Workplace health is becoming a shared responsibility
The Keep Britain Working review, published in late 2025, set the direction: employers, employees and the health service sharing responsibility for health at work, with employers focused on prevention and early intervention. The review proposes a Healthy Working Lifecycle accreditation and standard.
With statutory sick pay now starting from day one of absence, the case for managing health at work well is both clearer and more pressing. A considered set of policies, backed by occupational health, is the practical place to start.
Find the policies your organisation requires
Every employer requires a core set of workplace health policies. Select the options that describe your organisation to build a checklist, then download it as a PDF report.
Clinically led by our occupational health team · framework reviewed July 2026, next review January 2027
Your people
Your risks & exposures
Health & life circumstances
Your policy checklist – 4 policies
Four policies apply to every employer. Select the options that describe your organisation to add further policies. Open a policy to see what it should include.
Sources: Equality Act 2010 · Employment Rights Act 2025 (statutory sick pay from day one) · GOV.UK fit note guidance · ACAS guidance and the ACAS Code on disciplinary and grievance
Sources: Equality Act 2010 · Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 · HSE stress and mental health guidance · ISO 45003:2021 · BS 30480:2025 · DHSC Suicide prevention strategy for England 2023 to 2028
Sources: Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 · Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 · HSE Management Standards · ISO 45003:2021
Sources: Equality Act 2010 · Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 (duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, in force since 26 October 2024) · Employment Rights Act 2025 (duty raised to “all reasonable steps” and liability for third-party harassment from 30 October 2026, regulations on non-disclosure agreements expected in 2027) · EHRC technical guidance “Sexual harassment and harassment at work” and the EHRC 8-step employer guide
How we help you develop your policies
A process that gives your team the content and clinical input to develop its policies, and the clinical services behind them.
Understand
We start with your organisation – your workforce, sector and risk profile, and what you already have in place.
Review
We review your current policies against the occupational health guidance that applies to them and identify the gaps.
Prioritise
We identify the policies that matter most for your size, sector and risks.
Provide the content
We give you the clinical content, the key points to include and first-tier references to build each policy around.
Deliver the services
Where a policy relies on a clinical service – surveillance, a stress risk assessment, testing, assessments – we deliver it.
Keep it current
We track legislative change and flag what affects your policies.
We flag what is changingThe changes shaping policy now
The live developments we are tracking for clients – and building into the frameworks we develop.
Employment Rights Act 2025
Commencing in phases through 2026 and 2027 – from day-one sick pay and family-leave rights to stronger protection for new and expectant mothers, plus menopause and gender-equality action plans for larger employers.
Harassment – “all reasonable steps”
The duty to prevent sexual harassment rises from “reasonable steps” to “all reasonable steps”, with liability for third-party harassment, from 30 October 2026.
Fit note reform
Reform is under way, with a full government consultation expected to follow the recent call for evidence – part of the wider shift towards stay-in-work and return-to-work planning.
Extreme temperatures
The HSE is reviewing the Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which may sharpen expectations on managing heat and cold at work.
Bereavement leave, including pregnancy loss
From April 2027, employees gain a day-one right to up to two weeks’ unpaid leave after the death of an immediate family member or a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. The government confirmed the details on 22 September 2026.
Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023
In force from April 2025: a day-one right to up to 12 weeks’ neonatal care leave, with statutory pay for eligible employees – one to reflect in family-leave and absence policies.
Policy development FAQs
The questions HR and people leaders ask most.
It's the process of creating or reviewing the policies that govern health at work – sickness absence, mental health, drug and alcohol, menopause and more – so they meet current law and good occupational health practice. Medwyn provides the clinical content, the key points to include and first-tier references for each policy; your HR and legal advisers hold the final documents.
Both. Some organisations come to us with no formal policy in place; others have policies that need updating to reflect current legislation and best practice. We give you the occupational health content, the key points to include and first-tier references either way – for a policy built from the ground up, or a review and refresh of what you already have – and advise on the right approach for each. Your HR and legal advisers hold the final documents; our role is to shape them.
A clinical evidence base alongside the legal one. Employment-law advice sets out what a policy must contain. Our input adds good occupational health practice, such as early intervention and referral pathways in a mental health policy.
For a single policy, we can usually turn the occupational health content and references around within 5–10 working days of our first discussion; a policy built from the ground up typically takes a little longer, around 10–15 working days. For a full suite, we agree a phased programme and timeline at the outset.
As a general rule, every two to three years – or sooner if there is a significant change in legislation, organisational structure or workforce profile. We can build a review schedule into your occupational health programme so policies stay current without you having to track review dates.
Yes. A policy is only useful if managers understand it and apply it consistently. We can support implementation through manager briefing sessions, employee awareness communications and, for specific policies such as drug and alcohol or menopause, training workshops.
Yes – both are areas where many employers have no formal policy yet. We provide the content and clinical input for neurodiversity policies covering ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other conditions, and for reasonable adjustments policies that set out a clear process for identifying, implementing and reviewing adjustments under the Equality Act.
The content we provide reflects the regulatory requirements of your sector. For example, drug and alcohol policies for safety-critical industries require different testing thresholds and procedures from those for office-based environments.
Related services
The services that put your policies into practice:
Mental health & neurodiversity
Assessment, training and organisational support behind your mental health, stress and neurodiversity policies.
Learn more →Health surveillance
Legally compliant, risk-based surveillance programmes – the delivery behind your surveillance policy.
Learn more →Absence management
Independent OH advice on fitness, adjustments and return to work – the engine behind your absence policy.
Learn more →This page is general information for employers and is not individual medical or legal advice.
Ready to develop your policy framework?
Talk to us about the occupational health content and input your organisation requires to develop its policies, and the clinical services behind them. We answer enquiries within 3 working hours.