Canadian employers struggle to bridge gap between mental health awareness, action: report

There is a significant disconnect between employer perceptions and the reality of mental health support in Canadian workplaces, according to a report.

Eight in 10 (80 per cent) of employers said they do not feel confident that employees would disclose mental health issues.

A further 57% of Canadian employers believe their employees would not discuss mental health issues with their managers.

Despite this, more than half of leaders surveyed have observed greater openness in discussing mental health at work, and 27% have noticed both themselves and their employees prioritizing work-life balance.

Disclosing mental health issues

However, only 30% of businesses have reported an increase in employees speaking about mental health, indicating that while the conversation is becoming more common, it is not yet fully embedded in workplace culture., found the report by Peninsula Canada.

Overall, 30 per cent of workers said people have been speaking more about mental health in the past year, but only 9% of those who spoke to their boss reported that support was put in place. 

"While it's encouraging to see an overall decline in mental health-related absences in our survey results, the majority of our respondents (80%) say they are not fully confident that their employees would disclose mental health concerns. That's a huge figure, and it's clear that more still needs to be done by employers to help bring this number down,” said Raj Singh, CEO at Peninsula Canada.

A previous report noted that there are gaps between employee preferences and employer benefits in Canada.

Employers’ mental health struggles

Employers themselves are not immune to mental health challenges.

One in six Canadian employers surveyed reported experiencing poor mental health over the last year. When they are struggling, 21% spoke to friends and family, and only 10% spoke to their GP.

While 23% of employers surveyed have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in place, only 2% of employers who have experienced mental ill-health over the last 12 months sought support from it.

The Peninsula report also reveals a concerning trend: while mental health-related absences have declined, the implementation of support measures is also decreasing. Forty-one per cent of organizations do not intend to introduce any new mental health provisions in the next 12 months.

"Whilst the responsibility isn't solely on the employer, what this does tell us is that mental health stigma in the workplace is still very much present, and more open conversations are needed to reduce it and foster a positive working environment,” said Singh. “It can help employers improve workplace performance, as well as provide the necessary accommodations – as is their legal obligation – to further reduce mental health-related absences.”

Recommendations to improve mental health

Peninsula also suggested that employers focus on doing the following:

1. Embed mental health and wellbeing throughout your workplace: Ensure you have provisions in place to support mental health and wellbeing across all levels of your organisation. Review it regularly, look at usage levels, and get feedback from employees to find out what is of value to them. Create a workplace that normalises conversations about mental health, and lead by example. 

2. Do more than signpost support: Encourage real interactions to facilitate open conversations and get to the crux of what may be going on with an individual who has experienced increased sickness rates due to poor mental health. This can look like implementing new wellbeing initiatives or starting an open discussion about a mental health awareness campaign or concern. Ensure that all your managers receive proper training, including regular refresher training, in how to spot signs that someone is struggling.

3. Empower your people: It is not about solving an individual's problems; it is about empowering them to do so. Ultimately, it is down to the individual to seek support, but they may not have the systems or skills. It could be that their working environment is making them feel worse. What small changes can you implement to make a difference in their lives for the betterment of workplace engagement, peak performance, and psychological safety at work?

Integrated digital care is helping to break down barriers to mental health support for young Canadians, according to a previous report.