The need for robust occupational health strategies is supported by compelling data. Research suggests that sickness absence costs employers an average of £120 in lost profit every single day. What’s more concerning, however, is that 10% of workers who have taken time off for mental health didn’t feel comfortable disclosing mental health as the reason for this. Additionally, over a quarter (26%) of workers who have never taken time off for their mental health say they have needed to, but have felt unable to do so due to workload, fear of judgement or financial concerns.
A happy and productive workforce is a healthy workforce. We interviewed Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), to explore how organisations should be proactive when it comes to the occupational health and wellbeing of its employees.
Q: Why is proactive management of occupational health and wellbeing essential for modern organisations?
A: At IOSH, our stance emphasises that wellbeing must be treated as an essential driver of organisational performance, resilience and sustainability. Effective wellbeing strategies must address the organisational factors that shape people’s daily experience of work – job design, workload, leadership, culture, autonomy, inclusion and the management of psychosocial risks.
Taking a proactive approach to occupational health and wellbeing is absolutely essential in today’s fast-paced, interconnected workplaces. Gone are the days when organisations could afford to wait for problems to arise or rely on quick fixes that only scratch the surface. Instead, it’s about adopting holistic, prevention-first, and people-focused strategies that tackle issues at their root. This means identifying risks early, designing safer and healthier jobs, and creating work environments where employees can truly thrive.
When organisations prioritise this kind of approach, they not only reduce preventable harm but also foster sustainable performance and build a culture of trust - where employees feel valued, heard, and supported. It’s also key to staying resilient and adaptable, especially as new challenges like psychosocial risks emerge. By investing in proactive measures early on, businesses protect their people while strengthening their operations for the long haul.
Our recent whitepaper, ‘From perks to prevention’, highlights just how important it is to move from policy to action. To make a real difference in worker health and wellbeing, the focus has to be on prevention-first interventions that deliver meaningful, lasting impact.
Q: How do you define the ‘true cost’ of poor health management in a workplace?
A: According to the most recent Health and Safety Executive data, work-related ill health affects 1.9 million people. As pointed out in our 2025 ‘Fixing sick Britain’ report, poor worker health is estimated to cost employers up to £150 billion annually through sickness absence, lost productivity and recruitment costs.
These are only some of the statistics. From IOSH’s perspective this shows it is a systemic cost – one that impacts individuals, businesses, communities, the economy and wider society. So, the true cost of poor health management reaches far beyond sickness absence. At a workplace level it can cause reduced productivity, increased staff turnover, diminished morale, and result in the hidden impact of presenteeism -where employees are physically present but unable to perform at their best. It can also damage organisational reputation, affecting recruitment and stakeholder confidence.
When workers experience unmanaged physical or mental health risks, the consequences can include prolonged absence, reduced work ability, loss of confidence, and in many cases a permanent detachment from work. This harms livelihoods and deepens health inequalities.
In the same way poor safety management can impact businesses, poorly-managed work-related health risks can create operational disruption, increase insurance and legal costs, and place additional strain on managers who are left dealing with preventable issues. When you consider long-term consequences such as skill loss, knowledge gaps and reduced team cohesion, the real cost becomes clearer: it’s a cumulative drag on performance, culture and competitiveness.
Q: What business benefits do organisations typically see when they invest in effective health and wellbeing strategies?
A: As mentioned earlier, our whitepaper, ‘From perks to prevention’, highlights that it’s not just about investing in health and wellbeing - it’s about making the right investments. While 64% of businesses increased spending on wellbeing in the year before our research, 67% still saw a rise in related issues. The challenge, then, lies in moving from good intentions to meaningful action.
Many organisations have strategies in place, but the real work is in implementing, measuring, and improving them. Effective wellbeing strategies need to be prevention-first, holistic, and proactive, with clear metrics to track their impact. When done right, these initiatives make employees feel supported, engaged, and motivated - boosting productivity, retention, and even creativity.
A strong wellbeing strategy also enhances an organisation’s reputation, which is vital in competitive job markets, and fosters a culture where people feel safe to innovate. Ultimately, investing in wellbeing helps people perform at their best, driving resilience and sustainable success for the business.
Q: What key health-related laws or regulations should managers understand when overseeing employee wellbeing?
A: Managers don’t need to be legal experts, but they need a solid working knowledge of the core laws that shape their responsibilities for employee health, safety and wellbeing.
The primary legislation is the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA), which places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees. Duties are also placed on employees, for example, taking reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others.
