Our research

This paper provides guidance on the identification and management of Long COVID - particularly regarding return to work. This guidance has been produced by members of The Society of Occupational Medicine Long COVID Group, of which our Managing Partner Jo Yarker is a member, and other work and health...

This study investigated the relationships between the context of home-based teleworking during the pandemic (pandemic-teleworking conditions), productivity perceptions during home-based teleworking, and employees' future teleworking inclinations (FTI) beyond the pandemic. Specifically, the study examined...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work's research with the University of Sheffield and CIPD, these guides produced by the CIPD offer advice and practical recommendations to provide support to employees with long COVID. This guide is for colleagues to help them support workers with long covid. There are also...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work research for the CIPD, involving returning workers, line managers, occupational health, employment advisers, and rehabilitation professionals, HR professionals and the Long COVID Support group, these CIPD guides offer advice and practical recommendations to provide...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work research for the CIPD, involving returning workers, line managers, occupational health, employment advisers, and rehabilitation professionals, HR professionals and the Long COVID Support group, these CIPD guides offer advice and practical recommendations to provide...

Drawing on Affinity Health at Work research for the CIPD, involving returning workers, line managers, occupational health, employment advisers, and rehabilitation professionals, HR professionals and the Long COVID Support group, these CIPD guides offer advice and practical recommendations to provide...

An estimated 1.3 million people (1.9% of the population) were experiencing self-reported long COVID as at October 2021. The prevalence and impact of long COVID is emerging as a significant concern and needs ongoing attention from people professionals.
In order to provide timely and appropriate support...

Over 15 million people live with a long-term health condition in the UK1 and in 2019/20, there were 32.5 million estimated working days lost due to work-related ill health2. Having good management practices gives employee the best chance of staying in work and fulfilling their potential.

This guide introduces...

The cost of sickness absence has major social, psychological, and financial implications for individuals and organisations. Return-to-work (RTW) interventions that support good quality communication and contact with the workplace can reduce the length of sickness absence by between 15 to 30 days. However,...

Research shows that employees are more likely to return to work safely and productively following long-term sickness absence if they are well supported during their absence and on their return.

The key considerations for managing an effective return, including for those suffering from long COVID, are...

Working with a multi-disciplinary team, Affinity Health at Work contributed to this guide for the Society of Medicine to support people to return to work following Covid-19 infection

Drawing on research and practice, Affinity Health at Work contributed to this toolkit for Mental Health at Work. We share tips and strategies to support individuals struggling with the transition out of lockdown.

Drawing on research and practice, Affinity Health at Work contributed to this guide from the Society of Occupational Medicine. This guide shares recommendations for returning to the workplace after lockdown

Sustainable return to work in mental health issues; what works for whom?

This review examines the evidence and guidance available to inform practices around work adjustments for mental health at work.
It is important that employees experiencing mental ill-health are able to access the support they need to return to work following sickness absence, stay in work and continue...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the way workers with common mental disorders use job crafting to adjust their work to their levels of functioning after returning from long-term sick leave. Thirty-eight workers who had returned within the last 24-months from sickness absence due to...

This guide has been developed for managers to support employees to return to and stay in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.

This guide has been developed for individuals who are returning to work to support them in returning to and stayin in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.

This guide has been developed for HR professionals to support employees to return to and stay in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.

This guide has been developed for colleagues to help them support an employee to return to and stay in work following absence due to mental ill-health drawing on research conducted with the University of Sheffield.

Current research on return to work (RTW) for employees with common mental disorders suffers from two limitations. First, research mostly focuses on the influence of resources during the absence period ignoring the resources which may facilitate sustainable RTW, i.e. employees continuing to work and thrive...