Wellbeing Solved

What is employee absence really costing your organisation?

Most organisations dramatically underestimate the financial cost of employee absence. They see the salary cost of sick days, but miss the compounding effects: lost productivity of the absent employee, the productivity cost of colleagues covering, management time spent on absence management, the impact on team morale, and — in cases of prolonged absence — the cost of temporary cover or recruitment.

The Numbers Are Startling

According to research from Deloitte, CIPD, ACAS, and the Thriving at Work report:

  • The average UK employee takes 5.8 days of sickness absence per year.
  • Poor mental health alone costs UK employers between £33 billion and £42 billion per year.
  • The typical 200-person organisation carries £800,000–£900,000 in total absence costs annually.
  • Replacing a mid-level employee costs 50–200% of their annual salary when you factor in recruitment fees, onboarding time, lost productivity during the gap, and the knowledge that walks out the door.
  • Presenteeism — employees coming to work when unwell and performing below their best — costs twice as much as absenteeism.

Use the Free ROI Estimator

The Wellbeing Solved ROI Estimator is a free interactive tool that calculates the estimated annual absence cost for your organisation, based on your headcount and average salary. It uses UK national averages from published research to give you a credible figure you can take to the board.

The calculator is available at wellbeingsolved.com/roi-estimator.

Enter your headcount and average salary to receive:

  • Your estimated annual absence cost
  • Your estimated annual presenteeism cost
  • Your estimated annual staff turnover cost
  • A total cost of poor wellbeing figure
  • The projected saving from a structured wellbeing programme

The Clarity Day Pays for Itself

The Wellbeing Solved Clarity Day costs £1,250. For a 200-person organisation carrying £800,000 in absence costs, a 5% improvement in absence rates — a conservative and achievable target based on published outcomes from structured wellbeing programmes — saves £40,000 per year. The Clarity Day pays for itself thirty times over in year one.

Book a Clarity Day at wellbeingsolved.com/contact.