Recent reports released by CSA Public Policy Centre, CAMIMH suggests employers can be doing a lot more for mental health
Workplace mental health continues to be a talking point but recent findings from mental health organizations emphasize it’s all talk but no action from employers.
Recent research released by the CSA Public Policy Centre highlights the urgent need for small businesses to implement meaningful programs that foster healthier, more supportive work environments.
After all, as Olga Morawczynski is quick to allude, employees believe their work environment is the source of the problem due to spending so much time at work.
“We spend a third of our waking lives at work so of course it's going to impact our mental health and how we feel,” said Morawczynski, co-founder and CEO of Heal-3, an employee wellbeing solution. “Our boss at work has more impact on our mental health than our spouse or our therapist; we spend so much time at work, and even when we're not at work, we're thinking about work.”
Morawczynski added the challenge for many employers, specifically smaller businesses, has been making the connection that the workplace environment impacts mental health. This can range from culture to leadership and benefits.
“A lot of employers still haven't made the connection that there's things in how our work is structured and how leadership interacts with employees. That directly impacts our mental health and wellbeing and that's what we need to move towards now,” she said, emphasizing employers need to get to “the root cause” of what’s driving mental health issues in the workplace and work to change that.
“It doesn't have to be expensive or crazy but have something in place to support wellbeing. That starts with really understanding what it is that your people need,” she said, pointing to quantitative data, like employee surveys which can help identify the specific issues within the organization.
Employers can then design creative programs and initiatives that directly address the identified root causes, added Morawczynski. Measuring the impact of these programs over time to track improvements in employee mental health, retention, and other business metrics helps demonstrate the business case for continued investment.
“When we look at current benefits, they just don't align to the specific needs. But when you look at the diversity of needs, they're huge. Once we know what people actually need to support their mental health, that's when we can really start to design the right type of benefits,” she said, noting that mental health benefits “haven’t changed in years.”
“It’s wonderful to have psychotherapy or EAP programs but they're a tiny piece of the puzzle of what people need. Not only for treatment but more importantly, for preventative mental health,” said Morawczynski.
She pointed to a past study conducted by the Future Skills Centre that surveyed employees who had gone on disability leave or who had been absent from work for an extended period of time.
“Eighty per cent cited their workplace had either exacerbated their mental health challenges or were the primary cause,” she said.
Morawczynski, who worked on the report in collaboration with CSA Group, explained they analysed over 750,000 Glassdoor reviews from 1,000 Canadian companies, identifying top psychosocial factors contributing to employee stress, including compensation, workplace relationships, and work-life balance.
“When people spoke negatively, it was mostly about poor leadership," noted Morawczynski. "The impact of not having great leadership is huge on team dynamics, the structure of work and employee well-being."
Toxic work environments also play a role, she added, acknowledging that many employees feel trapped in high-stress jobs with little flexibility, stagnant wages, and overwhelming workloads, along with financial stress emerging as a top mental health issue.
"Financial stress has been the number one concern in the last five or six months," she highlighted.
Mental health fails across Canada
The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH)’s latest mental health report card, which surveyed over 8,000 Canadians, graded six of nine provincial governments as well as the federal government with a slew of Fs.
Additionally, employers, who are supposed to provide meaningful mental health benefits aren't doing much better.
Glenn Brimacombe, director of policy and public affairs at the Canadian Psychological Association, explained the findings ultimately address that access to care is abysmal. While the Canadian Psychological Association recommends $3,500 in annual mental health coverage per employee, half of employers provide $1,000 or less.
"It’s in their interests, both as a good employer and from a bottom-line perspective, to be looking at how they invest and provide better access to their employees," he said, emphasizing that early intervention leads to dividends that can accrue to the bottom line. Early treatment leads to better outcomes and better outcomes usually leads to quicker return to work.
Whether the onus is on the employer or the government to address the overall mental health issue, Brimacombe believes both sides need to bear the grunt of responsibility.
“It isn’t either or and it’s not zero sum,” he said. “There's a real opportunity to grow the public system, as well as for employers to grow the value of the benefits they provide when it comes to mental health and substance use. It’s an important recruitment and retention tool, particularly for younger Canadians who value access to mental health care.”
