Mental health is a more important issue than ever for companies and their employees. Supported by TELUS Health, LifeWorks’ latest Mental Health Index survey reveals that workers’ psychological well-being is highly dependent on the quality of the corporate culture where they work.
The survey published in August 2022 shows that the mental health of Canadian workers has continued to be challenged in the past year and that workplace culture is actively contributing to this reality. According to the survey, 4 in 10 Canadians (38%) notice a significant difference between the culture of the company that employs them and what the company claims to be. The results also show that work pressure and anxiety are pervasive among workers right now. Indeed, the mental health score of Canadians is not the most satisfactory: the index is only 65.1 points out of 100.
A defective culture affects mental health
Highlights from the LifeWorks Mental Health Index reveal that the stress and precarious mental health of respondents is partly explained by a negatively perceived workplace culture. Respondents who rate their company’s culture as “demotivating” have a mental health score 15 points below the national average.
A work environment that is not very inclusive also contributes to harming the psychological well-being of employees, according to the survey. The group of respondents who consider that inclusivity is not present in the culture of their employer obtain a mental health score of 56.8 points, compared to the Canadian average of 65.1 points.
A workplace that harms productivity
The desire to surpass oneself on a daily basis and produce quality work results in solid and healthy mental health. Survey respondents who report a negative culture in their work environment score 23% lower than the maximum productivity score. They are therefore three times less motivated than those who work in a more positive corporate culture, which negatively affects their mental health.
14% of the Canadian respondents believe that their company culture affects their productivity. This data is particularly significant for managers, 40% of whom believe in the direct influence of workplace culture on professional performance.