The DWP has faced questions over a new unit being set up to cut absence at work
The Department for Work and Pensions has released an update on a new government workplace initiative after questions were raised over autism and dyslexia. The DWP has faced scrutiny over the so-called Workplace Health Intelligence Unit, which is being established to cut absence in the workplace .
The new unit will monitor sickness absence, return-to-work outcomes and disability participation. The government states it is planning, for the first time, to gather information from employers and providers “to increase dramatically the focus on prevention and to enable proactive steps to address emerging health issues”.
According to the Healthcare and Protection website, the unit will collect data from employers across the UK to assist the government in understanding the scale of, and ultimately tackling, emerging health issues throughout the country. Approximately 2.8 million people are currently out of work due to long-term illness, which is wiping 7% off GDP and costing employers around £85bn a year.
This week, the DWP issued a fresh statement after being pressed for clarification on whether the department would consider the potential merits of including data on (a) dyslexic and (b) other neurodiverse (i) jobseekers and (ii) employees within the unit.
Andrew Western – Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions) – said: “Sir Charlie Mayfield’s independent Keep Britain Working Review, published on 5 November 2025, highlighted the scale of the problem of people falling out of work for reasons of ill-health and disability, and the vital role employers can play in addressing this. The Review identified structural challenges for disabled people and people with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, creating barriers to starting and staying in work, and proposed reforms to create healthier, more inclusive workplaces.
“The Review was not condition specific but takes a needs-based approach, focussed on the wider structural and health related barriers that prevent disabled people and those with physical and mental health conditions from entering or staying in work. This includes development of good practice and outcomes for creating thriving, healthy workplaces, to be developed into a robust, recognised standard; creating effective, employer-facing Workplace Health Provision; and driving adoption through evidence and incentives.
“The Workplace Health Intelligence Unit is in its design phase. We are working with Vanguard employers to better define the data we think will underpin the new system, and how it can be collected. This will then be built into the design of the WHIU, so that it can provide an effective baseline for employers looking to improve their return-to-work process and results, reduce their sickness absence and achieve greater inclusion of disabled people and people with learning disabilities.”
Dyslexia falls under the Equality Act 2010/Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (NI), meaning employers are obliged to make reasonable adjustments for dyslexic employees in the workplace. They also have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace.
This duty begins with the recruitment process, so recruitment and selection processes must be dyslexia-friendly to be lawful. Autism is similarly covered under the act. One NHS trust website states that some autistic people will opt not to disclose their diagnosis to their employers.
“Whether or not to disclose an autism diagnosis at work is a deeply personal and complex decision. Some autistic people will choose not to disclose their diagnosis to their employers. They are not legally obliged to,” their guidance said.
“They may choose not to disclose their diagnosis due to a fear of discriminatory treatment, stigma, or a lack of understanding. Additionally, many autistic people have learnt to hide or ‘mask’ their autism, pretending to be non-autistic, to avoid being perceived as ‘different’ or ‘difficult’. Masking is extremely exhausting for autistic people and can lead to burnout.”
