Canadian workers continue to struggle with their health and well-being three years after the pandemic unleashed havoc on society. Manulife’s 2022 Wellness Report revealed new insights that reflect a significant drop in productivity throughout the workforce.

The report assessed employers’ existing workplace wellness measures and surveyed 4,921 employees across 47 organizations. Thirty per cent are from manufacturing or professional, scientific and technical services industries.

Workers ages18 to 24 years old, showed poorer results in mental, physical, and financial health indicators combined with higher productivity loss compared to older age groups. The report also revealed the average number of days lost to absences and presenteeism has increased by seven days compared to data from 2021.

While some productivity loss due to absences and presenteeism is expected, it is concerning to see these numbers have increased year-over-year, for the past three years,” says Ashesh Desai, head of group benefits for Manulife Canada. “In response to this trend, I encourage leaders and organizations to focus on the needs of their employees and design innovative, health-focused plans to support stronger, healthier cultures and high performance.”

Based on the data, poor sleep quality and poor physical health are associated with poor mental health at work, with work-related stress being the top contributor to poor sleep.

Another key finding is that work-related stress is the top contributor to poor sleep, which is associated with decreased physical and mental health.

Dr. Steve Pomedli, medical director for Manulife, Cleveland Clinic Canada, reviewed The Wellness Report and analyzed its key findings and found the trends in the report offer insights into supporting employee health and well-being.

Employees of the top scoring participating organizations were more aware of the programs available through their employer to support their physical and mental health. This has resulted in higher productivity, and nine fewer days lost to absences and presenteeism in these organizations.

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