How invisible health challenges drain productivity

Employees with migraines lose 8-15 productive days per year, largely due to severe presenteeism rather than absence alone.

This article is brought to you by OM Health Hub.

Migraines are just one example. From menopause and postpartum recovery to gut health issues, everyday health challenges are not abstract. They are productivity-draining realities hiding in plain sight. These conditions drive presenteeism, absenteeism, and attrition long before employees ever take formal sick leave.

Research by health education platform OM Health Hub shows employee productivity and engagement are being quietly eroded as many people navigate health challenges that are invisible, misunderstood, or mismanaged. And the impact is significant:

• Employees with migraines lose 8-15 productive days per year, largely due to severe presenteeism rather than absence alone.
• Nearly half of those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) miss work regularly, and 13% leave the workforce entirely.
• Women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health than men, peaking during their most professionally active decades.
• Sleep-deprived employees perform at levels comparable to legal intoxication, with error rates more than double.

The issue is not a lack of motivation to address the challenges. It is a lack of health literacy. Many employees do not have access to credible, expert knowledge that helps them understand, manage, and act on health conditions that they deal with on a daily basis.

Beyond traditional wellness approaches

Employee health today is less about perks and benefits, and more about supporting people through real, often overlooked challenges that directly affect performance, engagement, and retention. For HR teams, the key is finding scalable and credible ways to support employees without increasing operational burden.

As such, OM Health Hub complements existing benefits and wellbeing initiatives by providing targeted, expert-led health education. This enables organisations to build a custom employee health hub aligned with their workforce's actual needs.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, OM Health Hub works with HR teams to:

• Enhance employees' health literacy through preventive education before crisis points
• Empower employees to navigate healthcare effectively with on-demand access to expert guidance
• Integrate targeted health content into existing HR, benefits, or learning platforms, requiring no new infrastructure

“We create a tailored library of expert-led masterclasses from accredited global clinicians,” shares Anca Griffiths, CEO and Co-founder at OM Ltd. “All content is evidence-based and plugs directly into your existing platforms.”

Why does this matter to HR leaders?

OM Health Hub is grounded in the principle that knowledge enables better health decisions. By improving health literacy, employees are better equipped to self-manage earlier, reducing escalation to sick leave, long-term claims, or disengagement.

“Mental health is essential and it's part of a broader picture,” says Griffiths. “Supporting mental wellbeing means supporting the whole body system and key health milestones, because mental health isn't just in your head. The Employee Health Report reveals these connections, so you can build a custom hub focused on what matters most.”

OM Health Hub launches “Build Your Health Hub”

Not sure what to prioritise? OM has created the Employee Health Report, which outlines the top health challenges for both men and women that carry the highest impact on productivity. Use these insights to understand your workforce's real needs, then move forward with a custom health hub focused on exactly what matters.

For the full Employee Health Report and demo reach out to contact@om-experts.com.

Report images / OM Health Hub