UK employees now average 9.4 days of absence a year, the highest in over 15 years. Jo Hoggarth, our People and Talent Director, reflects on what wellbeing means at Cloud Gateway and why it is central to how we work.
The CIPD and Simplyhealth’s Health and Wellbeing at Work 2025 survey makes for sobering reading. UK employees now average 9.4 days of absence a year, the highest in over 15 years. Mental ill health remains the leading cause of both short and long-term absence, costing the economy an estimated £150 billion annually.
It is encouraging that 74% of organisations say senior leaders prioritise wellbeing. What the research also highlights, though, is a persistent gap: too many businesses still act reactively, intervening only once employees are already unwell rather than investing in prevention and resilience. The intent is there. The systems and culture to back it up often are not.
At Cloud Gateway, we know that the wellbeing of our people is fundamental to our success. As a managed service provider, our customers depend on us to keep their critical operations running. That includes some of the UK’s most vital organisations – NHS trusts, healthcare providers, and public sector bodies – where reliability and resilience are not just operationally important but directly affect patient and public outcomes.
The connection is not abstract. By securely connecting hospitals, GP surgeries, and community care providers to essential applications and cloud platforms, we help clinicians access patient records in real time, share test results quickly, and collaborate effectively across different parts of the health system. That work requires people who are engaged, focused, and well.
Wellbeing is not a perk at Cloud Gateway. It is part of how we work. From hybrid flexibility and a collaborative culture to reducing unnecessary friction through better tools and ways of working, we are committed to making sure our people can do their best work. When our teams are supported and resilient, they are better able to innovate, solve problems, and deliver the robust, secure services our customers rely on.
The investment we make in wellbeing translates into fewer absences, stronger engagement, and higher performance. It is how we remain a trusted partner to the organisations we serve.
