NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Over one-third of Canadians prioritize health and well-being benefits when choosing an employer

Mental Health Index™ finds that aside from monetary compensation, Canadian workers value health and well-being benefits above other new employer considerations

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LifeWorks, a leading provider of digital and in-person total well-being solutions supported by TELUS Health, today released its monthly Mental Health Index™ revealing that benefits and services offered for health and well-being, flexibility and type of work are the most important factors for Canadian workers when choosing an employer.

The Index found that Canadian workers are experiencing increasing strain with an unfavourable mental health score.

  • The Mental Health Index™ score for October 2022 is 64.9 points out of one hundred, a slight decline from September. This marks four months since improvement.

Canadian workers consider many factors when choosing an employer, with well-being at the forefront

  • Thirty-four per cent of Canadians indicate that health and well-being benefits and services are the most important factor when choosing an employer. This compares to 28 per cent citing flexibility and 18 per cent citing type of work as the most important factor.

  • Canadians also cite an organization’s reputation for positive workplace culture (14 per cent), diversity and inclusion (two per cent) and socially conscious practices (two per cent) as the most important factor when choosing an employer.

The mental health, productivity and performance of Canadian workers are linked to the support, consideration and compassion observed in their manager

  • On a scale from one (weakly humane) to five (strongly humane), fifteen per cent of Canadians rate their managers one or two. The mental health scores of these groups are more than nine points below the national average.

  • Individuals who rate their manager as strongly humane are more likely to report that they care about their work and aim to exceed expectations, compared to those rating their manager as weakly humane.

  • Individuals who rate their manager as weakly humane have productivity scores twice as low as those rating their manager as strongly humane.

Comments from TELUS Health Chief Operating Officer, Michael Dingle
“The importance of health and well-being benefits and services is very clear. We know that they have a meaningful impact on employees’ lives, and within this data we see that they make a significant impact on where one wants to work. Canadians are considering their personal needs, beyond direct compensation, when exploring new employment opportunities. It’s important for employers to recognize this as a priority and consider a holistic approach to what benefits they offer employees. Prioritizing health and well-being has never been more critical to attracting and retaining talent.”

Comments from LifeWorks Global Leader and Senior Vice President, Research and Total Well-being, Paula Allen
“We know that managers play a critical role in the productivity of their teams. Their influence is not simply related to strategy and the organization of work, but rather how they show up for their teams. When managers lead with empathy, employees feel motivated and capable of putting their full and best selves forward. That empathy must include concern for the well-being of employees as much as concern for their needs related to work. The positive impact of this on employee well-being, engagement and productivity, compounds over time.”

The full Canadian LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ report can be found here. This month, the report includes additional insights on factors that encourage Canadians to put in more effort at work, the impacts of Canadians caring about their work, how key leadership traits including autonomy and charisma impact the mental health, job performance and productivity of working Canadians and more.

LifeWorks is a wholly owned subsidiary of TELUS now operating as part of TELUS Health as a result of its recent acquisition.

About the Mental Health Index
The monthly survey by LifeWorks was conducted through an online survey in English and French from October 4 to 12, 2022 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, beginning April 2020.

The Mental Health Index™, is based on a response scoring system that then turns individual responses into point values. Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health.

About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is a global healthcare company serving people in more than 160 countries delivering both digital innovation and clinical services to improve total physical, mental and financial health and wellness across the full spectrum of primary and preventative care. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services both in-person and virtually, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied healthcare professionals, insurers, employers and people globally, progressing its vision of transforming healthcare and empowering people to live healthier lives.

Our clinical team is composed of renowned and passionate health professionals around the world delivering best-in-class people-centric care to hundreds of thousands of employers, professionals and their families.

For more information, please visit: www.telushealth.com.

ID-CAD, ID-CORP, ID-MH

Media contact:
Jill Yetman
TELUS Media Relations
[email protected]