UK workplace health crisis drains billions and raises legal risks
A Vitality report finds that employees working while ill cost the UK economy £241 bn a year, with mental health issues driving most losses.
According to a new Vitality analysis, UK workers who press on through illness and stress are costing the economy £241 bn in lost output each year, with mental ill-health as the chief factor. High-risk employees forfeit about 30 days of productive work annually, translating to roughly £7,000 per employee in losses. The report highlights that eight-in-ten members of Generation Z experience significant psychological distress at work, a rate ten times higher than that of Baby Boomers.
Despite these figures, less than one-third of employers provide mental-health counselling, and only 20% offer health insurance while 13% provide health screening, far below global averages. Limited access to NHS appointments further forces workers to remain at desks while underperforming. Legal partner Ed Bowyer cautions that companies ignoring mental-health duties may face Equality Act lawsuits and must implement reasonable adjustments, a challenge for many managers.
Why it matters
The findings reveal a massive economic drain and growing legal exposure for UK employers over employee mental health.
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