Why Wellbeing at Work Matters More Than Ever

The CIPD’s Health and Wellbeing at Work 2025 report paints a sobering picture. Absence levels have risen to a record 9.4 days per employee per year—up from 7.8 days in 2023. Mental ill health is now the leading cause of long-term absence, while stress and minor illness dominate the short-term picture.

At the same time, more organisations are recognising the urgency of wellbeing. 57% now have a standalone wellbeing strategy (up from 44% in 2020) and 74% of senior leaders report that wellbeing is on their agenda. Encouragingly, line manager buy-in has also grown to 75%. Yet the report shows that only half of organisations feel confident that their efforts to tackle stress are effective, and just 29% provide managers with mental health training.

So while the commitment is clear, the delivery gap remains.

The Issues Facing Employers Today

Three findings highlight pressing challenges:

1. Rising sickness absence – driven by mental ill health, stress, and chronic conditions.
2. Pressure on budgets – wellbeing initiatives must prove cost-effective while still reaching everyone.
3. Capability of managers – despite growing buy-in, too few are equipped to hold supportive conversations or spot early warning signs.

How The Thriving Today Academy Helps

The Thriving Today Academy is designed to help address these gaps, offering a holistic, scalable, and sustainable approach.

1. Tackling Absence Drivers

Our modules cover wellbeing fundamentals such as managing stress, building resilience, setting boundaries, and coping with change. Each is CPD-accredited, practical, and easy to embed. By focusing on both prevention and early intervention, we support organisations in addressing the root causes of sickness absence.

2. Making Development Cost-Effective

The CIPD report notes cost-effectiveness as the top factor employers consider when investing in wellbeing. The Academy is built around short, high-impact lessons (15–30 minutes a day), making development accessible even in resource-stretched environments. Leaders don’t need to send staff away for days at a time—learning happens in the flow of work.

3. Supporting Managers to Support Their Teams

Only 29% of employers train managers to support mental health, yet those who do see stronger outcomes. That’s why we don’t just provide employee modules. We also offer:

• A Managers’ Roadmap with practical guidance on embedding learning in the workplace.
• Weekly live events exclusively for the members’ managers, where managers can connect with facilitators to strengthen their own confidence and capability.

This dual focus—on individuals and their managers—ensures learning doesn’t sit in isolation. It becomes part of daily conversations, team culture, and ultimately, improved organisational outcomes.

Bridging the Delivery Gap

The CIPD concludes that while most organisations are taking steps to address wellbeing, only half feel their efforts are effective. The Thriving Today Academy helps close that gap by combining:

✅ Accessible, flexible learning that fits the modern workplace
✅ Practical, preventative content that addresses the top causes of absence
✅ Direct support for managers to lead with confidence and care
✅ Scalability and cost-effectiveness, ensuring impact even where budgets are under strain.

Wellbeing isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s a measurable driver of engagement, retention, and performance. As the CIPD report makes clear, the organisations that act now will not only reduce sickness absence but also create healthier, more resilient workplaces.

📩 To explore how The Thriving Today Academy can help your organisation, contact [email protected] or Book a meeting with me