Why Rising Absence Costs Should Spark a New Conversation About Wellbeing at Work

Insights from the 2026 WTW Absence Management Survey and what it means for your people strategy

Employee absence has shifted from a transactional HR metric to a strategic business concern that affects productivity, morale and organisational resilience. According to the 2026 Absence Management Survey from WTW, more than half (55%) of UK organisations now report difficulty managing the financial and operational impact of rising absence and disability-related costs. Mental health remains at the forefront of employers’ concerns, with musculoskeletal and other chronic health conditions also growing in significance. (WTW)

This growing challenge offers a critical moment for organisations to rethink how they support their workforce — not just react to absence after it occurs, but create environments and cultures where wellbeing is proactively prioritised.

From Reactive Absence Tracking to Strategic Wellbeing Investment

A striking theme in the 2026 survey is how absence management is evolving. Rather than treating absence as a standalone administrative task, employers are increasingly recognising it as deeply interwoven with broader people strategies, including pay, benefits and workplace wellbeing. Over half (57%) plan to embed absence management within their wider HR framework over the next two years, while nearly half (46%) are prioritising stronger wellbeing support across their organisations. (WTW)

This shift is significant because it reflects a broader realisation:

Unplanned absence is often symptomatic of deeper workplace pressures — stress, workload imbalance, unmanaged health conditions, and a lack of early support pathways.

Organisations that focus solely on policies and procedures — for example, sick pay or absence recording — risk missing the underlying human factors that drive absence in the first place.

Mental Health: The Leading Driver of Long-Term Absence

Mental health continues to be the largest single driver of employee absence. Although the survey doesn’t quantify average sick days for mental health specifically, complementary data from other sources highlights how pervasive the issue has become: poor mental health now accounts for millions of working days lost each year, with stress, anxiety and depression cited as major contributors to extended absence and reduced productivity. (MHFA Portal)

What employers increasingly understand is that supporting mental wellbeing is not optional — it’s business critical. The costs of unmanaged mental health go beyond absence: they ripple through presenteeism (being at work but not fully functioning), employee turnover, and organisational culture.

Managers as a Frontline in Wellbeing Support

Another insight from the survey is the growing recognition of line managers as central players in early support and absence prevention. Employers are planning targeted training to help managers:

• Recognise early signs of stress and health decline

• Have confident, compassionate conversations

• Signpost employees to appropriate support resources

This reflects a shift from seeing absence as an HR function to understanding it as a leadership and culture issue. Clear, empathetic communication from managers not only helps employees feel supported — it also builds trust and psychological safety across teams. (WTW)

What This Means for Organisations Now

The picture is clear: rising absence costs are not just a financial issue — they are a signal that workplace cultures and wellbeing strategies need to evolve. Organisations that lean into this challenge proactively can strengthen workforce resilience, reduce long-term absence, and build more inclusive and supportive environments where people can thrive.

Here are practical focus areas emerging from the current data and informed wellbeing practice:

1. Build Structured, Clinically Informed Employee Support

Robust counselling and therapeutic support should sit alongside traditional wellbeing benefits. When employees have timely access to professional psychological support, they are more likely to recover well and re-engage with work sooner.

2. Equip Managers With the Right Skills

Managers don’t need to be counsellors — but they do need to be confident and capable of early wellbeing conversations, recognising risk factors and guiding people towards the right help.

3. Invest in Stress-Reduction and Resilience Training

Workshops that enhance stress awareness, coping strategies, emotional regulation and resilience can reduce the intensity and duration of absence episodes.

4. Communicate Support Clearly

Half of employers are planning to improve clarity around absence policies and support pathways. Clear, consistent communication helps remove stigma and ensures that staff know what’s available and how to access it.

5. Treat Absence as Part of a Broader Wellbeing Strategy

Absence should not be siloed. It intersects with organisational culture, workload expectations, performance management, benefits design and inclusive policies.

A Catalyst for Deeper Wellbeing Conversations

At Horizon Counselling Services, we see rising absence figures not as a distant statistic but as a call to action — to rethink how we support people at work, how we cultivate wellbeing, and how we empower managers and teams to navigate the demands of modern work.

The conversation starts with acknowledging that behind every absence statistic is a human story: a person struggling with stress, health issues, or life pressures. Organisations that open space for those stories and respond with strategic, compassionate support not only reduce absence and its associated costs — they also foster workplaces where people feel seen, supported and valued.

If your organisation is reflecting on how best to meet these challenges — whether through employee counselling schemes, manager training or stress reduction workshops — Horizon Counselling Services is here to help you think differently about wellbeing, and act more effectively on it.

Let’s start the conversation.

At Horizon Counselling Services, our work is grounded in direct clinical experience, evidence-informed practice, and real-world understanding of how mental health affects people at work.

We support individuals, teams, and organisations across Plymouth and the wider UK with practical, ethical, and psychologically informed approaches to wellbeing. Our services are shaped not only by research and professional standards, but by thousands of hours working directly with people navigating stress, burnout, anxiety, relationship pressures, and workplace challenges.

This blend of hands-on experience, professional training, and organisational insight allows us to move beyond theory and offer support that is realistic, compassionate, and effective in modern workplaces.

We believe sustainable wellbeing comes from:

• Early intervention rather than crisis response

• Skilled conversations rather than rigid processes

• Supporting managers as well as employees

• Treating mental health as a shared responsibility, not a personal failure

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why are employee absence costs increasing in the UK?

Recent UK research, including the 2026 Absence Management Survey, shows that rising absence costs are driven by a combination of mental health challenges, long-term health conditions, workload pressures, and delayed support. Mental health remains the leading cause of long-term absence, often compounded by stress and burnout.

How does mental health support reduce workplace absence?

Access to timely psychological support helps employees address difficulties before they escalate into prolonged absence. Counselling, stress-reduction interventions, and supportive management conversations can shorten recovery time, reduce repeat absence, and improve overall engagement.

What role do managers play in preventing long-term absence?

Managers are often the first to notice changes in behaviour, performance, or wellbeing. When properly trained, they can have early, supportive conversations, reduce stigma, and guide employees toward appropriate help — preventing issues from worsening.

Is workplace counselling only for employees in crisis?

No. Workplace counselling is most effective when used early — supporting employees who are experiencing stress, pressure, or emotional strain before it reaches crisis point. Preventative support is a key factor in reducing long-term absence.

How can organisations take a more proactive approach to wellbeing?

A proactive approach includes:

• Clear wellbeing pathways and communication

• Manager training in mental health awareness

• Stress-reduction and resilience workshops

• Access to professional counselling support

• Integrating wellbeing into wider people and culture strategies

Author Bio

Alan R. Stokes is a qualified counsellor and trainer with over a decade of professional experience and more than 10,000 hours of direct client work. As Director of Horizon Counselling Services, he supports individuals, couples, and organisations through accessible, ethical, and evidence-informed mental health care.

Alan specialises in helping people navigate stress, emotional pressure, relationship challenges, and workplace wellbeing concerns. Alongside clinical practice, he works closely with businesses to develop psychologically informed support systems, manager training, and preventative wellbeing strategies that reflect the realities of modern work.

His approach combines professional rigour with practicality — focusing on early intervention, meaningful conversations, and sustainable change for both individuals and organisations.