Mental Health in the Workplace: The Cost to Business

The UK cost of mental ill health in the workplace each year is

£ 1 billion

£24 billion Presenteeism £7 billion sickness absence £20 billion staff turnover

Presenteeism costs UK business each year £24 billion

Poor mental health costs UK employers up to £51bn a year, with presenteeism taking the biggest toll.

A report from Deloitte estimated that presenteeism – defined by the research as staff turning up to work despite being unwell for mental health reasons – cost UK employers £24bn annually through lost productivity.

Although there is evidence that hybrid working is beneficial for employees’ mental health, it is also likely that people feel more pressure to work even when unwell. [1]

British businesses lost an average of 38 working days per employee to physical and mental health related absence and presenteeism in 2019 – added to the start of this year, that makes today, February 21st, the UK’s ‘first productive day'

[2]

Sickness absence

The costs UK business each year £7 billion

Stress, depression or anxiety accounts for 49% of all work-related ill health [3]

17.1 million working days were lost in the UK in 2022/23 due to poor mental health [3]

The total number of workers suffering from work-related stress, depression or
anxiety in was 875,000 [3]

Staff Turnover

The costs UK business each year £20 billion

Minimising the risk of losing valued employees is another reason to invest in mental health at work.

59% of people who left their job in 2023 said the decision to leave said it somewhat, largely or entirely due to personal mental health and wellbeing-related issues, and 19% said it was due to poor mental health and wellbeing of a child

1 in 100 working parents who had left their job said it was due entirely to the mental health and wellbeing of a child. [1]

Mental health at work: How staff feel

Employees are reporting increased workplace intensity and more significant pressure at wor.

A third of managers feel out of their depth supporting their team with mental health concerns [5]

55%

of workers feel that work is getting more intense and demanding. [4]

61%

0f workers say they feel exhausted at the end of most working days [4]

1/3

of managers feel out of their depth supporting their team with mental health concerns [5].

29%

of managers said more support and training would help them support other team members [5]

64%

of managers have considered quitting for a job that would better support their wellbeing [6]

1 in 5

UK workers reported feeling unable to manage stress and pressure in the workplace [7]

9%

of professionals are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm [8]

61%

of people are experiencing at least one characteristic of burnout [1]

''On average, for every £1 spent on supporting their people’s mental health, employers get £4.70 back on their investment in reduced presenteeism, absenteeism and staff turnover'' [1]

Sources:

[1] Mental health and employers: The case for employers to invest in supporting working parents and a mentally health workplace – Deloitte – May 2024

[2] Vitality’s annual Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study -2020

[3] Health & Safety Executive 2023

[4] TUC: Work Intensification, 2023

[5] MHFA England: Survey shows managers are ‘out of their depth’ on mental health, 2023

[6] Deloitte: As workforce well-being dips, leaders ask: What will it take to move the needle?, 2023

[7] Mental Health UK: Burnout, 2023

[8] Champion Health: The Workplace Health Report, 2023

Find out more about the reasons to invest in mental health at work

Training for your organisation

We can deliver all our mental health courses and bespoke training to your team in a venue of your choice, or online as a group. We can arrange a package of training places on our public courses. Book booking is an effective and economical way to quickly upskill your workforce.