Building A Resilient Workforce

Absenteeism at work is at an all-time high in the last decade, according to the recent CIPD Health & Wellbeing at Work Report (2025). This has seen absence, largely due to mental health and minor illness, rise by nearly a day per employee per year since the pandemic in 2020. It’s costing businesses, and it’s costing the wider economy. As Founders, CEOs and Leaders, we need to know how to combat this swiftly and effectively.

So, what’s going on here?

The pressure points

Firstly, the cost of living has increased exponentially for both individuals and organisations. According to Statista (2025), the Consumer Price Index in the United Kingdom was 139.2 in the third quarter of 2025, a 39.2% increase since 2015. That means everyday costs are almost 40% higher than they were ten years ago. Employees are seeking higher salaries simply to maintain the same standard of living, while businesses face rising operating costs and shrinking profit margins. It’s a squeeze on both sides and financial strain, whether personal or organisational, inevitably erodes wellbeing.

Secondly, our stress thresholds are being tested. Hybrid working blurred boundaries between professional and personal lives. Digital connectivity means many people are “always on”, and uncertainty (whether political, social, or economic) adds to the background noise. When you layer personal challenges on top of this, it’s no wonder so many employees are feeling depleted.

Finally, personal wellbeing has fallen down the priority list. For some, looking after their mental and physical health has become something to do “when there’s time”, rather than an integral part of daily life. While there’s been progress in opening conversations about mental health, the more preventative aspects such as physical activity, rest, and recovery are struggling to gain the same attention.

Building resilience

Our people are calling out for more integrated wellbeing practices at work, so how do we start to build resilience back into our businesses?

Resilience is all about developing the capacity to adapt to stress and change in sustainable ways. Imagine we are like an elastic band, under pressure we stretch, and resilience helps us spring back to shape instead of snap. True resilience is cultivated over time through healthy systems, not forced through pushing alone. And as Leaders, it begins with us.

Many of us underestimate how much our behaviour shapes organisational culture. Through the psychological contract (the unwritten expectations between employee and employer) people observe and mirror how we operate. If we glorify overwork, they’ll feel pressured to do the same. If we prioritise balance and boundaries, that too becomes the norm.

Here are a few simple, evidence-based approaches that I’ve seen organisations adapt that help build resilience at an individual and organisational level:

1. Model it from the top

As obvious as it sounds, resilience starts with leadership behaviour. Take your lunch breaks. Block thinking time. Walk between meetings where you can. Even just for 10 minutes in the park can make the world of difference. These small acts model that rest is productive, plus the science backs this up too! Leaders who actively show balance gives permission for others to do the same.

2. Reframe failure as learning

Language matters. When leaders praise effort and learning rather than perfection, they cultivate what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a growth mindset which is where setbacks are seen as part of the learning curve. Encourage teams to reflect on what went well, what they’d tweak next time, and what they learnt in the process. Over time, this builds both confidence and resilience.

3. Prioritise connection

Isolation is one of the most cited factors in burnout. Connection through office conversations at the kettle, team meetings remotely or in-person, or simply a regular Slack channel chat, helps create belonging and therefore improves psychological safety. This allows people to share when they’re struggling before it turns into absence. According to the CIPD’s 2025 report, organisations that actively encourages an open speaking culture see significantly lower long-term absence.

4. Integrate wellbeing, don’t bolt it on

Wellbeing initiatives can’t just be an add-on or a tick box exercise. Consider replacing some of the traditional after-work drinks with more inclusive activities like yoga sessions, arts & crafts, volunteering, or outdoor team challenges. Encourage flexibility around daily tasks where possible such as short breaks between meetings and ensure workloads are realistic and acknowledge through transparent communication when times are tougher. Practical adjustments like these signal that wellbeing is woven into how work is done, not just talked about.

5. Equip managers

Middle managers are often under the most pressure since they are responsible for delivering results and supporting people. Yet, many aren’t trained to recognise or respond to early signs of stress in their teams. Regular training on having wellbeing conversations, managing workloads, and signposting support is essential.

The business case

Beyond the moral imperative, there’s a clear business case for embedding resilience. According to Deloitte UK, for every £1 spent on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, employers get (on average) about £4.70 back in increased productivity. Therefore, the link between employee wellbeing and performance is undeniable.

Organisations that take a proactive approach are not only reducing absenteeism but also improving performance, innovation and long-term sustainability.

Resilience isn’t built through corporate slogans or Employee Assistance Programs alone. It’s built through small, consistent, everyday actions that compound into stronger, healthier teams.

As Leaders, our responsibility is to create environments where people can thrive, and that starts with us.