Mental health and wellbeing at work
Find out how to improve mental health and wellbeing in your workplace with strategies to improve culture, support employees and boost productivity.
The cost of poor mental health in the workplace
Poor mental health can cost employers a lot of money in Wales and the UK.
These costs can come from:
- Lost productivity
- Absenteeism
- Presenteeism
- Higher support costs (e.g. occupational health or employee assistance programmes)
One of the biggest challenges is presenteeism. This is when employees are at work, but unable to perform at their best due to mental health struggles. This hidden cost is often greater than the impact of sickness absence alone.
Mental health is also the leading cause of both short and long-term absences. This can put pressure on your teams and also increase your recruitment and training costs due to staff turnover rises.
Investing in workplace mental health support is not just the right thing to do – it’s a smart financial decision. Employers who prioritise mental wellbeing can see a strong return on investment through improved productivity, fewer absences and lower staff turnover.
Page last reviewed: 20th March 2025
