Lagging indicators — what the board reads
- Sickness absence days per FTE (split: short-term, long-term, stress-related)
- Presenteeism — proxy via self-report on the pulse survey
- Voluntary attrition, especially regrettable losses
- EAP and OH referrals per 1,000 employees
- Ill-health retirements (especially relevant for older workforces)
Leading indicators — what HR acts on
- Engagement-survey wellbeing score (sub-score, not the headline)
- Self-reported energy, stress and sleep on the quarterly pulse
- Programme participation rate — by function, by tenure, by site
- Frequency and quality of manager one-to-ones
- Take-up of recovery behaviours (movement breaks, breathing, breaks)
The survey cadence that actually works
Annual deep survey (20–30 questions) + quarterly 5-question pulse. Always the same five pulse questions in the same order so trends are comparable. Monthly is noise. Anonymous, with breakdowns at team level when n≥7.
ESG-S disclosure — what investors want
Workforce wellbeing belongs in the Social-S section of your annual report. Expect to publish: absence rate, engagement wellbeing score, training hours, programme participation, and — if you want to lead the field — an SROI figure showing social value per £1 of wellbeing spend.
The one-page board report
- Headline KPI trend chart (absence + wellbeing score, 8 quarters)
- Top-line risk this quarter
- Top-line win this quarter
- Programme participation traffic-light by function
- One ask of the board (budget, policy, comms)
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure employee wellbeing?
Combine lagging indicators (sickness absence, presenteeism, attrition, EAP usage, ill-health retirements) with leading indicators (engagement-survey wellbeing score, programme participation, self-reported energy and stress, manager-conversation frequency). Pair the two and you can act before the lagging numbers move.
What is a good employee wellbeing score?
On a 5-point engagement-survey wellbeing scale, 3.8+ is healthy, 3.5–3.8 is warning, below 3.5 needs intervention. UK average sits around 3.6 (CIPD, 2024). The trend matters more than the absolute number — three quarters of decline in any sub-team is your real signal.
How often should we survey?
Annual deep survey plus quarterly 5-question pulse. Monthly is too noisy and creates survey fatigue. The pulse should always include the same questions in the same order so trends are comparable.
What goes in the board report?
One A4 page: absence per FTE (trend), engagement wellbeing score (trend), programme participation, regrettable attrition (high-risk function), one named risk, one named win. Plus the SROI figure for the ESG section of the annual report.
Do we need to disclose this in our annual report?
If you fall under SECR, the UK Corporate Governance Code, or you're preparing CSRD-aligned reporting for European operations — yes, workforce wellbeing metrics belong in the Social-S section. Even where it's not mandatory, investors and ESG raters are asking for it.
Get our KPI sheet and pulse template
Book a 20-minute discovery call and we'll send the editable KPI sheet, the 5-question pulse template, and a redacted sample of a real board report.