3 in 5 Canadian employees experiencing more workplace stress this year, new survey finds

A new poll has found that three in five Canadian employees say their mental health has worsened over the last year due to workplace stress. More than half of workers also say employers aren’t doing enough to help.

A new poll shows three in five Canadian employees are now experiencing more workplace-related stress compared to last year, due to hefty workloads and a lack of job stability. Many say they are also feeling unsupported by their employers.

Robert Walters, a global recruitment firm, asked more than 2,500 employees in Canada last month about their workplace conditions and found a large discrepancy between how much money companies spend on wellness initiatives, and how employees are genuinely feeling at work.

According to the company’s poll results, 60 per cent of respondents said they are suffering from workplace-related stress, with a third of these employees, or 34 per cent, stating they feel this way “very often.” On the other end of the scale, 10 per cent of respondents said they had not experienced any “recurring stress” at work this year.

Martin Fox, managing director at Robert Walters’ Canadian branch, said employers have been spending an estimated $400 to $600 per employee on wellness initiatives since the pandemic started in March 2020.

“There’s this dichotomy of employers thinking they are doing enough and employees thinking they are not,” Fox told CTVNews.ca on Tuesday.

According to the poll results, 62 per cent of employees said they don’t think their employers are doing enough to help manage workplace stress. Meanwhile, 14 per cent said they think the company’s efforts are enough.

When trying to determine who should be responsible for reducing workplace stress, 45 per cent of respondents said this is a job for senior leaders and human resources departments. Meanwhile, 19 per cent of those surveyed said it is up to the line managers.