Overview
- The free training will run across England from January to March 2026 and will be delivered by Reed Learning working with International Workplace.
- SMEs can pre-register until 31 December, with full registration opening on 2 January 2026, and participation is voluntary.
- The course aims to help managers identify early warning signs, hold supportive conversations, and make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.
- Ministers cite more than 2.8 million people signed off long-term sick and 800,000 more working-age adults out of work due to sickness since 2019 as the motivation for the move.
- Officials highlight the business case for small firms, including over £11,000 to replace a worker and about £120 lost profit per sickness day, alongside evidence that only 21% of SMEs offer such training but 79% of those report it prevents ill health.