Employee well-being is fundamental to a productive, compliant and resilient workplace. When workers are physically and mentally healthy, they’re more likely to be engaged, focused and committed. In contrast, poor well-being can lead to increased stress, presenteeism, burnout and — ultimately — absenteeism.
For organisations looking to strengthen safety culture, meet their health and safety duties and build a more sustainable workforce, focusing on well-being is a strategic priority.
This guide explains how to improve worker well-being and reduce absenteeism while maintaining compliance with UK health and safety laws and best practice standards.
Why Worker Well-Being Matters
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that 1.7 million workers in Great Britain suffered from work-related ill health in 2023/24, with stress, depression and musculoskeletal disorders topping the list. Absenteeism — including short-term sickness and long-term leave — can lead to operational disruption, reduced productivity, and higher costs.
The Business Impact of Absenteeism
Absenteeism is more than an HR issue. It affects business performance and compliance in several ways:
- Loss of productivity due to understaffing or rescheduling
- Increased pressure on colleagues, potentially leading to further burnout
- Higher costs from sick pay, temporary cover, or rehiring
- Compliance risks if safety-critical roles are left unfilled
- Declining morale, especially if absenteeism is linked to workplace stress.
Improving well-being doesn’t mean overhauling your entire business. You can build a healthier, more reliable workforce with the right policies, training and safety frameworks.
1. Conduct A Well-Being Risk Assessment
Just as you assess physical risks on site, you should determine psychosocial and well-being risks that might affect your workers. A well-being risk assessment identifies the pressures or working conditions that may lead to stress, injury, or disengagement.
Key Areas to Assess:
- Workload and demands — Are staff overworked or consistently under pressure?
- Control and autonomy — Do workers feel they have control over how they do their jobs?
- Support — Are line managers trained to support mental health? Are there clear reporting lines?
- Relationships — Is bullying or harassment an issue? Are there interpersonal tensions?
- Role clarity — Are job roles clear and achievable?
- Change management — Are organisational changes communicated and supported effectively?
Use anonymous surveys, interviews, and regular check-ins to gather meaningful data. Once identified, these risks should be incorporated into your broader health and safety management system.
2. Embed Well-Being Into Your Health And Safety Policy
To demonstrate commitment, incorporate worker well-being into your health and safety policy. This goes beyond reactive support — it’s about proactively designing safer, healthier working environments.
What To Include:
- A clear statement of your commitment to worker well-being
- Definitions of mental, physical and social well-being
- How well-being risks are identified and managed
- Roles and responsibilities for supporting well-being (e.g. supervisors, HR, safety leads)
- Signposting to resources or external support services
- Links to your employee assistance programme (EAP), if applicable
Embedding well-being in your formal documentation supports compliance and cultural change — showing employees that well-being is a shared priority.
3. Create A Positive Work Environment
Your working environment can either support or undermine worker well-being. From noise and lighting to air quality and ergonomics, the physical workspace matters.
Key Actions:
- Improve ventilation and natural light where possible
- Provide ergonomic equipment, especially for desk-based or repetitive work
- Minimise noise levels through soundproofing or zoning
- Offer clean, safe break areas for rest and recovery
- Reduce hazards that can lead to slips, trips and falls
For mobile or remote workers, check that off-site working conditions also support well-being — especially when it comes to lone working, fatigue and access to welfare facilities.
4. Train Managers To Support Mental Health
Line managers play a central role in influencing day-to-day well-being. Often, they’re the first to notice changes in behaviour or performance — but they may not know how to respond.
Manager Training Should Cover:
- Recognising signs of stress, anxiety, or burnout
- Holding supportive one-to-one conversations
- Signposting to internal or external support
- Managing workloads and reasonable adjustments
- Maintaining confidentiality and boundaries
Managers should also feel empowered to escalate concerns or seek guidance. Providing this training helps create a culture of openness and early intervention.
5. Foster Open Communication
Workers are more likely to share concerns or ask for help if they feel psychologically safe to do so. Open communication is key to identifying emerging issues before they lead to absenteeism.
Ways To Promote Open Dialogue:
- Hold regular team check-ins focused on workload and well-being
- Introduce anonymous surveys to collect feedback on morale
- Encourage mental health champions or peer listeners
- Ensure grievance procedures are accessible and confidential
- Recognise and reward well-being-positive behaviours, like supporting colleagues or taking regular breaks.
Transparency and compassion can go a long way toward reducing absenteeism — especially in high-pressure or high-risk industries.
6. Promote Flexibility And Work-Life Balance
Chronic stress and burnout are leading causes of long-term absenteeism. Promoting work-life balance can improve resilience and prevent stress from becoming a bigger issue.
Consider Offering:
- Flexible working arrangements, such as start/finish time variations
- Hybrid or remote working options, where suitable
- Encouragement to take annual leave regularly
- Clear boundaries between work and personal time
- Time off for mental health or recovery days.
By respecting people’s time and energy, you help create a culture where rest and performance go hand in hand.
7. Implement Early Intervention Programmes
Spotting and responding to issues early helps prevent long-term absence and supports rehabilitation.
Strategies For Early Intervention:
- Return-to-work interviews to identify underlying causes of absence
- Regular occupational health assessments
- Absence tracking to flag recurring patterns
- Access to counselling or therapy through your EAP
- Collaboration with GPs or mental health services where appropriate.
Use these tools not to penalise workers but to understand and support them. The earlier you intervene, the better the outcome for everyone.
8. Support Physical Health On Site
Musculoskeletal issues remain one of the most common reasons for absence in physical industries like construction, facilities management and manufacturing. Preventative strategies are essential.
Practical Approaches:
- Manual handling training and lifting aids
- Stretching and warm-up programmes for physical jobs
- On-site physiotherapy or well-being clinics
- Accessible rest breaks and hydration stations
- Safe shift scheduling to avoid fatigue.
Investing in physical health reduces absence, increases retention and helps meet your legal obligations under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and PUWER 1998.
9. Encourage Employee Participation
Well-being isn’t something you do to your workforce — it’s something you build with them. Involving employees in well-being decisions increases engagement and ownership.
How To Involve Workers:
- Well-being committees or reps as part of your health and safety team
- Staff feedback on well-being initiatives or benefits
- Co-designing interventions such as well-being days or training sessions
- Surveys to assess the effectiveness of changes.
When workers feel heard, they’re more likely to take part and speak up early when they need help — reducing the likelihood of longer-term absence.
10. Monitor And Measure Well-Being Progress
Improving well-being and reducing absenteeism is a long-term strategy, and it should be tracked like any other key performance indicator (KPI).
Metrics to Track:
- Absence rates, including short- and long-term sickness
- Return-to-work success rates
- Employee engagement or well-being scores
- EAP usage data (anonymised)
- Number of well-being-related incidents or grievances
- Turnover and retention rates.
Use this data to refine your approach and communicate the impact to senior leadership. Regular reporting also helps demonstrate compliance with health and safety regulations, such as those outlined in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Prioritising Well-Being To Build A Stronger, Safer Business
Worker well-being is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s a strategic priority for health and safety, risk management and business resilience. By investing in well-being, you not only reduce absenteeism but also improve worker engagement, retention and compliance outcomes.
Whether you’re a small business or a large contractor, Veriforce CHAS can support you. Their compliance and accreditation services are designed to help you demonstrate your commitment to worker health, safety and well-being — with tailored assessments, practical tools and expert guidance every step of the way.
