LifeWorks just published its monthly Mental Health Index report, revealing for a sixteenth consecutive month a negative mental health score in the country. Here are the highlights.
1. Data is improving
The overall mental health score is -10.1 compared to the pre-pandemic benchmark, reaching its highest point since the index was launched in April 2020.
Another encouraging result is that the results on optimism still remain below the benchmark score but are constantly increasing.
2. Analysis of the culture of the organization
Another theme addressed in the report is the relationship between culture and well-being. 13% of respondents do not believe that the culture of their organization supports their personal wellbeing. This group has a mental health score of -22.3.
While 24% of respondents did not have a clear opinion on their organization’s culture of support. This group has a mental health score of -16.8. Fortunately, a majority (63%) report that the culture of their organization supports their personal wellbeing. This group has a mental health score of -6.6.
However, according to the interviewees, there are differences. For example, women were 40% more likely than men to report that the culture of their organization does not support their personal wellbeing.
35% of women indicated that they would prefer from home full-time to prioritize their personal wellbeing, compared to 30% of men.
9% of respondents want to work from home to avoid tension or conflict with management or co-workers, or to avoid in-person interactions with customers. Women are nearly twice as likely as men to want to work from home to avoid tension or conflict with management or co-workers.
Personal wellbeing has taken on new meaning over the past year, with remote work enabling a sense of autonomy, redefined work-life integration and new prioritization of mental health. Many employees, however, continue struggling to find the right blend of professional and personal wellbeing and in many cases, are turning to employers for support. As we navigate return-to-workplace plans, it is critical that organizations look at employees as individuals beyond work and build a culture that supports personal needs in all working environments,” indicates Stephen Liptrap, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeWorks.
3. Employee feedback on corporate vaccination policies
Interesting and topical point of the study: the opinion of employees on vaccination. Already, it should be noted that the latter express a slight preference for mandatory vaccination policies. In fact, 47% of working Canadians want their employer to implement a mandatory vaccination policy. This group has a mental health score of 9.1.
In contrast, 33% of respondents do not want an employer-mandated vaccination policy. This group has a mental health score of 9.7.
20% of respondents are unsure about employer-mandated vaccination policies. Note that managers are 20% more likely than non-managers to want mandatory vaccination for return to the workplace.
The full report can be found here.
Methodology:
The monthly survey by LifeWorks was conducted through an online survey in English and French from June 30 to July 12, 2021, with 3,000 respondents in Canada. All respondents reside in Canada and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflect this population. The Mental Health Index is published monthly since April 2020 and compares the scores of benchmarks collected from 2017, 2018 and 2019.