A crucial element of the HSWA is supported by secondary legislation. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, sets out specific requirements around risk assessment. Managers should be familiar with what a suitable and sufficient risk assessment looks like, how to identify hazards, assess risks, identify risk groups and know how to identify and implement control measures in line with the hierarchy of control and by involving workers.
The health and safety law within Great Britain is goal setting and risk-based rather than being prescriptive. This means that all occupational hazards and risks that can impact worker safety and health – both physical and mental health related – must be considered. The HSE has information on work-related stress and the six main areas of work design which can affect stress levels – these are detailed within the HSE’s Management Standards. These are also called psychosocial hazards, which can cause work-related stress, depression and anxiety. While ‘stress’ and ‘psychosocial hazards’ do not have their own secondary legislation in Britain, the requirements are covered within the general duties of the HSWA, as well as The Management Regulations, and the requirement to undertake risk assessments.
Managers should also have a basic awareness of other key regulations relevant to health at work, such as:
The Equality Act 2010 - making sure people with disabilities or long-term health conditions are supported and reasonable adjustments are put in place.
The Working Time Regulations 1998 - ensuring staff have proper breaks and aren’t working excessive hours that could harm their health.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013 - knowing which work-related injuries, illnesses or dangerous incidents must be reported and the importance of acting quickly.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 - where relevant, ensuring safe handling, storage and monitoring of hazardous substances as well as undertaking assessments.
The Display Screen Equipment Regulations - ensuring good workstation setup for anyone who uses computers regularly to prevent harm.
Beyond legislation, managers should also understand organisational procedures: incident reporting, sickness absence management, occupational health referral pathways, and any industry-specific standards or accreditations that guide best practice.
The aim isn’t to turn managers into compliance officers. Instead, it’s to equip them with the right level of knowledge to spot issues early, create a safe and supportive environment, and know when to seek specialist advice. With a clear understanding of their legal and organisational responsibilities, managers can play an active role in protecting both the physical and psychological wellbeing of their teams.
Q: What responsibilities do managers specifically hold in ensuring the health and wellbeing of their teams?
A: Managers play a pivotal role because they directly influence working conditions, team culture and day-to-day behaviours. Their responsibilities include preventing harm and ensuring work is planned safely and healthily. They also need soft skills, so they can have confidential and compassionate conversations, encourage open conversations, and create an environment where people feel comfortable raising concerns. They also need the ability to spot early signs and symptoms of stress and be able to support staff.
Managers also act as a link between employees and organisational support systems - signposting help, escalating issues appropriately and modelling safe and healthy behaviours themselves. Good management is so important; it doesn’t replace the need for professional support (e.g. from OSH professionals, OH professionals, HR professionals, etc), but it is fundamental to creating the conditions in which health, safety and wellbeing can flourish.
Q: What does ‘good practice’ in workplace wellbeing look like at both manager and organisational levels?
A: I always think of wellbeing in layers.
From an individual level, it’s about how you ensure people are benefitting from ‘good work’. By this we mean work that is safe, healthy and sustainable and accommodates their needs. This ensures people have a physically safe work environment, a psychosocially safe work environment, good pay, opportunities for growth etc.
At a team level, you need to proactively manage the risks. This can be done through conducting risk assessments and implement control strategies.
At the managerial level, good practice looks more personal. It includes consulting with workers, checking in regularly with staff through one-to-ones, understanding and managing individual workloads, supporting work-life balance, providing clarity in roles, being approachable and acting early when concerns arise. Effective managers tailor support to the individuals, encourage participation in wellbeing initiatives and cultivate psychological safety within their teams.
At an organisational level, wellbeing incorporates all aspects of health (psychological and physiological). It should be a key priority for any organisation, whether they are large or small. Good practice means having a clear, evidence-based health and wellbeing strategy that aligns with business goals and is visibly committed to, resourced by, and supported by the board and senior leadership. It includes having health, safety and wellbeing policies in place, with primary, secondary and tertiary interventions that start with prevention-first strategies.
If you are a line manager responsible for at least one employee, working for an eligible SME in England, then you qualify for free IOSH Occupational Health and Wellbeing training, fully funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, allowing you to build the skills to support your team effectively.
You’ll learn how to identify issues early, implement supportive policies, and improve overall productivity.
Reed Learning is delivering the training in partnership with International Workplace.
Places are limited and only available until 31 March 2026, so book here now.
