Unlocking profit and productivity through a data-driven approach to wellbeing

By Matthew Winn, Public Affairs Manager, British Safety Council

Published 11 December 2024. Updated by British Safety Council, 14 September 2026.

What is data-driven wellbeing?

Data is a term we often use but rarely define. So, in the context of wellbeing, we mean information on an individual and collective basis that can be used to inform workplace health, safety, and wellbeing strategies.

Why does data-driven wellbeing matter?

In today's competitive business landscape, worker wellbeing is no longer an organisational 'want' but a strategic imperative, driving forward-thinking business leaders to move beyond the traditional 'one-size-fits-all' approach to wellbeing. Instead, forward-thinking companies are taking advantage of new technologies, and the data they capture, to personalise and optimise their wellbeing interventions.

At the dawn of an 'Age of AI' that will be defined by rapid technological development, data and information are key to reaping the rewards that wellbeing (done well) can offer, from increases in productivity and profitability to improved retention rates and public perception.

We know that employees want to work for companies that care about their wellbeing and that most employers want their employees to thrive. Data-driven wellbeing strategies allow employers to maximise the return on their investment and ensure that their interventions provide each employee with the support they need, when they need it, in a way that best suits their circumstances.

What our own research found

British Safety Council and the Institute of Occupational Medicine's joint research, Being Well in a Changing World, surveyed employers on exactly this challenge. It found the three biggest barriers to improving worker wellbeing were time pressures (25%), resource constraints (24%) and managing a dispersed workforce (23%) — and, tellingly, that there's still no consistent, agreed way to define or measure workplace wellbeing across industry. That's precisely the gap a data-driven approach is designed to close.

Source: British Safety Council and IOM, Being Well in a Changing World

What counts as wellbeing data?

In practice, this could mean anything from employee heart rate or stress levels, recruitment and retention data, absence and illness rates, and past levels of engagement with wellbeing services. The collection and analysis of this data allows employers to design targeted wellbeing initiatives and take preventative action around developing health trends in the workplace. The adage that 'prevention is better than a cure' has never been truer or easier to realise.

How can employers make better use of the wellbeing data they already collect?

We know that most employers are already capturing lots of data, but few use it to inform their medium and long-term wellbeing strategies. Data is only effective when it's used, it has to be taken off the (metaphorical) shelf and put into action in the real world.

Ask yourself, just how many organisations capture absence data individually but don't take the next step in assessing this data companywide? How many organisations conduct exit interviews but don't have the time or resources to chart trends as to why employees want (or are having) to leave?

Data is key to understanding the challenges that a workforce faces and provides employers with a perfect opportunity to engage workers in the design, development, and deployment of wellbeing interventions. Wellbeing strategies designed with, rather than for, employees can see higher levels of engagement and buy-in.

What data-driven insights can improve workplace wellbeing?

How employers use the data they collect will be a determining factor in the success of their wellbeing strategy. Utilising new and developing technologies to create actionable, data-driven insights can provide employers with new ideas to solve the perennial challenges of their workplace.

Take stress, for example, a leading reason for UK workplace absence. HSE's most recent figures show 964,000 workers suffered work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2024/25, accounting for 22.1 million lost working days — both record highs. Data insights and AI are increasingly being used to offer real solutions to this problem.

Source: HSE, Work-related stress, depression or anxiety statistics, Great Britain 2025

In 2021, Microsoft launched Viva, which provides users with tailored insights based on their working habits. Data from Viva has been used by employers to identify employees who are over-scheduled and work with them to better manage their workloads.

Data is an invaluable tool by which employers can implement real and meaningful change, whether that change comes through internal policies, flexible, hybrid, or home working, or a range of other options available to employers.

What are the privacy considerations for wellbeing data?

In a world that is, quite rightly, concerned with data and privacy it's important for employers to think about the perception of data-driven strategies. Simply put, what does data gathering look like to employees?

Gathering data, to improve wellbeing, needs to be clearly communicated and must be seen for what it is, not what it's not. This may seem like common sense, but ambiguity and obscurity will only feed growing levels of scepticism and hinder employee engagement.

That's why clear communication, employee buy-in, and trust are essential ingredients in successful data-driven wellbeing strategies. Be clear about what's being collected, why you're collecting it, and how data will be used to help not hinder employees to thrive; both inside and outside of work.

Key takeaways

Data-driven wellbeing, done well, can transform workplaces and lives for the better. Good work is good for you, and bad work isn't.

Using data can help C-suite leaders and those responsible for health, safety and wellbeing to accurately allocate resources, measure inputs and outcomes, and support their staff to thrive.

Tomorrow's world will be driven by data — and British Safety Council's own research shows most employers haven't closed that gap yet. Early adopters who build a clear, well-defined approach to measuring wellbeing now will be the ones best placed to act on it. Those who leave it too late risk their workers surviving, not thriving.

How British Safety Council can help

If you'd like to talk to our Wellbeing Team about how you can make your workplace wellbeing offering more data-informed, you can contact them by filling in this form, or explore all our workplace wellbeing training, audit and consultancy services.