Nearly a quarter (21 per cent) of Canadian employees say they don’t perceive their workplace as supportive, according to Telus Health’s latest mental-health index.
The survey, which polled 3,000 Canadians, found the average mental-health score among those who don’t view their workplace as supportive was 19 points lower than those who said the opposite. Indeed, 45 per cent of workers said they don’t have relationships with people they trust at work, with younger workers more likely to say they lack trusted relationships.
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In January, the overall average mental-health score of workers in Canada was 63.5, a slight decline from December (63.8). A third (33 per cent) of employees had a high mental-health risk, while 45 per cent had a moderate mental-health risk and 22 per cent had a low mental-health risk.
Meanwhile, nearly half (47 per cent) of respondents rated their company’s culture around mental health favourably, while 15 per cent had negative perceptions and this group’s mental-health score was at least 18 points lower than those who rated their company’s culture positively.
One in 10 respondents said they don’t feel valued and respected by their colleagues and this group had the lowest mental-health score (49.1), 20 points lower than those who said they do feel valued and respected (69.1). Notably, women were 50 per cent more likely than men to say harassment, bullying, unhealthy conflict and other harmful behaviours weren’t quickly and fairly resolved in their workplace.
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As well, 21 per cent of respondents said they didn’t know if their employer provides mental-health benefits and roughly 40 per cent indicated their employer doesn’t support or they were unsure whether they provide support for psychological health and safety.
“The index findings reflect a concerning reality, in particular for our younger workers,” said Paula Allen, global leader of research and client insights at Telus Health, in a press release. “It also impacts businesses as loneliness and social isolation negatively impact both health and workplace productivity. Organizations can help by focusing on building a culture of trust, which counters isolation, and highlighting their health, personal and financial programs which offer crucial support.”
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