For many tech businesses, success is built on energy, innovation, and speed. But what happens when that same pace begins to work against you? According to the HealthTech at Work report by YuLife and Bupa, tech employees lose more productive time through presenteeism than through absence. The CIPD survey found that for every day someone takes off sick, they lose an additional 3.4 days working while unwell or mentally depleted. The takeaway that business leaders need to understand is that presenteeism isn’t a sign of commitment; it’s a symptom of an unhealthy culture. When your people push through exhaustion or stress, their performance dips, creativity fades, and mistakes begin to multiply. And in a sector that depends on sharp thinking and constant innovation, this can be a silent productivity killer. The HealthTech at Work report is one of the most comprehensive analyses of the wellbeing landscape in the UK’s tech SME sector to date, and it arrives at a crucial moment when digital-first working, mounting health pressures, and stretched public healthcare services are converging to create new risks for employers and employees alike. Drawing on a 5,000-person YouGov survey, YuLife and University of Essex performance data, Bupa’s Wellbeing Index 2025, and academic research, the findings are unequivocal: where daily engagement meets trusted clinical care, employees take earlier action, risks diminish, and organisations see measurable results. The report highlights a new model emerging in the sector that integrates YuLife’s gamified engagement platform with Bupa’s clinical excellence to help businesses move from reactive crisis management to proactive risk mitigation. In short, the data shows that when wellbeing is built into the workday, productivity follows. This makes the HealthTech at Work report’s insights particularly valuable not just in identifying the size of the problem, but in outlining how integrated engagement and clinical care can deliver measurable improvements. The next step isn’t simply recognising the issue, it’s understanding how to act on it effectively. The cost of invisible illness Presenteeism is expensive because it hides in plain sight. Bupa’s Wellbeing Index 2025 estimates that poor health costs the UK economy £132 billion every year, and much of that comes from employees who are technically at work but not functioning at their best. In tech, presenteeism thrives in the ‘always-on’ culture. Long hours, blurred hybrid boundaries, and relentless project deadlines make it difficult to rest or switch off.Meanwhile, Bupa’s Wellbeing Advantage report found that 70% of hybrid workers experienced poor mental health in the past year, while nearly half of SME leaders say they have no time even for their own wellbeing. As Bupa’s Dr Robin Clark explains in the report, leaders are no less vulnerable: “Leaders are just like everybody else. They are at the same risk of suffering from health problems, mental health problems, and needing some time off as their employees are. So we shouldn’t overlook that or play it down or try to mask it.” So when even leadership is feeling the strain, it sets the tone for everyone else in an organisation. And that tone – showing up no matter what – creates a cycle that quietly drains productivity. Why presenteeism thrives in tech culture A big part of the problem is that presenteeism often masquerades as dedication. Tech teams pride themselves on resilience and problem-solving, but when stress and fatigue become the norm, output inevitably suffers. Our HealthTech at Work report found that 41% of tech employees experience burnout at least once a month, which is a direct contributor to presenteeism. Remote and hybrid setups make it even harder to spot when someone is struggling. A quiet camera-off morning or missed stand-up might go unnoticed in a vacuum, but the cost adds up across teams. Meanwhile, leaders feel the same pressure, creating a trickle-down effect where overwork is normalised. The productivity paradox: working harder, achieving less On paper, tech teams are more connected than ever, thanks to the myriad digital tools at our disposal. Yet, despite these sophisticated solutions and the rise of flexible work, productivity often lags behind potential. Why? Because stress and presenteeism erode focus and energy and, ultimately, one’s creativity. YuLife’s data reveals that employees who actively engage with their wellbeing are 57% more productive and report a 53% reduction in stress. Gamified features such as quests and challenges increase movement by up to 3x the national average and improve life expectancy by 4.5 years. When wellbeing becomes part of one’s daily routine, the productivity paradox reverses: healthier people make better decisions. They work smarter and recover faster. But to get there, tech businesses must reframe wellbeing from a benefit to a business driver. Breaking the cycle: engagement, culture, and accessThe good news is that presenteeism is entirely preventable, but it begins with changing how we think about engagement, leadership, and access to care. 1. Build daily engagement The most effective wellbeing strategies are proactive, not reactive. YuLife’s gamified approach delivers 80% adoption, and one in two members uses the app daily. This sustained engagement translates into measurable outcomes, such as a 2% increase in productivity and 11.5% reduction in absenteeism, according to research by YuLife and Forrester. By making wellbeing habitual and rewarding, tech firms can replace presenteeism with participation. 2. Lead by example Culture starts at the top. When leaders neglect their own health, their employees follow suit. Encouraging rest, flexibility, and transparency around workload normalises self-care rather than self-sacrifice. Leadership visibility really matters. When wellbeing is modelled by senior teams, engagement rates rise and so does trust. 3. Enable fast access to care Presenteeism thrives when employees can’t get help quickly. Bupa’s Digital GP and mental health pathways cut time-to-care, ensuring employees can speak to a clinician faster. Early intervention means fewer days lost to stress, illness, and anxiety, and most importantly, quicker returns to full performance. This integration of daily engagement (YuLife) and fast care (Bupa) creates a preventative ecosystem that keeps people healthier, happier, and performing at their best. Measuring what matters To tackle presenteeism effectively, leaders must start treating wellbeing metrics as performance metrics. And the data is already there. YuLife’s wellbeing platform provides real-time insights into employee engagement, step counts, sleep quality, and stress levels, while Bupa offers clinical data on care utilisation and outcomes. When combined, these insights give HR teams a live view of workforce health, allowing them to spot early signs of burnout or disengagement. Tracking patterns in wellbeing alongside performance metrics enables smarter decisions about workload, resourcing, and support. And the returns speak for themselves. YuLife clients see a reduction in employee turnover and a measurable improvement in employee satisfaction and retention. That translates directly into financial value in the form of less time lost, fewer recruitment costs, and a more motivated workforce. Discover how YuLife and Bupa are helping tech companies turn wellbeing data into measurable performance gains.