Canadian employees who are experiencing conflict in the workplace lose an average of 55 workdays in productivity each year, according to Telus Health’s latest mental-health index.
The survey, which polled more than 3,000 employees, found workers who have been diagnosed with anxiety (21 per cent) and depression (14 per cent) reported a loss of 55 and 53 working days per year in productivity, respectively.
The average national mental-health score for October was 63.7, down slightly from 64.4 in September. More than a quarter (28 per cent) of workers reported an average mental-health score of 50 or lower with the productivity loss among this group at least double the number of days compared to the 13 per cent of workers with an average mental-health score of 90 or higher.
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Two-fifths (39 per cent) of employees said they find fulfilment in work-life balance with this group reporting an average mental-health score of 70.4, nearly seven points higher than the national average.
“In today’s uncertain economic environment, it is very telling that workers are placing equal, if not greater, importance on well-being support compared to their salary,” said Paula Allen, global leader for research and client insights at Telus Health, in a press release.
“This highlights a significant opportunity for employers to meet employees’ needs by providing resources and real-time support that go beyond financial considerations in order to maintain morale and ultimately retain top talent.”
Read: Survey finds a quarter of Canadian employees experiencing increased tension, conflict at work