Off sick? You need to phone your boss, back-to-work adviser says

People off sick from work should keep in phone contact with their boss, government-appointed back-to-work expert Sir Charlie Mayfield has said. Getting bosses and workers to have a conversation, rather than simply exchanging emails and sicknotes, could help get people back into work, Sir Charlie, who is leading the Keep Britain Working taskforce, said. His latest report said health-related economic inactivity was costing Britain around £210bn a year in benefit payments and lost output. Talking on the phone was just one piece of the jigsaw he said on Wednesday. The report calls for more workplace support, external for people with health conditions and disabilities and the establishment of a Workplace Health System alongside the NHS.