Select your sector, enter your headcount, and get a sector-benchmarked estimate of what turnover and avoidable absence are costing your organisation each year.
Select your sector first — it sets the benchmarks. Then adjust for your organisation.
Sector benchmark pre-filled — adjust if you know your actual rate.
Select your sector and press Calculate to see what poor leadership is costing your business.
Estimated annual financial exposure
per year · your sector
Estimates use sector-benchmarked data from CIPD workforce surveys. Turnover cost uses the CIPD replacement cost model applied to your sector. Absence uses sector benchmark days with a 10% preventable uplift. This is a directional estimate, not a precise audit.
Get your full organisational health picture →Includes OLHS · leadership health · cost exposure · priority actions
This calculator uses two established workforce cost models and sector-specific benchmarks to produce a directional estimate. It is intentionally conservative — the real number in most organisations is higher once engagement and productivity effects are included.
Turnover cost is calculated using sector-specific replacement cost percentages from CIPD workforce data. Replacement cost varies significantly by sector — replacing a care worker costs roughly 35% of their annual salary, while replacing a technology professional can cost 60% or more, reflecting differences in recruitment difficulty, onboarding time, and ramp-up periods.
Preventable absence cost uses sector benchmark absence days (from CIPD and NHS workforce data) with a 10% preventable uplift. Research consistently shows that 10–15% of workplace absence is directly attributable to poor leadership — through stress, low psychological safety, and avoidable burnout — above and beyond the sector baseline.
Engagement is shown as a risk profile, not a financial line. Disengagement costs are real and significant, but they overlap with the turnover and absence figures above. Including a separate disengagement figure risks double-counting. In the Thrivio platform, engagement is surfaced by risk area and severity — showing where the risk is highest in your specific organisation.
| Sector | Benchmark turnover | Replacement cost | Absence days/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | 30% | 35% of salary | 12 |
| Healthcare (NHS / private) | 15% | 40% of salary | 11 |
| Education | 15% | 35% of salary | 8 |
| Hospitality & leisure | 30% | 25% of salary | 7 |
| Retail | 25% | 25% of salary | 8 |
| Professional services | 12% | 50% of salary | 6 |
| Technology | 15% | 60% of salary | 5 |
| Charity & third sector | 20% | 35% of salary | 8 |
| Manufacturing & logistics | 18% | 30% of salary | 9 |
| Financial services | 12% | 55% of salary | 6 |
| Construction | 20% | 35% of salary | 8 |
Sources:
CIPD (2024). Resourcing and talent planning survey. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
CIPD (2023). Health and wellbeing at work survey. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
NHS England (2024). NHS Workforce Statistics. NHS Digital.
Gallup (2024). State of the Global Workplace. Gallup Press.