Awareness vs. Access: The Missing Link in Canadian Mental Health Support
New findings from Telus Health’s Mental Health Index offer a timely snapshot of how Canadian workers are experiencing work, leadership, and well-being support today. Based on a national survey of approximately 3,000 employees, the data suggests that while some progress has been made, many aspects of workplace well-being remain largely unchanged and, in some cases, uncertain.
Manager Support: Steady, Not Transformational
Nearly two-thirds of workers (65%) report that their manager’s support for work-life balance has not changed over the past year. About a quarter (24%) say support has improved, while 12% feel it has declined.
This stability may indicate consistency, but it also raises an important question: in a period of ongoing workforce strain, is maintaining the status quo enough?
Mental Health Scores Continue to Vary Widely
The overall average mental-health score was 63.2, a slight decrease from the previous month. Beneath the average, however, the spread is notable:
- Anxiety (55.5) remains the lowest-rated dimension
- Isolation (59.6) and depression (61.4) continue to affect many workers
- Work productivity (61.6) and optimism (64.9) sit near the midpoint
- General psychological health (71.4) remains the strongest measure
From a risk perspective, 35% of workers are classified as high mental-health risk, 43% as moderate, and only 22% as low risk, meaning most employees fall somewhere on the risk spectrum.
While 55% of employees believe organizational leaders can maintain a healthy work-life balance, 45% are either unsure or disagree. That level of uncertainty may point to a visibility gap between leadership intent and employee perception.
Well-Being Support: Awareness Matters as Much as Access
Perceptions of employer-provided support vary significantly:
- 39% rate financial well-being support as fair or poor
- 32% say the same about mental well-being
- 29% report fair or poor support for physical health
Perhaps most striking: employees who rated their employer’s well-being support as poor reported mental-health scores nearly 29 points lower than those who rated support as excellent.
At the same time, 24% of employees say they don’t know whether their employer offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), highlighting that access alone does not guarantee impact if awareness is low.
A Data-Driven Reminder for Employers
Taken together, the data underscores a recurring theme in workplace well-being research: outcomes are shaped not only by the presence of programs but also by leadership behaviours, communication, and employees’ understanding of available support.
For organizations reviewing their total rewards and well-being strategies, these findings provide useful context, not a verdict, but a prompt for informed discussion.
Source: Telus Health Mental Health Index