Presenteeism costs UK employers £15.1bn per year

The problem of presenteeism in the workplace is costing employers over £15billion per year.

Despite the economic retributions, the cost of poor mental health and wellbeing is harmful to both individuals and organisations, resulting in decreased productivity.

Ahead of this year’s CIPD conference, Professor Sir Cary Cooper, keynote speaker and President of the CIPD, comments on the presenteeism problem: "Stress-related absence is high in most EU countries. The challenge is to create good places to work, where people are managed by praise and reward, and not fault-finding and work overload, where they are trusted to work more flexibly and where they have better balance in their lives."

Mary Connaughton, Director of CIPD Ireland, adds: “The changing nature of work, and the improving economy in Ireland, demands new ways of thinking from HR and business leaders. We need to design better jobs and create workplaces where people can be at their best, develop meaningful careers and continuously upskill in line with business needs. Having a healthy workforce not only benefits the individual, but can significantly improve organisational performance and create a healthier bottom line. That’s why employers, the government and the HR community need to work together to build an integrated approach to wellbeing for all working environments and help individuals experience better work and working lives."