Key takeaways:
- 40% of newly diagnosed cancers in U.S. adults are preventable[3]
- 88% of people diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. are 50+ years old[3]
- How employers can encourage staff to maintain healthier habits – from walking meetings to mental health support and step-based challenges.
Employee health and wellbeing is an important business issue. Organizations are increasingly waking up to the importance of investing in the health and wellbeing of their staff to support workforces, attract and retain talent and help boost productivity.
Vitality’s Global Health and Productivity Index has indicated that poor workforce health carries a significant and largely hidden financial cost[1].
For example, the report found workers lose an average of 54.8 productive days per year, with much of that time being lost to presenteeism – when staff are physically at work but not fully productive[1].
Across the five countries studied (U.S., UK, Japan, Germany and Singapore), this represents an estimated cost of more than $3.3 trillion in lost productivity[1].
For employers, these figures place workforce health high on the agenda and highlight the need for proactive workplace health and wellbeing interventions.
Is cancer a workforce health issue?
While mental and physical health support likely form part of existing workplace strategies, employers have an opportunity to help influence long-term health outcomes and reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer.
Unfortunately, cancer remains one of the biggest global health challenges; the World Health Organization estimates that around one in five people will develop cancer in their lifetime[2].
While it is still more commonly diagnosed in older adults, a report from the American Cancer Society found 88% of people diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. are 50 years or older, and 59% are 65 or older[3].
Some Americans are expecting to retire later than planned due to cost-of-living increases[4]. With employees potentially working for longer, cancer could be a significant challenge for employers because it is likely to impact a large portion of the U.S. workforce.
For employers, it’s therefore crucial to consider how they can support employees in adopting healthier lifestyle habits that could help reduce the risk of cancer.
Can lifestyle factors increase cancer risk?
Research has found that, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, at least 40% of newly diagnosed cancers in U.S. adults – circa 850,000 cases in 2026 – are potentially preventable[3].
Specifically, this included the 19% of cancers associated with cigarette smoking, the eight per cent associated with excess body weight and the five per cent associated with alcohol consumption[3].
Excess body weight is associated with an increased risk of developing numerous cancers, according to the research[3]. Separate Vitality data found that 29% of U.S. employees are classed as obese[1].
The role of employers in supporting healthier lifestyles
Given how much time we typically spend at work, businesses are well placed to support employees in reducing lifestyle risk factors and promoting health and wellbeing initiatives. Not only is this beneficial for individual wellbeing, but it can help employers to retain and engage employees.
“As employee expectations continue to shift, and there’s greater emphasis on employer-led health and wellbeing support, helping staff to adopt healthier habits is mutually beneficial.
“Employers may not be able to control every health risk, but they can create workplace cultures and environments that make healthier choices easier to maintain,” says Elizabeth Dunphy, Vitality U.S. Chief Operations Officer.
How can employers encourage healthier habits in the workplace?
Whether it’s eating a healthier diet, quitting smoking or exercising more regularly, many employees may want to commit to healthier habits but find it difficult to stick to them.
Workplaces and organizational cultures can affect our ability to maintain healthy habits, so employer-led support can be helpful.
For example, cultivating a company culture that encourages regular movement. Whether it’s starting an office run club, encouraging walking 1-2-1s or setting up step-based challenges where teams reach collective activity goals together, there are plenty of ways to encourage exercise throughout the day.
Helping to reduce the risk of cancer doesn’t mean employees need to sign up for high-intensity fitness classes or ultra-marathons. In fact, Vitality’s Habit Index with the London School of Economics found that taking 10,000 steps three times a week can lower your risk of stage three cancer by 19%[5].
Offering gym membership rebates, incentivizing physical activity and offering rewards for maintaining consistent habits can be a helpful way to encourage staff to keep momentum.
For businesses with on-site canteens, ensuring that there is a healthy selection of meals and offering discounts on nutritious options can also be a good way to encourage staff to make better choices.
It’s clear that workforce health and wellbeing remain a critical issue for businesses, and employers are well placed to provide support. Not only can this have a positive impact on individual health and wellbeing, but it could have follow-on benefits for employers too.
Sources
[1] Vitality Global Health and Productivity Index, Vitality, 2026
[2] Global status report on cancer 2026: the future we choose together, World Health Organization, 2026
