1 in 4 employers see increase in mental health sick leave: survey

A quarter of respondents to a recent survey said they have noticed an increase in sick leave in the workplace due to mental health issues, with 23% of Canadian employers offering mental health days to employees. The survey of 79,000 small- and medium-sized businesses across Canada, Australia, Ireland and the U.K. was conducted by Peninsula Group, a Toronto-based global employment law, HR and health and safety firm. The survey sought to see if increased financial pressures and the cost-of-living crisis are having an impact on the mental health of the workforce. On the positive side, stigma around mental health issues appears to be lessening somewhat in the workplace, with 43% of employers stating that they’ve witnessed people talking more about their mental health in the last 12 months. However, only 12% of employees have confided in their bosses, and one in seven of those who did said that nothing was done. Canada ahead Employers in Canada are more likely to offer mental health days in addition to personal leave entitlement than any other country studied. In Canada, in addition to the 23% of businesses who said they offer mental health days, another 15% plan to introduce them within the next 12 months. By comparison, 85% of employers in the U.K., 81% in Ireland and 67% in Australia do not offer mental health days nor plan to introduce them in the next 12 months. As for employers, those in Canada and Australia are more likely to take time off work due to mental health than those in the U.K. or Ireland. More than two-thirds of bosses in all four countries said they are comfortable discussing their and their employees’ mental health concerns. But few bosses accessed their company’s employee assistance programs, preferring to go it alone. “It’s encouraging to see that so many employers are comfortable and willing to have conversations about both their own and their employees’ mental health,” said Peninsula Canada CEO, Darren Chadwick, in a release. “It comes as no surprise the significant impact that recent world events have had with many struggling to adapt to the ‘new normal.’ . . . The pressure, and cost-of-living crisis as well as rising energy costs are having a major impact.” Referencing a previous study, Chadwick continued, “Nearly half (48%) of Canadian employees have experienced at least one work-related mental health risk factor. It should be clear to any employer that mental health is an area they need to take very seriously. And that message seems to be getting through.”

1 in 4 employers see increase in mental health sick leave: survey

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