Thriving Workplaces How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives 2025

Foreword Shyam Bishen Head, Centre for Health and Healthcare; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic ForumLucy Pérez Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; Affiliated Leader, McKinsey Health Institute Thriving Workplaces: How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change LivesJanuary 2025 Workforce health and well-being are pivotal to economic vitality and societal prosperity. As burn- out rates rise, chronic diseases become more common and people work longer, there is an urgent need for organizations, policy-makers and stakeholders to prioritize employee health. The economic imperative is clear: investing in employee well-being can substantially improve returns, enhance productivity, reduce healthcare costs and foster a resilient and engaged workforce. Analysis by the McKinsey Health Institute finds such investment could yield up to $11.7 trillion in global economic value. Such transformation, however, cannot be made by organizations working in isolation; it requires collaborative effort across the public and private sectors. This report highlights the benefits triggered by investing in employee health. It reveals the current state of workforce health and well-being, suggests a practical approach for creating healthier work environments and identifies cases in which organizations have made a measurable impact. It also advocates for a strategic, data-driven approach to employee health that can measure impact and guide interventions. By embedding health into organizational culture and aligning it with broader business goals, leaders can ensure that good health benefits employees, their families, communities and the economy. The path forward is clear: looking after the health of employees positively impacts the performance of organizations, the future of work and the development of economies and societies. Everyone has a role to play in creating and demanding a healthier workplace, but radical health transformation at an individual or organizational level cannot happen overnight. As basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Thriving Workplaces: How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives 3