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What could the 'Keep Britain Working' plans mean for people living with Crohn's and Colitis?
New Government proposals aim to help more people with long-term health conditions stay in work. What could they mean for people living with fluctuating conditions like Crohn’s and Colitis.
The UK Government has published the latest update to the Keep Britain Working Review, setting out plans to change the way people with long-term health conditions and disabilities are supported at work.
The report, A National Growth Opportunity, builds on the Keep Britain Working Review published first in 2025. Its central message is that more needs to be done to help people stay in work when their health changes, rather than waiting until someone has been off work for a long time or has left employment altogether.
That matters for people living with Crohn’s and Colitis.
Crohn’s and Colitis are unpredictable. Someone may be well and able to work normally for long periods, but experience a flare that suddenly affects their energy, their need to use the toilet, their ability to travel or the hours they are able to work. Over 84% of people living with Crohn’s and Colitis report that living with unpredictable symptoms and flares affects their quality of life.
A greater focus on helping people stay in work
The report says around 300,000 people with a health condition leave work each year. It argues that supporting someone earlier, while they are still connected to their workplace, is much more effective than trying to help them return once they have been out of employment for a long period.
To address this, the Government is developing a proposed Workplace Health System based around three areas:
- More inclusive workplaces
- Better workplace health provision
- Better information about workplace health and disability.
Under the proposals employers would be encouraged to act earlier when someone needs support, remove barriers, make adjustments promptly and work with employees on plans that can help them stay in work or return following an absence.
This is particularly important for fluctuating conditions. The report itself acknowledges directly that an employer cannot be considered genuinely inclusive if a workplace is unable to accommodate a condition that changes over time or if necessary adjustments take months to put in place.
What could change in workplaces?
One part of the work is the development of a new workplace health standard with the British Standards Institution (BSI).
The aim is to give employers clearer expectations about good practice, including having conversations about health and work, putting adjustments in place, developing plans to help someone remain at work and supporting people to return after sickness absence.
Some more detailed ideas are now being tested with employers but it is important to say this is not yet final stages. The proposals are being tested and refined before the new standard is agreed.
The report uses Crohn’s disease to show what could be different.
One of the examples in the report is a case study of a 41-year-old woman living with Crohn’s disease. The example is based on emerging findings and real-life experiences, but does not describe a specific individual.
In the current system described in the report, she has 22 days of sickness absence across two years, but they happen in short spells. None of the absences is long enough to trigger additional support.
She asks twice for a later start when she is having a bad day but is directed towards a formal HR process that she does not pursue. Eventually, her continued absences lead to a capability process and she leaves her job.
The report then imagines how the same situation could look under the proposed Workplace Health System.
She is able to have an earlier conversation about what she needs to do her job. Adjustments are put in place, including flexible start times, working from home during a flare and phased working. These are recorded in an adjustment passport so that they do not have to be renegotiated when she changes manager.
For people with Crohn’s and Colitis effective support does not necessarily mean somebody has to stop working until they are completely well. Sometimes relatively straightforward flexibility can remove the barriers that make continuing to work difficult.
What happens next?
None of this represents a new system that will appear overnight.
Over the coming months, the proposals will continue to be tested with employers, disabled people, employees, trade unions and other organisations. As the proposals develop, we will continue to push for a system that understands the reality of living and working with a fluctuating condition, and gives people the flexibility and support they need to stay in work where they are able to.
If you’re living with Crohn’s or Colitis and experiencing difficulties at work, find out more about your rights, reasonable adjustments and getting support at work on our employment support pages.
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We know it can be difficult to live with, or support someone living with Crohn’s or Colitis. But we’re with you. We can give you the right information and support at the right time.
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How Can We Help?
- We can help you understand Crohn’s and Colitis
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