Why employee health business cases stall
Somewhere in your organisation right now, someone is managing a health condition they have not told anyone about. They are showing up, doing their best, and quietly wondering whether they can keep going. This pattern shows up across every sector and every level of seniority.
If you are reading this, the problem is not your conviction. The gap sits between what you already know needs to happen and what your organisation has been willing to act on. Most HR and benefits leaders have made this case before and met competing priorities, budget questions or unclear ownership.
That friction is not a sign the case is wrong. It is a sign the case needs to be framed differently for different people in the room.
What is already happening across the workforce
Unmanaged health conditions are one of the most consistent drivers of employee absence, and one of the most invisible. Employees rarely disclose the real cause. About a quarter (23%) of women report being absent from work due to period pain in the past six months alone, and most of that absence is recorded as something else.
Retention data is equally direct:
- A quarter (1 in 4) women consider leaving work due to menopause. 1 in 10 actually do.
- Nearly nine out of ten (88%) employees say they would change jobs for better fertility support
- A sixth (17%) of women leave employment within five years of childbirth.
Replacing a single experienced employee costs around six to nine months of their salary. For a senior employee on £60,000, that is £30,000 to £45,000 per departure. Even modest reductions in attrition across affected demographics offset the cost of specialist support many times over.
Presenteeism is harder to quantify, but the indicators are clear.
- 40% of men have low testosterone, affecting mood, energy and cognitive performance.
- 90% of people going through fertility challenges report feeling depressed.
- 1 in 5 women develop a mental health condition during the perinatal period.
These conditions show up daily as reduced concentration, lower output and quiet disengagement.
Why buy-in stalls
When the response is "it is not a priority right now", the reframe is simple. Workforce health underpins every other priority. Productivity programmes and cost reduction efforts rely on a workforce that is present and performing.
Budget objections are almost always a framing problem. The question is not "can we afford this?" but "what is this already costing us?" Absence, attrition and presenteeism almost certainly cost more than the support itself.
Ownership questions stall more cases than money does. Naming one decision lead and mapping the stakeholders who need to be involved is often all that is missing.
Data gaps can be addressed with sector benchmarks and third-party outcome data while internal measurement is built. Waiting for perfect data means waiting indefinitely.
The legal context is shifting
For organisations where legal and finance must sign off, the legislative direction adds significant weight. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is increasing employer obligations around employee health and wellbeing. Guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Health and Safety Executive treats menopause as a potential workplace health, safety and discrimination issue.
Tribunal claims connected to menopause, pregnancy discrimination and health-related constructive dismissal are rising year on year. A single successful claim can cost significantly more than a full year of specialist support, before legal fees, management time and replacement costs are factored in.
Under disability and equality legislation, severe menopause symptoms, endometriosis and mental health conditions linked to fertility or pregnancy can qualify as disabilities. Specialist support access is increasingly viewed as a readily achievable adjustment.
Translating the case for each stakeholder
No single stakeholder approves this alone. Each person needs different framing:
- Senior HR and People leadership: strategic alignment, retention and culture outcomes
- Finance: ROI, cost of inaction and absence cost offset
- Legal and compliance: legislative obligations, risk mitigation and duty of care
- DEI and wellbeing leads: demographic coverage, inclusive design and ESG alignment
- C-suite sponsor: headline business case, peer benchmarking and talent brand
Decisions move faster with clear ownership, concise pre-reads, peer employer examples and a phased or pilot option.
Where to start
Building the case does not require perfect internal data. It requires the right framing for the right audience, supported by credible benchmarks and a clear next step.
For a fuller breakdown, including ROI modelling, stakeholder mapping and an internal template designed to be shared with finance and legal, download the full guide: The Business Case for Employee Health.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Peppy
Peppy is a global app-based employee benefit giving employees access to expert clinical care in menopause, fertility, pregnancy, and more - trusted by 250+ companies and reaching over 3 million people.
