‘It is critical that organizations look at employees as individuals beyond work and build a culture that supports personal needs’
Organizations that support personal wellbeing are seeing staff report higher mental health scores.
Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of workers feel the culture of their organization supports their personal wellbeing and they have a mental health score of -6.6.
In contrast, more than one in 10 (13 per cent) of employees feel that the culture of their organization does not support their personal wellbeing, and they have a mental health score of -22.3, according to a report from LifeWorks.
Those who are unsure of their organization’s culture of support (24 per cent) have a mental health score of -16.8.
Employer programs for improving employee wellbeing are good for business overall, according to an Aon report.
Overall, Canada’s mental health score is -10.1 compared with the pre-pandemic benchmark, marking its highest point since April 2020.
Work from home benefits
Better mental health is also associated with Canadians who have the option to work from home at least some of the time, finds the survey.
Forty-two per cent indicate that their job cannot be done from home and this group has among the lowest mental health scores (-11.5).
One-third (34 per cent) indicate that their job can be done from home full-time, and this group has among the highest mental health scores (-7.2), followed by 24 per cent who indicate that their job can be done from home part-time (-8.2), according to LifeWorks’ survey of 3,000 respondents in Canada conducted June 30 to July 12, 2021.
“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,” says Stephen Liptrap, president and CEO of LifeWorks.
“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.”
Canadian HR Reporter spoke with a legal expert for tips on managing employees from home .
