The hidden cost of poor mental health in the workplace

Jon Davies

Jon Davies

Behavioural Science at Leafyard

a man with his head in his hands

The cost of poor workplace mental health isn't what you think.

While the price of ignoring workplace mental health is staggering, here's what's truly shocking: 90% of that cost comes from presenteeism - people showing up to work but struggling in silence.

The employees sitting in your meetings right now, nodding along whilst battling invisible challenges, are costing your business far more than sick leave ever will.

Studies show their productivity drops by an average of 32%.

But here's the real sting: These are the 90% who will never reach out for help.
They won't use your EAP. They won't book a counselling session. They won't tell their manager.

They'll just quietly underperform for years until they eventually leave - costing you anywhere from 50% to 200% of their salary to replace them.

The warning signs are there if you know where to look:
Frequent short-term absences
Increased Monday/Friday leave
Declining team productivity
Patterns in specific departments

But traditional solutions aren't working because they target the wrong problem.

We need more support for the 10% who will seek help. But we also need to reach the silent 90%, as that's where the majority of the impact on your business exists.

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