Enter three numbers. Get an evidence-based estimate of what disengagement, poor retention, and lost productivity are costing your organisation each year.
Move the sliders to match your situation — your results update instantly.
UK average is 15%. High turnover sectors (retail, hospitality) often see 30%+.
Gallup data puts UK disengagement at around 23% — many organisations are higher.
Adjust the sliders and press Calculate to see what poor leadership is costing your business.
Estimated annual cost of poor leadership
per year, based on your inputs
Estimates use published workforce research benchmarks: CIPD turnover cost model (33–200% of annual salary per leaver), Gallup disengagement productivity figure (34% of salary in lost output), and NICE/CIPD absence cost data. This is a directional estimate, not a precise audit.
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This calculator uses three established workforce cost models to produce a directional estimate. It is intentionally conservative — the real number in many organisations is higher.
Turnover cost is calculated at 50% of annual salary per leaver — the midpoint of the CIPD's published range for non-specialist roles. This covers recruitment fees, interviewing time, onboarding, and lost productivity during the ramp period.
Disengagement cost applies Gallup's finding that actively disengaged employees cost 34% of their annual salary in lost productivity annually. Research consistently shows that the primary driver of disengagement is leadership quality, not pay or job content.
Absence cost applies an 18% uplift to the baseline sickness figure. CIPD and NHS data consistently show that employees under poor leadership take 18–25% more sick days than those in high-trust, well-supported environments.
Sources:
CIPD (2023). Resourcing and talent planning survey. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Gallup (2023). State of the Global Workplace. Gallup Press.
NICE (2022). Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.