“Chuckin’ a Sicky” Needs to be Taken More Seriously 

Shortsighted leaders could interpret this shirking as a cost to the organisation that needs to be disciplined.  However, some forward thinking organisations are now incorporating a quote of approved mental health leave so  that team members can express in a psychologically safe environment that they are investing in their mental wellbeing, without having to act out a sick day

Well, when someone lays out just how much it’s costing us, not just emotionally, but financially, it’s a little bit disturbing. 

Rob Cook is a relationship manager and accidental workplace wellbeing advocate made a solid case in his Ted Talk “The cost of work stress — and how to reduce it”.. He makes a clear point that work stress is more than a personal issue. It’s a cultural, economic and leadership-level issue and it’s eating into our health, our productivity and our collective sanity. 

Gallup attributes this lack of engagement to the stress, lack of support and lack of training provided to managers.  

Manager engagement fell from 30 % to 27 %, particularly among younger and female managers.  

Only 44 % of managers receive any formal management training, which Gallup suggests is a major contributor to disengagement  

41 % report experiencing “a lot of stress” at work on a typical day, making stress one of the core indicators of poor workplace wellbeing  

Loneliness is also pervasive—20 % report frequent loneliness, jumping to 25 % among fully remote workers 

And yet, even as the wellness industry booms, growing faster than the global economy, we’re not seeing equivalent improvements in health, wellbeing or productivity moving quickly enough. 

Stress Isn’t Just a Consequence — It’s a Culture 

This was one of Cook’s more powerful points. We tend to treat stress like an inevitable by-product of ambition or a rough patch to be powered through. However, when stress is infused into the culture, the system is the problem, not just the people in it. 

Now multiply that across an organisation. A region. A country. 

When we talk about workplace wellbeing, we’re talking about whether our systems support people. Or do the systems slowly squeeze the life out of the people working in them. 

The Disconnect Between Health Spending and Real Impact 

What is most alarming is that we are spending more than ever on wellness and healthcare, yet our stress levels are rising. 

The wellness industry is growing at more than 6% annually, twice the rate of the global economy. Meanwhile, rates of burnout, absenteeism and mental health concerns at work continue to climb. 

We are investing in wellbeing, just not always in the right places. 

So, what would it look like if we took workplace wellbeing seriously? 

A Three-Part Fix for a Stress-Less Workplace 

Cook suggests a three-pronged approach to changing the culture of stress: corporations, government and individuals. Here’s how that maps onto the real world, especially the world of regional businesses and leadership roles, where resources may be thin but the stakes are high.

1. Leaders Must Lead Wellbeing (Not Just Workload)

Culture starts at the top. Team members look to leaders for cues. 

If wellbeing isn’t visible or valued, it won’t be prioritised. 

We need leaders who walk the talk. That means being open about mental health, setting boundaries, and genuinely listening when staff speak up about stress.  

In our work, we often see a simple truth: psychologically safe teams perform better. They innovate, collaborate and recover from setbacks faster. Not because they’re ‘tougher’, but because the conditions are right. 

2. Measure What Matters

What gets measured gets attention. Cook argues that organisations should treat wellbeing metrics with the same rigour they apply to financial forecasts. 

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with engagement surveys, regular check-ins, or even structured workplace wellbeing assessments. Look at absenteeism, staff turnover, and psychological risk indicators. 

If you’re serious about reducing stress at work, you need to understand where it’s coming from and how it’s affecting performance. 

Too often people wait until it’s too late.   

3. Ask People What They Need – Then Act on It

Here’s where a lot of organisations fall short: they ask the right questions, but don’t do much with the answers. 

Stress at work is not a mystery. Team members can usually tell you what’s draining them, whether it’s constant change, clunky systems, micro-managers, unclear priorities, or just too much to do and not enough people to do it. 

Real listening means following through. Whether that’s redesigning roles, adjusting expectations, or investing in training and support.  Too often we hear of workplaces where stress is embraced as the way of life in this work environment. “We’re all understaffed.” “You better toughen up quick because that’s what it’s like here.”  

So, What About You? 

This isn’t just a systems problem. It’s a human one too.  

The figures from the Gallup international study are alarming. 

However, are you clear on what your work is costing you, costing others, and costing the company?  

Are you investing in yourself the way you invest in your job, your business, your family, your community? 

It might be time for a reset. That doesn’t mean quitting everything and moving to a yurt. It means being honest about what’s working, and what’s not. What can be let go of, and what can’t. It means learning to respond, not just react, to stress. It means building awareness and recovery into your daily rhythm. 

Treat Your Mental Health Like a Super Fund 

We all get the concept of saving now to benefit later. Why not apply the same logic to our mental health? 

Small, consistent contributions to your wellbeing now, whether that’s a decent night’s sleep, clear communication, or asking for help when you need it, can pay off in big ways down the track. 

In a nutshell? Workplace wellbeing isn’t a warm and fuzzy anymore. And stress at work isn’t a badge of honour. It’s not just a warning sign.  It’s alarm bell.  

If we want productive, healthy and sustainable workplaces, we’ve got to start treating wellbeing like part of the job description.