Empowering workplace self-management for individuals with long-term health conditions and health-related disabilities: a randomised controlled feasibility trial of the 'Co-Manage' intervention compared with usual workplace support.
Around 5.53 million UK workers have a long-term health condition or disability, and the resulting sick leave costs the economy roughly £100 billion each year. This project tests whether a digital toolkit called Co-Manage can help these workers manage their own health at work. The problem is that existing workplace support often fails people with long-term conditions. Co-Manage provides online guides and paper resources for workers, managers, and employers to identify obstacles and solutions for any condition in any workplace. The researchers will run a feasibility trial across at least eight organisations, randomly assigning some to use Co-Manage while others continue with usual support. They will track recruitment, retention, sick leave records, and worker wellbeing over 12 months. If the trial shows Co-Manage is feasible and effective, the toolkit could be scaled nationally through government policy. This would give millions of workers practical tools to stay in work, reduce pressure on employers from absenteeism and turnover, and cut the economic burden of health-related productivity losses. The research directly addresses a gap in workplace self-management support that affects everyday life for a large portion of the workforce.
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Research question Would a cluster randomised controlled trial of Co-Manage, a digital toolkit designed to support workplace self-management for individuals with any long-term condition (LTC) or disability, be feasible in different workplace settings? Background Approximately 5.53m workers have at least one LTC or disability. LTCs and disabilities impact individuals’ ability to work, costing the UK economy around £100bn per year due to increased sickness leave. Effective self-management of health is aligned with the NHS Long-term Plan and supported by governmental policy and professional bodies. Self-management describes the actions people take to recognise, treat, and manage their own health. Examples include monitoring and responding to symptoms, accessing support, and making practical changes to enhance quality of life. Inadequate self-management can have negative impacts on workers (eg. job stress/dissatisfaction), employers (eg. absence/turnover) and the broader economy (eg. productivity losses). Recognising this, Co-Manage was co-created to provide online guides and resources that are also downloadable in paper form. It can be used by workers, managers, and employers to identify potential obstacles and solutions to managing any LTC/disability in any workplace. Aims & objectives The main aim of this project is to assess whether a cluster randomised controlled trial of Co-Manage is feasible. Specific objectives include determining the willingness of organisations to be randomised, measuring participant recruitment and retention rates, evaluating intervention fidelity and adherence, and gathering preliminary data on outcomes to inform the design of a larger trial. Methods A two-arm cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial conducted across at least eight organisations. Workers with any LTC/disability and managers will be recruited. Intervention organisations will embed Co-Manage into routine practice, while control sites will continue usual workplace support. Feasibility (eg. recruitment, retention), work-based attendance (eg. sick/disability leave days, discrete absence spells), and work-health outcomes (eg. wellbeing, self-management) will be collected. We will ask workers if we can obtain their sick and disability leave records (primary research outcome) from their employer over 12 months. We will also ask workers about their health and wellbeing at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Mixed-methods process and economic evaluations will explore acceptability, barriers and facilitators to implementation, and the feasibility of collecting data to inform a future trial. Timelines for delivery A 24-month project starting in January 2026 to December 2027. Three months before the project commences, we will focus on ethics approvals, recruiting research staff, and finalising organisational agreements. Recruitment of worker and manager participants will continue for 8 months. Anticipated impact & dissemination This research addresses a critical gap in supporting individuals with any LTC/disability in the workplace. This project will inform a larger trial assessing the cost-effectiveness of Co-Manage. If shown to be effective, this research could inform government policy and practice, facilitating the adoption of Co-Manage across different organisations at national scale. Results will be disseminated broadly, such as through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and engagement with workers, employers and policymakers.
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