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There's no getting around it – when it comes to employee well-being, employers have a responsibility to promote and foster a healthy workplace culture. In fact, 46% of employers plan to continue investing in mental health and 32% in physical health. But chronic mental health issues are on the rise and absenteeism is far from over.
So what’s missing? Why is your current wellness program falling short? When it comes to health and wellness, options may seem endless, which is why we put together this guide to help you manoeuvre the ins and outs of total employee wellness: prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. You’ll learn about the current challenges facing Canadians, and how to support employees throughout their health journey, while building a happy and productive workplace.
Working can be a pain in the neck…literally. According to Statistics Canada, only 53% of adults meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week – contributing to a number of health problems, like obesity, aches and pains, cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, and more.
And it’s not just our physical health that suffers when we’re glued to our desks all day. A sedentary lifestyle can increase the risk of stress, burnout, and anxiety. In fact, a recent study found that a whopping 84% of workers have experienced burnout on the job.
But the opposite is also true. Exercise is a key part of maintaining good mental health. However, it can be difficult to muster the energy or motivation to stay active when you're dealing with a mental illness.
Embracing a hybrid or remote working model helped Canadians adapt to life during and after the pandemic. But it also had a significant impact on work-life balance.
On top of that, a slew of external factors challenge Canadians’ ability to prioritize physical and mental health. Yes, the world can be a stressful place. From financial uncertainty and global pandemics to natural disasters and political upheaval, there are countless reasons why people may feel anxious or overwhelmed. And while it's normal to feel down from time to time, prolonged stress can lead to serious mental and physical health issues.
It's no secret that workers are feeling overwhelmed and overworked, and on the hunt for something better. We even have brand-new language to help us verbalize this reality: The Great Resignation, Quiet Quitting, etc.
While remote and hybrid work has been a boon for some, many are struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance. But despite feeling stressed and disengaged, nearly 80% of Canadian employees still prefer to work from home. What does this mean? In order to embrace remote and hybrid models, and reap all their benefits, employers need to rewrite the rules on how we work. This means putting flexibility, empathy, and well-being first.
Remote and office workers aren’t the only ones struggling with their well-being. In fact, 1 in 4 retail employees believes that work is their biggest stressor. Beyond poor mental health, there are physical health concerns, too. Standing for long periods of time can lead to lower back pain, neck and shoulder stiffness, swollen legs, general fatigue, and more. People working in manufacturing jobs are also at risk of:
Employees who commute to work also experience higher levels of stress, drivers in particular. Long commuters tend to suffer from poor sleep quality or lack of sleep, resulting in related health issues. This directly impacts how they feel at work.
A UK-based survey reveals that job satisfaction drops by 19% when employees add as little as 20 minutes to their work day through commute time.
Not so surprisingly, the most common employee well-being issues that impact company performance are preventable. Take a look at the top contributors to time away from work.
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By empowering employees to adopt healthier habits and work towards meaningful behaviour change, you can help delay the onset of chronic conditions, improve mental and physical fitness, and boost productivity in the long term.
If you want your employees to feel more engaged and less isolated, building a sense of belonging is crucial.
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Flexibility is a top priority for employees. It lets them manage their other commitments, strike a better work-life balance, and work where they’re most productive, whether that’s at home, in the office, or on the go.
As an employer, offering work flexibility gives you a leg up on the competition. It will help you attract talent and lead to greater employee satisfaction, ensuring you’ll be able to retain your hard-won employees.
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Wellness benefits that focus on prevention – as well as treatment – can help Canadians prevent or delay more serious issues, and feel happier and healthier in the long run. At the same time, employers can decrease the costs related to chronic conditions, disability, employee turnover, and more.
35% of employees are thinking about resigning due to stress.
35% of overall benefits costs are associated with chronic health issues.
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Most employee benefits only support members when there’s already a problem. In fact, plan sponsors on average invested only 28% of their wellness budget on prevention of illnesses and/or management of chronic conditions – a surprising 24% drop from 2020 to 2021!
Two in ten Canadians with employee benefit plans are not aware of the benefits available to them; and a quarter (26%) don’t know how to access their benefits. This suggests that employers need better strategies to educate team members on their benefit plans and keep them engaged, all while ensuring that these resources are easily accessible.
For employees who are aware of their benefits coverage, stigma – around mental health conditions or weight-related issues, for example – may prevent them from accessing care before disability sets in. In this case, health benefits that actively engage and include all members, regardless of health or fitness level, are often more impactful.
Health is more than just physical, and today’s employers know that. But in an effort to offer comprehensive health benefits that cover a wide range of well-being issues, many have inadvertently partnered with multiple care providers.
This forces members to deal with too many points of contact to get the care they need, which can lead to a confusing and uncoordinated experience. It also puts the full onus of sourcing proper support on the employee and creates unnecessary barriers to care.
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An effective wellness solution is one that engages all members towards their health on a daily basis. Dialogue’s Wellness program is designed to encourage everyday people who are looking to improve their physical and mental well-being through meaningful behavioural change.
of Canadians do not meet the recommended amount of exercise.
150 minutes of physical activity per week can delay or fully prevent chronic conditions and reduce the chance of depression or anxiety by
75% increase in average daily activity for otherwise sedentary members.
80% of members achieved 150+ minutes of activity weekly.
The program focuses on the member experience by driving engagement: monthly individual and organizational challenges, daily healthy habit-building, easy-to-access fitness resources, and more.
To keep members motivated, fitness tracker integration measures progress and boosts engagement.
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Our Wellness program’s healthy habits collection addresses current health challenges, by encouraging the adoption of meaningful behaviour changes that restore our sense of control and well-being.
For organizational leaders like you, this means that members are aware of the benefits they have access to and are continuously reminded to use them:
Higher engagement also allows you to:
Dialogue’s Wellness program provides expanded support across the care continuum within our Integrated Health Platform. By combining it with Primary Care, Mental Health+, and EAP, you can tackle prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for general health issues – from a single platform and one care team.
An integrated member journey promotes daily habit-forming behaviour with seamless transition to clinical services, driving higher engagement and positive outcomes more quickly.
What does this mean? Dialogue’s clinicians and professionals can recommend tools and recourses across the Integrated Health Platform to treat or prevent health issues:
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