Employee well-being is no longer exclusively the responsibility of the HR department, but a company-wide concern. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Research demonstrates that workplace stress is on the rise and it is taking a devastating toll on business productivity, with one in 10 hours lost to unplanned days off in the retail sector alone. It is clear that today's businesses are failing to prioritize employee well-being to an adequate degree and losing a significant chunk of productivity and efficiency as a result.

This trend demonstrates that mental health and physical health are strongly intertwined with the success of businesses' day-to-day operations, with stress and anxiety in the workforce driving absenteeism and distracting workers from their responsibilities and motivation to succeed in their jobs.

Related: 10 unusual approaches to improving employee well-being