How to Make a Business Case for Investing in Wellbeing Support

In a time of increasing pressure on organisations to deliver more with less, employee wellbeing can feel like a “soft” issue. But with absence rates rising and burnout on the rise, wellbeing support is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s a business imperative.

The cost of doing nothing

There has been a significant increase in the cost of employee ill-health for UK employers in recent years. Since 2018, there has been a £30 billion rise in the total annual cost of employee absence, now totalling over £100 billion a year (IPPR, 2024).

Mental health alone accounts for a significant proportion of long-term absence across sectors, totalling around half of this overall cost at £51 billion annually (Deloitte, 2024). Without proactive wellbeing support, organisations face higher sickness absence, lost productivity, and greater turnover, all leading to increasing costs to your bottom line.

At GoodShape, we’ve seen firsthand how poor employee health impacts operations, from delayed projects to cancelled appointments. When wellbeing isn't prioritised, performance suffers.

What the data shows

Our data consistently reveals that early intervention and targeted support reduce the duration and frequency of absence. Providing employees with access to timely mental and physical health services – alongside supportive line management – leads to measurable improvements in attendance, engagement and morale.

Framing the business case

To gain internal buy-in, it's crucial to link wellbeing to outcomes that matter to your organisation. For example:

• Financial impact: Calculate the cost of current absence rates and model potential savings from improved health outcomes.

• Operational disruption: Highlight how absence affects service delivery, client satisfaction, or compliance.

• Retention and recruitment: A strong wellbeing offering boosts employer brand and reduces turnover.

• Cultural value: Align with organisational values around care, community, or ESG goals.

What good employers do differently

High-performing organisations treat wellbeing as strategic, not reactive. They embed support into day-to-day operations, empower managers with training and insight, and use absence data to shape proactive interventions.

Wellbeing is a growth strategy

Investing in wellbeing is not just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do. When employees feel supported, they perform better, stay longer, and contribute more.

Making the business case starts with data – and ends with impact.