Tackle health and wellbeing challenges to support longer working lives

When it comes to health and wellbeing in the workplace, organisations can create healthier, more resilient workforces, and help reduce the £21bn burden on the UK economy, by simply being more proactive.

With 2.8 million people in the UK out of work due to long-term sickness, health and wellbeing is firmly in the spotlight.

For the UK Government, long-term sickness has become a major priority. As outlined in the Get Britain Working White Paper, improving national health is critical to not only helping more people get into work, but also ensuring more individuals can thrive in their employment.

Naturally, conversations relating to health shift the focus onto improving and scaling up the NHS and the broader health system. However, with NHS referrals to elective treatment waiting lists in England having increased from 4.4 million in January 2020 to 7.6 million in July 2024, it is already under pressure, and undoubtedly won’t be able to shoulder this responsibility alone.

Instead, tackling health and wellbeing challenges to improve employment outcomes and reduce economic inactivity requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, from the government to the private sector, employers, communities, and individuals.

From reactive to proactive workplace support

Support for employees in the workplace can be a great place to start in addressing ill health. Not only can the right workplace policies and cultures make a huge difference by helping to better support employees suffering with health issues, but they can also bridge the gap for those currently out of work.

Businesses have every reason to prioritise inclusive cultures and health-sensitive adjustments. Not only is it the right thing to do, but there’s a clear business case.

Recent government statistics show that 40.1 million days are currently lost each year due to employee sickness, affecting over 1.7 million workers at a cost of £21.6bn to the UK economy.

Mental health issues such as stress, depression and anxiety are among the biggest contributors, accounting for 776,000 cases and accumulating in 22.1 million lost days at work. This is followed by musculoskeletal disorders with 543,000 cases and 7.1 million lost days of work.

In other words, poor employee health can cost employers dearly. It impacts performance, drives up sickness absence, and leads to the loss of valuable experience when employees leave – talents that can be costly to replace.

The right workplace environment can support rather than exacerbate these physical and mental health challenges, helping to in turn reduce lost working hours, retain valued employees, and serve as a competitive advantage when it comes to attracting new talent.

Prevention as a cornerstone of future wellbeing

For companies to avoid the costs associated with ill health in the workplace, a proactive approach is needed. Indeed, the future of health and wellbeing lies in anticipating needs, not reacting when it’s already too late.

There is clear evidence to suggest that prevention is better than the cure. According to Deloitte, increasing prevention spend from about 6% to 10% of healthcare expenditure could generate £42bn in savings for the UK healthcare system over 10 years, with every £1 yielding £8 in return.

Similarly, a study by the Office for Health Economics found primary prevention yields a median return of over 14:1, and can be three to four times more cost-effective than treatment alone.

Crucially, prevention must be paired with early intervention. Spending to prevent ill health, while also investing in timely support when issues first emerge, delivers the strongest outcomes for both employees and employers. Evidence shows that early intervention can significantly improve productivity and reduce absence, particularly longer-term and more intractable cases.

In practice, 75% of employees return to work earlier than the clinical norms for their medical condition following an intervention, while 70% experience no sickness absence for at least 12 months afterwards.

Psychological outcomes are equally compelling, with 93% showing improvements in wellbeing, and an average reduction of 15.8 days per employee in sickness absence.

Together, these outcomes underline why early intervention is not simply a wellbeing initiative, but a strategic investment in workforce resilience and performance.

Not only does preventing illness improve long-term outcomes for individuals, but it also makes financial and societal sense, reducing pressures on health services while enabling people to stay in employment.

Here, corporates can take a leading role, using data to identify where there are needs and implementing proactive, preventative health measures that spot risks early and support employees before conditions escalate.

Systems should provide physical health support through interventions such as workplace screenings, health assessments and access to early diagnostics. Education around lifestyle, mental health and musculoskeletal wellbeing can also help employees manage their health more effectively.

Data-driven health must power proactive interventions

For preventative healthcare to work, it must be informed by key insights and data.

Fortunately, healthcare data is abundant. Indeed, it’s estimated that around 30% of the world’s data is generated by the healthcare sector. Harnessing that data can be incredibly impactful – not only for healthcare providers, but also employers and the working population.

Health data can be used to implement employee assistance programmes (EAPs), for example, enabling organisations to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to health and wellbeing.

This year, we expect to see more interventions that are tailored to specific demographic needs and organisational challenges, which is sorely needed. While the number of people in the UK out of work has hit record highs, 4.1 million employees currently have health conditions that are work-limiting – an increase of 300,000 over the past year.

These are individuals who stand to benefit significantly from tailored health and wellbeing support. With the right adjustments and relevant support, workplaces can help to ensure they are able to perform effectively and happily in their roles.

Best time to make the necessary changes

As the Keep Britain Working report makes clear, keeping the country working is a solvable challenge. The Government has a crucial enabling role, but creating lasting change is shared responsibility and employers must recognise the benefits of investing in their people.

With new technologies, abundant data, and a growing appreciation of the value that preventative healthcare can provide, it’s never been easier to make proactive changes to improve health and wellbeing.

For corporates, this should be a priority. Not only is it the right thing to do by employees, but it can also go a long way in establishing a healthy, productive workforce, while acting as a competitive differentiator in hiring and retaining staff.

With that said, workplace support must be holistic. The most impactful wellbeing programmes will continue to integrate mental, physical and social care, providing personalised support at the right time, including early intervention, coaching, therapy, rehabilitation and workplace adjustments.