National Wellness Month 2025
August is National Wellness Month in Canada, a reminder that caring for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being should be part of everyday life, not just something you think about in a crisis.
Employee benefit plans are often viewed as safety nets for illnesses or injuries, but they’re also valuable tools for staying well, especially as mental health challenges are becoming increasingly more common in the workplace. Recent studies have found that:
- 33% of Canadian workers have a high mental health risk.1
- 42% of Canadian employees rate their mental health as fair or poor.2
- Mental health-related disability claims now account for 70% of workplace disability costs.3
With public mental health services often overwhelmed, employer-sponsored group benefits play a critical role. Encouragingly, almost two-thirds of adult workers in Canada have access to extended health benefits through their employer,4 which often include mental health support and other wellness services.
Depending on your employee benefit plan, you may be able to:
- Connect with a licensed therapist or counsellor.
- Book paramedical services like massage therapy, physiotherapy, or acupuncture. Explore naturopathic care to support energy, immunity, and digestion.
- Use your Health Spending Account (HSA) to offset additional health-related costs.
- Access confidential help through your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for issues like stress, mental health, finances, and more.
1 TELUS Mental Health Index (March 2024) https://www.telus.com/en/about/news-and-events/media-releases/telus-mental-health-index-employees-under-40-in-canada-the-most-isolated-and-lonely
2 The Declining Mental Health of Working Canadians (2024) Dialogue
3 Navigating the Mental Health Crisis in Canada: The Critical Role of Employers (March 2025) CSA Public Policy Centre
4 Canadians and Health Care: Workplace and Group Insurance Plans (April 2023) Abacus Data