Dialogue reveals a workplace benefit blind spot, with 6 in 10 Canadian workers leaving significant well-being resources untapped
New Leger report shows an overwhelming 81% of employees' mental health challenges are alleviated when workplace benefits are accessible and in use
MONTREAL, April 23, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Dialogue Health Technologies Inc., Canada's leading virtual health and wellness provider, announced the latest edition of their annual report in partnership with Leger revealing that Canadians are feeling a sharp decline in their mental health and well-being under the growing weight of financial pressures and poor work-life balance.
The new report, Dialogue's 2025 State of workplace well-being, highlights a workforce under pressure. In the past year, a third (30%) of Canadian employees experienced a decline in their mental health. Respondents identified worsening financial health (29%), continued sleep issues (26%) and lack of physical exercise (23%) as top contributors to their mental health challenges. This, in turn, fuels anxiety and burnout, making it harder to meet the demands of the workplace.
Regarding workplace benefits, the report shows a significant gap between the well-being benefits offered to Canadian employees to support their mental health, and their understanding of what these benefits are and how they can be accessed. While 80% of employers offer access to an employee assistance program (EAP), only 16% of employees understand these benefits very well.
While the factors affecting employee well-being persist, findings also reveal that employees are actively looking for ways to tackle these challenges. The report focuses on the positive role employers can play in empowering their employees to improve their physical and mental health, and just how effective accessible solutions are in driving real impact.
"We've seen over the years how Canadian workers are increasingly burdened with the demands of both personal and professional expectations. Taking care of your health isn't just about staying physically healthy but about nurturing your mind, too," said Dr. Stephanie Moynihan, Associate Medical Director at Dialogue. "Once we've acknowledged it, we can start trying to solve it. To tackle this, employers can better provide employees with the right tools at their disposal, which can range from treatment-based solutions, self-serve resources, habit trackers, and wellness activities."
Employees turn to external professionals or informal support networks like friends and family when facing well-being challenges, but rarely think of using their workplace benefits. As a result, 65% of employees have never used their EAP benefits for mental health support. Despite this, over 70% of HR professionals report that these benefits contribute to increased employee engagement, reduced absenteeism, and improved retention – indicating a clear gap between availability and actual utilization.
"Employees often don't know that their employee assistance program offers more than just mental health support and miss out on valuable resources like financial counselling, legal aid, and wellness coaching that are also included," says Kelsey Lander, Associate Vice-President, Consumer Insights at Leger. "Lack of appointment options and information on how to access these resources, and long wait times create barriers that prevent employees from getting the timely help they need."
Awareness alone contributes greatly to an increase in employee well-being, and employers should communicate the breadth of high-quality care EAPs can offer. Of those using EAPs, an overwhelming number of respondents report satisfaction in support for family and relationship issues (89%), managing workload and deadlines (86%), women's health (84%), and mental health and substance use (81%). As the growing number of Canadian employees in need of well-being support increases, employers have a responsibility to break down the barriers that prevent their employees from using these benefits.
The full report can be found here.
About Dialogue
Dialogue is Canada's premier virtual healthcare and wellness platform, providing affordable, on-demand access to quality care. Through its team of health professionals, it serves employers and organizations who have an interest in the health and well-being of their employees, members and their families. Dialogue's Integrated Health Platform™ is a one-stop healthcare hub that centralizes all programs in a single, user-friendly application, providing access to services 24 hours per day, 365 days per year from the convenience of a smartphone, computer, or tablet. Dialogue is now the first virtual care provider to be accredited with Exemplary Standing by Accreditation Canada, a third-party validation to meet national benchmarks for clinical excellence, governance, safety, and service integration. In October 2023, Sun Life acquired Dialogue, which now operates as a standalone entity as part of Sun Life Canada. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.dialogue.co.
About Leger
Leger is the largest Canadian-owned polling, marketing research and analytics firm, with over 600 employees in Canada and the United States. Established in 1986, Leger also owns LEO, an online panel, LEA, Leger Analytics, and Leger DGTL, a digital performance agency. For more information: leger360.com.
SOURCE Dialogue Health Technologies Inc.
For further information: Jean-Christophe de Le Rue, Senior Director, Public Policy and Communications, [email protected] l 613-806-0671
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