While three-quarters (76 per cent) of benefits plan members agreed their employer’s workplace culture or environment encourages health and wellness, plan sponsors were more enthusiastic, with 87 per cent agreeing, according to the 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey.
While 24 per cent of plan members disagreed their workplace culture encourages health and wellness, that percentage rose to 68 per cent among those who felt their workplace didn’t support mental wellness. Those in poor personal overall health (50 per cent) and poor personal mental health (48 per cent) were also more likely to disagree.
Read: Survey finds majority of plan members with a workplace wellness culture satisfied with their jobs
As in previous years, a wellness culture appears to influence results in other areas. The vast majority (91 per cent) of respondents with a workplace that encourages wellness said they’re satisfied with their job, while 83 per cent of this group felt comfortable at their organization to be their authentic selves and 81 per cent rated the quality of their benefits plan as excellent or good.
When asked specifically about mental wellness, 73 per cent of plan members and 89 per cent of plan sponsors agreed their workplace environment supports mental wellness. For members, results were highest among those who felt their workplace also had a wellness culture (89 per cent) or who rated their financial health, social health and work-life balance as excellent or very good (87 per cent each).
About a quarter (27 per cent) of benefits plan members disagreed their workplace environment supports mental wellness. Those with poor work-life balance (54 per cent), in poor mental health (53 per cent) or poor overall health (51 per cent) were more likely to disagree.
The survey identified personal wellness as being comprised of five components of health: physical, mental, financial, social and work health (also known as psychological health and safety in the workplace). The majority (81 per cent) of benefits plan sponsors said they’re trying to help employees in at least one of the areas. Supports for mental health (57 per cent) and physical health (48 per cent) were most common, with work health (42 per cent) following close behind.
While wellness strategies were more common among those with unionized workforces (53 per cent) and Quebec-based employers (52 per cent), organization size was also a significant factor — more than half (57 per cent) of plan sponsors with more than 500 employees had a wellness strategy, decreasing to 38 per cent among those with 50 to 499 employees and 20 per cent among those with fewer than 50 employees.
Fortunately, 79 per cent of plan sponsors said they anticipate dedicating funds and/or staff resources, outside of the benefits plan, to at least one area of wellness in the next three years, the highest result since the question was first asked in 2019 (71 per cent).
Download the full 2024 Benefits Canada Healthcare Survey report here. Tune in next week to read coverage of the panel discussions analyzing this year’s results.