Health Impacts on Business
Poor health and wellbeing manifests as presenteeism (working through illness at reduced capacity and quality), absenteeism (sick days) and with anxiety, depression, distraction and demotivation particularly where there is a long-term condition or a diagnosis lacking.
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​The adage, ‘prevention is better than cure’ has never been truer than in the context of health. Diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, insomnia and stress are some of the biggest health challenges of modern life – all of these can be addressed at a preventative level. However, minor illnesses (such as coughs and colds) were the most common reason for sickness absence, accounting for approximately 34.3 million days lost or 26.1% of the total days lost (National Centre for Social Research).
Of those with long-term sickness, nearly two-fifths (38%) reported having five or more health conditions (up from 34% in 2019), suggesting that many have interlinked and complex health issues and over 1.35 million (53%) of those reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety in Quarter 1 2023, with the majority (over 1 million) reporting it as a secondary health condition rather than their main one
(Zurich Insurance/CeBR, 2023)
Long-term sickness
Prolonged employee absences due to illness can create numerous challenges for businesses
FINANCIAL STRAIN
Financial strain on employers (sick pay) and need for temporary workers or to allocate extra resources
WORKFLOW DISRUPTION
Absence of experienced staff can disrupt workflow, impact team collaboration, and diminish productivity potentially leading to missed deadlines or compromised work quality, negatively affecting customer satisfaction
LOWER
MORALE
Prolonged absences can lower overall morale and well-being among remaining employees who may face increased workloads and additional stress, increasing the risk of burnout
STRESS & HEALTH SPIRAL
Risk of triggering a detrimental cycle, where stressed employees are more prone to health problems, potentially resulting in further long-term absences.
Opportunities for businesses include
combining learning together in an empowering interactive workshop format with an initial and follow up one-to-one private consultation for each participant to address any specific health issues. Can be tailored to include a group challenge via downloadable app
In person talks or webinars on current hottest topics in health and wellness that inspire, educate and motivate larger groups and engage remote employees
Bespoke full or half day workshops and presentations with one-to-one drop-in clinic sessions for staff during the day for quick advice or diet diary review
Expert panel discussion featuring a carefully curated line up of specialists with deep expertise with stories that will wow and inspire
(The Times Health Commission, 2024)
