Survey shows gaps in offerings by Canadian employers
For all the focus on employee wellbeing, are benefits in Canada hitting the mark?
Not always, according to a recent survey, which found that half of workers feel their benefit plans are insufficient or don’t meet their wellbeing needs.
And only 18 per cent of respondents surveyed by Dialogue say that their managers are equipped to recognize and support employees' mental health, while one in three don’t consider their mental health benefits as sufficient.
“Almost half of employees are relying on their employers to help them improve their wellness. But what we've also seen is that of people who do have access are starting to actually feel that the benefits that they're being offered don't actually meet their needs,” said Dr. Stephanie Moynihan, associate medical director at Dialogue.
Modernizing employee benefits
The report revealed that 47% of working Canadians rely on employer benefits to improve wellbeing; but as the demographics of the workforce change significantly, so do the needs of employees, according to Reshma Sukdhoe, director of safety, health, wellbeing and disability management at The Salvation Army, Canada and Bermuda.
For example, many in the younger generations are focused more on benefits for mental health and wellbeing, rather than those that families might favour, she said.
“Many employers haven’t caught up with the change in workforce demographics when it comes to employee benefits.”
Employees are looking for more mental health support outside of a registered clinical psychologist, such as holistic therapy, alternative healing, psychotherapists and telemedicine, Sukdhoe said, and employers need to adapt.
Many of the benefits that are part of traditional EAPs are based on what employees needed 10-15 years ago, she said.
Updating EAPs as part of employee benefits
Canadians are definitely in need of wellbeing support: 39 per cent financial constraints, 41 per cent have a lack of motivation and 45 per cent lack the time to tend to their wellbeing, according to the Dialogue report.
However, 53 per cent of working Canadians have never used their EAP, even though almost every Canadian employer offers one, Moynihan said. Almost half of employers offer benefits through different vendors, making it more challenging for employees to search for their benefits providers, which can contribute to a lack of accessibility and underutilization of the EAP, she said.
“Eight in 10 Canadians have stated that they think their employers should be providing virtual care, which ties into the modernization of benefits that are being offered. Mental health is often viewed as an insufficient part of EAP offerings. Whether that be health spending or integrated mental health offerings including doctors, psychotherapists, and psychologists in addition to traditional employee assistance program benefits,” Moynihan said.
Communicating for employee wellbeing
Listening to employees to see which of their needs are being met or not is essential for employers, Sukdhoe said. Identifying patterns or trends in services that are being provided, aren’t being provided or are inadequate can help identify what employees are looking for out of their benefits program.
“Apart from having a legal obligation to keep your employees safe and protect them while in workplace, you also have a moral obligation to their wellbeing and making sure that they're safe both in and out of the workplace,” she said.
Regular communication about what's available is also important, as sometimes the components of these benefits are not regularly relayed to employees, said Deborah Maynard, CHRO at Coast Mental Health.
“We have a regular blog that you can post on to communicate about the EAP. We've also sent pamphlets to people's homes, so that they have access to the information without having to read something at the workplace where they might feel uncomfortable to share that they’re struggling. We also send employees a copy of their benefits programs with not only just the EAP but the other benefits they have access to,” she said.
Training leaders to support mental health
Training on how to identify and support mental health struggles is also essential for employers, with resources such as Mental Health First Aid particularly beneficial to raise awareness, Maynard said. This can help managers recognize when someone may be experiencing mental health concerns, allowing them to help employees much earlier.
“As an employer, we have an obligation to provide support to our employees, and that goes beyond just looking after people when they come into work. If you have psychologically safe employees, who are feeling safe to come into the workplace, it benefits the employer because the employee is going to do a better job,” she said.
“Just like how highly engaged employees commit more and do more for the organization, I would say the same can be said for employees who feel supported and have their mental health needs taken care of. We spend a lot of time in the workplace, and it’s not just about how you feel when you’re there because that can impact your whole life.”
