Survey reveals most Canadian staff stay silent on mental health, despite more support options
Only 1 in 5 Canadian employers feel very confident their employees would disclose mental health issues—a figure that underscores a persistent gap in psychological safety at work, as reported by Peninsula Group’s latest global survey.
According to the Peninsula Group, 80 percent of Canadian employers are not fully confident that staff would come forward with mental health concerns, despite a noticeable decline in mental health-related absences this year.
This lack of confidence highlights a critical challenge for organizations seeking to foster open dialogue and support around mental wellbeing.
The survey, which included 79,000 businesses across five countries, reveals that while 23 percent of Canadian employers have an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), only 2 percent of those experiencing mental ill-health in the past year accessed this support.
Raj Singh, CEO at Peninsula Canada, notes, "Employers have a duty of care to safeguard the wellbeing of their people." He pointed out that the pressures faced by employers themselves are often overlooked.
According to Singh, “1 in 6 Canadian employers surveyed reported experiencing poor mental health over the last year.”
When struggling, 21 percent spoke to friends and family, while only 10 percent consulted their GP.
Canadian employers are also most likely to offer mental health days in addition to personal leave, yet 66 percent still do not provide these days or plan to introduce them in the next year, as per Peninsula Group’s findings.
One employer commented, "I do have extended health benefits that does address some mental health support."
Stigma remains a barrier.
Some respondents expressed attitudes such as, "Mental Health is usually attached to over issues in someone's life. We seek to hire people with healthy lifestyles to avoid such problems!......" and "We want to squash the mental health taboo!"
These comments suggest that education and open conversation are still needed to address workplace culture and reduce stigma.
Globally, 1 in 3 employers saw increased sickness absence due to mental health, but Canada and Ireland reported the lowest increases.
However, Canadian employees are the least likely to speak up if struggling, and only 1 in 100 workplaces have a mental health first aider, compared to 1 in 8 globally.
Mujda Rasoul, associate director of Service at Peninsula Canada, observes, “Globally, over half of the leaders surveyed (55 percent) noticed more open discussions about mental health at work over the last 12 months, and 48 percent have observed employees, as well as themselves, prioritising work-life balance.”
She questioned, “If conversations are more open, and work-life balance is on the rise, then where is the disconnect?”
Rasoul pointed out that many leaders still lack confidence that employees would disclose if they were struggling with a mental health issue.
As reported by Peninsula Group, 51 percent of respondents have no plans to introduce new support measures such as mental health training, EAPs, or mental health first aiders in the next twelve months.
This disconnect between awareness and action remains a pressing concern for Canadian workplaces striving to support employee wellbeing and performance.
