The cost of ignoring mental health in Canadian workplaces

Prioritizing and addressing mental health in the workplace is the right thing to do—both for employees and for the bottom line. When done effectively, investing in employee mental health can lead to higher performance, lower absenteeism, and reduced disability costs. The cost of not investing in mental health, however, is significant:

  • 30% of disability claims in Canada are due to mental illness, accounting for 70% of all disability costs 
  • Half a million Canadians miss work each week due to mental illness
  • The cost of disability leave for mental illness is about double the cost of leave due to physical illness 
  • The economic burden of mental illness in Canada is estimated at $51 billion annually
  • It’s estimated that by 2041, the cumulative cost of mental illness in Canada will be $2.5 trillion

CAMH’s Workplace Mental Health Playbook creates better solutions for businesses

CAMH’s Playbook offers a user-friendly path to effective solutions and better outcomes for employees and businesses alike. CAMH’s five recommendations are based on the best available evidence which was shaped by feedback from business leaders as well as CAMH researchers, clinicians, and experts.

You can take a look at the Playbook here.