The real ROI of workplace mental wellbeing
Workplace mental health investment can deliver measurable returns, from stronger retention and productivity to earlier intervention, greater trust, and far higher use of available support.
There is a question that sits behind most conversations about workplace mental health and wellbeing. It rarely gets asked out loud, but it is almost always in the room. What does this actually return?
Businesses in construction and fit-out run on tight margins and decisions that need to stack up. Investing in people is no different.
The Deloitte UK Mental Health Report 2022 puts a number on it. For every £1 invested in workplace mental health, employers see an average return of £5. Where that investment is targeted at specific groups and culture change, the return rises to £7.30 for every £1 spent.
Think about what that looks like in a fit-out business. A site manager who spots the signs early and has a caring conversation, rather than watching a capable team member quietly disengage. A skilled joiner who feels supported enough to ask for help before a small problem becomes a long absence. A leadership team that models openness, so the people below them feel safe enough to do the same. These show up in retention, in productivity, and in the quality of work that goes out the door.
Many businesses have an Employee Assistance Programme, or EAP, available to their team, a confidential support service offering access to counselling, legal advice, and financial guidance. The challenge is that most people never use it. I Am Here Clients see EAP utilisation increase by up to 14 times, driven by healthier teams and safer cultures. Support that was sitting unused starts working, because people trust it enough to reach for it.
Globally, only 30% of people facing a mental health or wellbeing challenge will ask for help. Inside organisations that partner with I Am Here, on average 80% are comfortable asking for help and support, and 90% are confident guiding a colleague to do the same. That is nearly three times the global norm. For a business where people are your most important asset, that gap is where the return lives.
That is the thing about having a mental health and wellbeing partner that focuses on early intervention and prevention. The skills people build at work don’t stay in that setting. They can be applied in all walks of life. This ultimately makes it easier to reach out when someone is struggling, or to know where to go if they ever need help and support themselves.
