HCAMag reports that Australia’s mental well-being score sits below the global average, and there is a link to productivity. Absenteeism and Presenteeism can be equally challenging – one leaves workforce gaps and the other deals with present but unproductive staff.
Intellect published The Workplace Wellbeing 360 Report, which found that presenteeism is on the rise and is being described as a “phenomenon.” It relates to the loss in productivity due to physical or mental health issues, despite being physically present at work.
In 2024, global absenteeism and presenteeism rates were on average 7.7% and 41.2%, respectively, compared to 9.8% and 38.2% in the previous year, indicating that presenteeism may pose a bigger problem than actual absenteeism.
In Australia, the rates of absenteeism and presenteeism are 7.3% and 44.4%, respectively. The report indicates that these issues impact productivity and efficiency but pose a bigger financial risk, costing employers three times more than absenteeism.
Stress and mental well-being management
According to the report, Australia’s mental wellbeing score is below the global average (53.5% vs 56.1%), and a strong correlation is made to employee productivity that declined, primarily due to downward shifts in stress management, growth mindset and self-awareness.
“Australia has built a reputation for valuing well-being and balance, but the reality is much more nuanced. One thing is clear – mental wellbeing is a key driver of business success,” said Theodoric Chew, Co-founder & CEO of Intellect.
“Employers that invest in support systems, initiatives and programs that help employees feel valued will ultimately create healthier workplaces where teams are more productive and engaged.”
Calls for greater support for employees
The findings highlighted the Australian workforce’s strengths in self-awareness, encouraging participation, and relationship building – areas that should be prioritised moving forward. It also found that, despite year-on-year improvement in mental wellbeing, employees in Australia still perceive it as their weakest personal factor.
When compared to the global workforce, Australian employees are said to stand out in growth mindset, encouraging participation, and maintaining work-life balance, but fall behind in stress management and goal orientation.
Employers need to implement targeted initiatives to help employees manage stress better, support their mental wellbeing, and optimise their productivity healthily, the report summarises.
