6 steps that can help you stop losing men to preventable health problems

Men’s health is often relegated down the list of priorities to an isolated campaign in November. Here’s some ways to change that.

I’ve spent more than two decades supporting men through urology and bladder conditions, running clinics and working with those who often arrive too late - when the early warning signs were there but ignored. It’s rarely down to apathy.

Most men care deeply about their health, but stigma, time pressures and a belief that “it’s probably nothing” stop them from getting help. That silence comes at a cost.

Every year, men’s health issues lead to 68 million days lost to sickness absence and £14 billion in lost productivity. One in five men won’t reach retirement age.

I find these figures hard to comprehend. But behind each of these stats are real people. The colleague who hasn’t been himself lately. The manager burning out quietly. The father of three who keeps putting off his check-up.

And because men spend most of their waking hours at work, the workplace is one of the few places where early action is truly possible.

Yet often men’s health is still treated as a side topic. A campaign in November for Men’s Health Awareness Month. Maybe a poster on the wall. Then silence for the rest of the year.

This is exactly why we created the Men’s Health Toolkit for HR. It’s a 40+ page practical guide for employers to boost proactive men’s health support at work. Inside, you’ll find evidence, insights, and six clear steps that any organisation can take to create lasting change today.

Here are six steps that could help change that:

1. Modelling healthy leadership

Every workplace culture takes its cues from the top. When senior men speak openly about their own health, they give permission for others to do the same. It’s leadership by example and it works.

Start by inviting one or two male leaders to record a short video or share a post about something small but personal, like getting a cholesterol check or seeking mental health support. The goal is to be real. Then encourage male managers and more junior members of staff to open up about their health.

When men see those they respect talking about health, stigma starts to crumble. One story can normalise a hundred conversations.

Toolkit tip: Use your internal comms to spotlight leaders during awareness months, then follow up with “behind the scenes” updates - what they learned and how they’re staying proactive.

2. Know your numbers

Knowledge is prevention.

For employees, it’s key to understand their key health markers, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, BMI and waist measurements.

For employers, it’s key to understand your numbers. Things like absence rates, engagement levels, retention trends, early retirements. When you track data and connect it to wellbeing, you start to see risks before they turn into costs.

Toolkit tip: Share clear guidance on what healthy numbers look like and where to get support if results are outside range. Also I recommend that you review internal metrics, such as sickness absence rates, stress-related leave, turnover linked to health or burnout. Then share this in your next leadership team meeting.

3. Normalise conversations

Most men say they’d rather talk about their car breaking down than their mental or physical health. That’s where HR and managers can make the biggest difference.

You don’t need to formalise it, but there are some very simple steps you can take here. Simply add a “health minute” to team meetings, or share conversation guides with line managers. Create peer-to-peer sessions where men can share experiences in safe, informal spaces.

When health becomes something we talk about naturally it changes everything.

Toolkit tip: Try small, regular prompts like “This week’s health tip” in Slack or Teams. When you repeat the message often enough, it becomes part of culture.

4. Promote preventative health

The most effective health strategies are the ones that start before there’s a problem. And prevention pays off for employers too. Workplace prevention programmes consistently deliver a positive return on investment, reducing absenteeism, lowering healthcare costs and improving productivity.

This doesn’t mean expensive programmes. It means small, consistent steps that make a difference. For example, you could use moments like the below throughout the year to spark conversation, encourage action and make prevention part of your workplace:

January: promote blood pressure checks
March: launch a 20-minute walk challenge
August: focus on sleep hygiene
November: use Men’s Health Awareness Month to re-energise your efforts

More than half of UK companies now use health and wellbeing benefits to reduce staff absence through proactive support.

Toolkit tip: Use the “Prevent one risk a month” calendar inside the toolkit. It’s ready to drop into your wellbeing plan and keeps health visible all year.

5. Signpost support

Many men want help but don’t know where to start. Between busy schedules, shift work and worries about confidentiality, even the best benefits can go unused.

Make it easy. Create a “Where to go for men’s health” hub on your intranet with links to any wellbeing benefits, mental health first aiders and key internal contacts. Add QR codes in staff areas and short wellbeing reminders in company newsletters.

The easier it is to find support, the more likely men are to use it.

Toolkit tip: Test your visibility. Ask five male employees if they know where to find health support. If three can’t answer, start there.

6. Start small, scale up

You don’t have to overhaul everything at once. Start small, prove what works, then build from there.

Month 1: make men’s health visible. Share stories, posters, digital content. Month 2: collect feedback. Who engaged, what resonated.
Month 3: scale your success. Roll out across more teams, measure results and share wins with leadership.

Toolkit tip: Use the “90-day success plan” in the toolkit to keep momentum. It’s structured, simple and designed for busy HR teams.

Why this matters

When men are healthy, workplaces thrive. They stay longer, perform better and bring more energy and purpose to their teams.

As someone who’s seen the consequences of inaction far too often, I can tell you that early intervention is the smart thing to do.

It’s so important that we create workplaces where men can stay healthy, supported and in work for longer.

Download the Men’s Health Toolkit here.