The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence

Why EI matters for performance and profit

Investing in employee wellbeing isn’t just the right thing to do — it makes clear business sense. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the bridge between wellbeing and measurable results, giving leaders and teams the tools to thrive under pressure, build resilience, and unlock performance.

The Numbers That Matter

• UK businesses lose £138 billion every year due to poor workplace health, including stress and burnout. (Vitality, 2024)

• Employees lose an average of 50 days of productivity per year through sickness and presenteeism. (Vitality, 2024)

• Workers with low wellbeing cost £10,500 each per year in lost productivity, compared to £4,200 for those with higher wellbeing. (Legal & General / Fruitful Insights, 2024)

• Boosting employee wellbeing could add £34 billion annually to UK productivity. (Legal & General, 2024)

• Almost half of employers report higher productivity when wellbeing is supported. (GRiD, 2025)

• A 10% increase in managers’ EI scores leads to a 7% rise in overall business performance, including profitability. (York St John University, 2024)

• Unhappy employees take nine more sick days a year, costing UK employers billions. (Unum, 2024)

• The average UK worker now takes 9.4 sick days a year, up from 5.8 just two years ago. Mental ill-health is the number one driver. (Simplyhealth / CIPD, 2025)