Adriana Curca, CBI Economics Manager, shares insights on how employers can take a more proactive, data-driven approach to wellbeing.
Key takeaways
- £56 billion: the cost each year of poor mental health on UK employers
- £28 billion: how much presenteeism accounts for every year
- For every £1 spent on mental health interventions, businesses can see up to £5 in return through reduced absence, presenteeism, and turnover.
At a time when economic inactivity due to ill health has hit record highs, the case for prioritising employee wellbeing has never been stronger. Over 2.8 million people in the UK are currently out of work due to long-term sickness - many with mental health conditions. But the hidden cost runs deeper. Presenteeism, where employees are physically present but unwell and underperforming, is a major drag on productivity and morale.
Deloitte estimates that poor mental health costs UK employers up to £56 billion per year - with presenteeism accounting for the largest share, at up to £28 billion annually. That's more than the combined cost of sickness absence and staff turnover.
That's why I was delighted to join a panel at Anthropy 2025 at the Eden Project, alongside experts from Calm, SimplyHealth, and Centrica, to explore how employers can take a more proactive, data-driven approach to wellbeing.
My contribution focused on the
Exclusive member-only content
