What is the business case for workplace mental health support?

UK employers see an average return of £4.70 for every £1 invested in workplace mental health (Deloitte, 2024), while poor mental health costs an estimated £51bn a year. Early, low-barrier support helps people before issues build into absence.

Does a listening service replace an EAP?

No. A listening service is a human complement to clinical provision and EAPs — a regular, trusted presence people actually use, sitting alongside the support you already offer.

Workplace mental health: what the latest UK statistics mean for employers

Key takeaways

Mental ill health is now the single largest cause of work-related absence (52%).
Poor mental health costs UK employers an estimated £51bn a year.
Employers see an average £4.70 return for every £1 invested in workplace mental health.
Low-barrier, human support helps people before things build into time off.

The latest UK figures are hard to ignore. In 2024/25, 964,000 workers suffered work-related stress, depression or anxiety, and 22.1 million working days were lost as a result (HSE). Mental ill health now accounts for 52% of all work-related ill health — the single largest cause of work-related absence.

What it costs

Poor mental health costs UK employers an estimated £51 billion a year (Deloitte, 2024), with presenteeism — working while unwell — accounting for around £24 billion of that on its own. And 63% of employees report at least one sign of burnout.

Why the case for support is also a commercial one

Here's the part that should reframe the conversation in any boardroom: employers see an average return of £4.70 for every £1 invested in workplace mental health. Support isn't a cost centre — it's one of the better-evidenced investments an organisation can make.

What actually moves the needle

Platforms and policies matter, but people use what feels human. A regular, trusted presence — someone to talk to, confidentially, before things build into absence — is low-barrier, low-stigma, and complements your existing EAP or clinical provision rather than replacing it.