change will depend on the evidence emerging from participating organisations. However, with workforce participation now firmly established as a major economic priority, the Keep Britain Working initiative represents another step in the Government’s effort to reduce health-related inactivity.
You can still get a copy of our new edition of ChamberUK. Our parliamentary journal.
Photo Credit: ChatGPT