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We want to encourage a culture change so workers can thrive.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed guidance to encourage early and supportive action from employers for disabled workers and workers with long term health conditions. Our guidance has seven clear and simple principles for your employer to follow. It gives more clarity on what your employer’s existing responsibilities are and reminds you of your own rights too. It also provides clearer information on how your employer can support you to remain in work or return to work following sickness absence.

Our principles are accompanied by conversation guides, known as Talking Toolkits. The guides helps employers and workers to start conversations that might be difficult. The seven principles will encourage culture change in the workplace, to make it more welcoming and trusting so you can thrive in your role.

Our principles and Talking Toolkit form part of HSE’s support to the Health is Everyone’s Business (HiEB) consultation response.

We have developed this guidance using the social model of disability. The principles of this model underpin the principles of the new guidance. It helps recognise and remove barriers to help create equality in the workplace. The guidance is also based on the “Prevent, Promote, Support” model which includes:

  • Prevent– protecting people in work to stay healthy and productive
  • Promote– building knowledge and understanding and transparency, considering the health of the workforce and how that interacts with work
  • Support– helping people to get back into work and remain in work

Speaking at HSE’s Health and Work Conference 2022, in this video Sarah Albon, HSE Chief Executive, explains more about how the guidance was developed.

Helping the workplace become safer, more open and trusting for the workforce.

Are you empowered at work?  

Based on seven principles for employers, the guidance promotes a change in workplace culture. The principles illustrate best practice on making the workplace safer, more open and trusting for the workforce.

By making yourself familiar with the seven principles below, you will understand what to expect from your employer. This includes ways in which your employer can help remove barriers to work so you can perform at your best. It also has guides on how to have a discussion with your employer on something which may be difficult to raise.  By applying these principles, employers can develop a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

  1. Create a supportive and enabling workplace
  2. Take an inclusive approach to workplace health
  3. Understand the work barriers that impact on workers
  4. Make suitable workplace adjustments or modifications
  5. Develop skills, knowledge and understanding
  6. Use effective and accessible communication
  7. Support sickness absence and return to work

As Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, HSE has developed this guidance to encourage early and supportive action from employers for disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions. It was developed with support from:

Department for Work & Pensions logo           acas logo        The Federation of Small Businesses logo - FSB        CIPD logo in purple    IOSH logo          Department of Health & Social Care logo

Contact Details

Corporate Communications
2.2 Redgrave Court
Merton Rd
Bootle
L20 7HS
campaigns@hse.gov.uk
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