Nearly half (47 per cent) of Canadian employees say they’re interested in improving their well-being and plan on using workplace benefits to do so, according to a new report commissioned by Dialogue Health Technologies Inc. and conducted by Canadian market research firm Environics Research.
The report, which analyzed multiple surveys polling more than 1,000 Canadian employees and 86 human resources professionals, found 71 per cent of workers have become more conscious of their health in the past few years. Despite this, a third of Canadians feel negatively towards their current state of well-being, notably in the areas of physical and mental health, sleep and financial wellness.
Respondents cited lack of time to tend to their well-being (45 per cent) as the No. 1 barrier to improving their health, followed by a lack of motivation (41 per cent) and financial constraints (39 per cent).
Read: 66% of employees with health benefits report good overall well-being: survey
Half of workers reported viewing their overall benefits plan as insufficient in meeting their well-being needs and two-fifths (40 per cent) reported their employer doesn’t prioritize employee mental health. Notably, just 18 per cent said their managers are equipped to recognize and support employees’ mental health.
Meanwhile, a majority (86 per cent) of human resources professionals affirmed their organizations value employee mental health and are taking appropriate measures to safeguard well-being. Nonetheless, nearly three-quarters (70 per cent) reported facing organizational financial constraints when looking to improve their benefits.
While a third of employees and HR professionals viewed their workplace mental-health support as insufficient, more than half (53 per cent) of employees said they’ve never used their employee assistance program.
“As Canadians in the workforce admit to a decline in their health and well-being and the impact of workplaces on their well-being, employers must look for what makes employee benefits more accessible, as well as ensure these benefits are properly utilized,” said Ahsan Sadiq, vice-president of health and wellness at Environics, in a press release. “Employer-paid services — properly catered to employee needs — can help improve well-being, job satisfaction, work-life balance as well as improve chances of attracting top talent.”