Twenty per cent of Canadians experienced increased workplace conflict or aggression

LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ finds 34 per cent of Canadians indicate their workplace does not provide training, coaching or support to deal with conflict or aggression

TORONTO, June 23, 2022 – LifeWorks, a leading provider of digital and in-person total wellbeing solutions, today released its monthly Mental Health Index™ that showed the 20 per cent of Canadians that have experienced increased conflict and/or aggression at work have a mental health score more than 10 points below the national average. Additionally, 34 per cent of Canadians indicate their organization does not provide training, coaching or support to help deal with workplace conflict and/or aggression.

The Index found that Canadian workers are still under strain with an unfavourable mental health score. 

• The Mental Health Index™ score for May 2022 is 64.9 points out of one hundred, remaining nearly unchanged from April’s score of 64.8 points.

Many Canadians are experiencing increased conflict and/or aggression at work, with a lack of organizational support to help navigate

• Twenty per cent of Canadians have experienced increased conflict and/or aggression when dealing with the public or clients. This group has a mental health score of 54.1.
• Women are 40 per cent more likely than men to have experienced increased conflict and/or aggression from the public or clients.
• Managers are 60 per cent more likely than non-managers to have experienced conflict and/or aggression when dealing with the public or clients.
• Thirty-four per cent of individuals indicate their organization does not provide training, coaching or support to help deal with conflict and/or aggression, 44 per cent indicate their organization does provide this and 21 per cent are unsure.

Comments from president and chief executive officer, Stephen Liptrap

“We are seeing heightened levels of workplace stress as tensions rise in the wake of newly enforced hybrid operating models. Other outside contributing stressors, such as inflation, are also impacting people in their daily lives. It’s critical for employers to take note of how these feelings are materializing among employees. Although conflict may be a natural response to stress, it is detrimental to business and employee wellbeing. To mitigate risk and ensure employees feel safe and supported, providing ongoing training and tailored resources is key.”

Comments from global leader and senior vice president, research and total wellbeing, Paula Allen  

“While Canadians have been experiencing ongoing periods of change for more than two years, it is important to recognize that this can still be extremely difficult to navigate. After a long period of strain, people are more sensitive to stress. This in addition to the current work and economic environment makes for a volatile situation. Organizations can help by acknowledging employee stress, fostering communication, a sense of connection and belonging, providing conflict management training, and promoting individual counselling and support.”

The full Canadian LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ report can be found here. This month, the report includes additional insights on the impacts of inflation on Canadians, housing security, managers’ and employees’ perspective on working from home and safety at the workplace. To receive LifeWorks Mental Health Index™ every month, subscribe here.

About the Mental Health Index™

The monthly survey by LifeWorks was conducted through an online survey in English and French from May 2 to 18, 2022 with 3,000 respondents in Canada. All respondents reside in Canada and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflect this population. The Mental Health Index™ is published monthly, beginning April 2020, and compares against benchmark data collected in 2017, 2018, 2019. 

Beginning in May 2022, corresponding to the third year of the Mental Health Index™ by LifeWorks, scores are represented as absolute. To create the Mental Health Index™, a response scoring system is applied to turn individual responses into point values.  Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels.

About LifeWorks

LifeWorks is a world leader in providing digital and in-person solutions that support the total wellbeing of individuals. We deliver a personalized continuum of care that helps our clients improve the lives of their people and by doing so, improve their business.