How helping sleep-deprived staff could save thousands
A new report from Unmind reveals that presenteeism due to mental ill-health could be costing companies between £3,900 and £5,000 per employee every year.
But there are ways to combat it.
In two recent randomised control trials, mental health service provider Unmind teamed up with Sussex University to assess the impact of a platform content designed to tackle depressive symptoms and poor sleep.
But this work also laid bare how businesses might be losing vast amounts of cash if they ignore their staff’s mental wellbeing.
The results were pretty eye-popping.
In the low mood study, presenteeism fell by 12.3%. This equates to a weekly saving of £75.22.
For poor sleepers, presenteeism fell by 16.5% – a weekly saving of £97.10.
This means, over across a year, using Unmind to tackle low mood saves £3,912 per employee. The annual saving for poor sleep is even greater: £5,049 a head.
Cultural change
Clearly, mental health should not be seen as a perk, but as a strategy for business performance.
Unmind CEO Nick Taylor says: “Shortfalls in productivity from employees struggling with their mental health can have a serious financial impact on businesses – let alone on the wellbeing of individuals themselves.
“While staff wellbeing should be the top priority for any business, viewing this through a financial lens can help bosses understand that workplace wellbeing can go beyond the scope of the individual.
“It’s about driving real cultural change around workplace wellbeing.”
It’s clear: poor mental health can spark high costs for companies. But supporting employee wellbeing can help ease this financial burden.
Read the full report (including a breakdown of the methodology, plus references) here.
In partnership with Unmind
Our vision is to create a world where mental health is universally understood, nurtured&celebrated.
