New report urges employers to move beyond wellbeing activity and start measuring impact 

The National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work has launched a new report calling on organisations to take a more structured approach to measuring workforce health and wellbeing.The report argues that many employers collect data without fully using it to drive business decisions. 

Launched at the House of Commons, the report, Practical Approaches for Measuring Workplace Health and Wellbeing, provides guidance for employers on how to build meaningful wellbeing measurement frameworks and strengthen accountability for workforce health. It features case studies from organisations including Shell, GSK, BP, Mars, Canada Life UK, Philips and Mace. 

The report argues that workplace health and wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a driver of business resilience, productivity and performance, but warns that organisations often struggle to know where to begin measuring impact. 

Professor Sir Cary Cooper, 50th Anniversary Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at Alliance Manchester Business School and co-founder of the Forum, said: “When it comes to wellbeing measurement, the most effective approaches begin not with a simple list of indicators but with a clear understanding of what the organisation needs to know and why.” 

He added: “Effective measurement is rarely just about collecting more and more data. Instead, it is about using the right information consistently. And as the approach towards wellbeing measurement matures, so it typically becomes more joined up and draws on multiple data sources.” 

Rather than prescribing a single set of metrics, the report encourages organisations to focus on understanding workplace risks, identifying clear objectives and making better use of data they already hold. It suggests employers should begin by examining existing information such as sickness absence, occupational health referrals, incidents and employee feedback before introducing new measurement systems. 

The report outlines a six-step framework covering purpose, data mapping, indicator selection, baseline measurement, ongoing insight collection and action planning. It argues that wellbeing measurement should ultimately be linked to decision-making rather than becoming a passive reporting exercise. 

A key theme running throughout the report is the need for wellbeing to be treated as a business issue rather than solely an HR responsibility. 

According to the report, health and wellbeing metrics are relevant across the whole organisation because they underpin productivity, culture, risk management, financial performance and employer reputation. It recommends that wellbeing data should be reviewed regularly at board level, with clear senior accountability through either an executive wellbeing sponsor or chief people officer. 

The report also highlights the growing importance of prevention and psychosocial risk management, encouraging employers to take a more joined-up approach across wellbeing, occupational health, health and safety and people functions. It notes that mental health and wellbeing hazards should be managed with the same rigour as physical safety risks. 

Among its recommendations, the Forum calls for organisations to strengthen senior accountability, build integrated health and wellbeing strategies, embed wellbeing within wider business performance discussions and use connected datasets to identify risks earlier and support more preventative action. 

The report concludes that effective measurement is not about collecting more data but using the right information consistently to understand employee experience, identify risks and inform action. Organisations that take a structured approach, it says, are better placed to support workforce health and make the case for continued wellbeing investment.