Lifeworks, a human resource and technology company based in Toronto, with a focus on employee engagement and wellbeing has released its most recent Mental Health Index, discovering Canadians are equally stressed-out at work and at home. According to Lifeworks, 26% of Canadians indicate that work stressors are their primary sources of stress, while an equal 26% of individuals cited personal reasons as their key stress indicator.
The Mental Health Index score for July 2022 was 65.0 almost a one point improvement from June 2022 at 64.1 points out of one hundred, and close to May’s score of 64.9 points. Of the 26% of Canadians reporting work stress as their primary stress-point, 25% referenced the volume of work, 14% cited performance demands and 12% stated a lack of support from leadership and peers as the leading sources of work-related stress.
Full-time post-secondary students had the lowest mental health score in the July 2022 report (57.2), followed by wholesale trade workers (59.2), areas of work that have been impacted by restrictions and supply chain issues, while those employed in transportation and warehousing (68.6) had the highest mental health score. The largest monthly change came from those working in real estate who enjoyed an incredible 73.3 on the mental-health wellbeing score only to drop to 62.0 a month later with rising interest rates and pandemic frenzy home prices coming to an end.
Personal stress indicators include sleeping difficulties (31%), an inability to relax (28%), and emotional challenges such as anxiety and depression (27%) are the key elements indicated outside of work.
Employees who felt their mental health was supported by their employer in ways such as work flexibility and promoting mental health services during the pandemic had a mental health score seven points higher than the national average and nearly 15 points higher than those who did not feel their mental health was supported.Respondents under the age of 40 are 80 per cent more likely than those older than 50 to be experiencing tension/conflict at work.
Data for this report is collected through an online survey of 3,000 people who live in Canada and are currently employed or who were employed within the prior six months. Participants are selected to be representative of the age, gender, industry, and geographic distribution in Canada. Respondents are asked to consider the prior two weeks when answering each question. Data for the current report was collected between July 7 and 13, 2022.
View the whole report here