Employee sickness is estimated to have cost the economy £103bn in 2024. Additionally, 3.7 million people are in employment but dealing with a work-limiting health condition. While long-term sickness cannot be attributed to one factor alone, employers can provide preventative healthcare and mental health support that can benefit employee health and wellbeing. Employers must be actively encouraged to create positive, health-centric working environments that promote employer-led intervention. How can workplaces ensure they’re supporting their people and preventing long-term sickness in their organisation?
Create positive work environments
Prioritise workplace wellbeing resources, ensuring all employees have equal access to support whether in the workplace or working remotely. Leaders should act as role models to employees to foster positive wellbeing within businesses. This includes being open about wellbeing and taking adequate time off for mental and physical health when an issue arises to prevent longer term absences.
Health leadership training can give leaders and managers the confidence to prioritise and invest in wellbeing, which in turn drives better performance. Showing traits such as emotional vulnerability and being open in communication can create a safe, open space for employees to do the same. Often, taking time off when it’s needed can help prevent more severe issues, like burnout, from developing.
Wellbeing interventions
Promote the positive and encourage healthy habits among your teams. Employee-led wellbeing interventions that help improve physical and mental health and resilience should be promoted regularly throughout the business hierarchy. By focusing on influencing company culture through your wellbeing strategy — such as flexible work options, mental health days off and coaching 1:1s — employees are being shown that support is there and readily available.
When costs rise, there’s a real risk that employers will cut back on workplace wellbeing initiatives and even drop pay rises. Businesses must avoid viewing wellbeing programs as discretionary. These initiatives are not just a cost but a vital investment in your people’s long-term resilience, health and productivity. Cutting back on them could lead to higher absenteeism, burnout and reduced morale, ultimately impacting companies financially. – Dave Capper, CEO at Westfield Health
Employee support
87% of adults in Great Britain consider the NHS to be one of the most important issues facing the UK. Having support from employers is growing more crucial to assist with any health and wellbeing challenges that employees face. It’s important to create, provide, and adequately communicate support pathways for those suffering from or vulnerable to health problems.
Depression, mental illness or anxiety is the most common reason for long-term absences. To help combat this, business initiatives can also include facilitating social wellbeing within teams. Consider initiatives such as active spaces to encourage physical health and health cash plans to aid the expenses for things such as dentist or physio appointments. These can help reduce the need for future care or a decline in health. All workplaces — and especially managers — should be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills to support mental health at work.
More workplace trends for 2025
Our Wellbeing Trends 2025 report includes four key themes for workplace wellbeing as we enter 2025.
The report examines search trends, NHS data, consumer behaviour and Westfield Health’s wellbeing research to help businesses get a head start on the issues affecting their people now and in the new year.