Recent evidence shows that workplace mental health remains one of the most urgent challenges for UK employers. The 2025 CIPD Health and Wellbeing at Work survey found that mental ill-health is now the leading cause of long-term absence, with sickness levels rising to their highest rate in over 15 years. Alongside this, new analysis from the Keep Britain Working Review highlights that growing rates of stress, anxiety and burnout are contributing significantly to reduced labour market participation, prompting a national shift towards prevention, early support and stronger employer accountability.

HR and People leaders are therefore facing increasing pressure to strengthen workplace cultures and build effective mechanisms for supporting staff wellbeing. The government’s 2025 three-year partnership with over 60 employers marks a renewed emphasis on evidence-based workplace health approaches, including better data collection, improved leadership capability and investment in early intervention.

The benefits of prioritising wellbeing are now clear: organisations with strong wellbeing cultures report higher morale, improved productivity and better retention. Yet workers continue to report rising stress linked to heavy workloads, return-to-office anxiety, and workplace loneliness. Hybrid working has become increasingly important, with a significant proportion of employees stating that flexibility directly improves their mental health and financial wellbeing.

• Sickness absence is at its highest in more than 15 years, driven by stress, burnout and mental health problems (CIPD, 2025)
• 38% of workers report reduced wellbeing due to fear of being forced back into the office (Hays, 2025)
• 85% of UK workers say they have experienced symptoms of burnout or exhaustion (Reed, 2025).

Join us at this one day online conference to explore the latest national developments shaping workplace wellbeing. Senior leaders will share practical insights on transforming workplace cultures, creating psychologically safe environments and tackling the root causes of workplace stress. Sessions and practitioner-led workshops will provide delegates with practical skills for developing sustainable, whole-organisation approaches to mental health within your workplace.