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Canadian employee well-being continues to decline as employers struggle to measure and improve outcomes
CNW Group
Mon, August 31, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. GMT+5:30
5 min read
New Leger report finds rising burnout, worsening mental, physical and financial health and limited visibility into the impact of employee benefits programs
MONTREAL, Aug. 31, 2026 /CNW/ — A new report from Leger, commissioned by Dialogue Health Technologies Inc. (“Dialogue”), Canada’s leading virtual healthcare and wellness platform, reveals that Canadian employees feel their overall well-being continues to decline, while employers say they don’t have the proper tools and insights to respond effectively
Dialogue’s annual State of Workplace Well-Being report, developed in partnership with Leger, shows that factors like mental and physical health, sleep and financial health have all declined compared to 2025. According to the report, 35% of Canadians say their mental health has worsened, up from 30% last year, while 30% say their physical health has declined, up from 21%. More than one-third (38%) report their sleep quality has worsened, compared with 26% in 2025, and 35% say their financial health has worsened, up from 29% last year.
The report, which surveyed 1,002 employees and 200 HR decision-makers across Canada, shows that this decrease in well-being is impacting how Canadians are showing up in the workplace. Only 21% of employees feel energized and motivated most days, while 1 in 2 are experiencing some level of burnout. This contributes to reduced productivity as 74% of employees report working at reduced capacity due to health or stress challenges in the past year
“Employees are facing pressures on multiple fronts, and it’s showing up in how they function at work. Nearly three-quarters told us they’ve worked at reduced capacity this year. The problem is that by the time a health issue becomes a missed workday or a disability claim, it’s often been building for months,” said Dr. Robin, Medical Director at Dialogue. “The real opportunity is to provide support earlier, when issues are easier to address, and outcomes can be improved. That requires care that is easy to access, clinically grounded, and continuous rather than one-time interactions that leave people to manage the next steps on their own.”
While employers understand that employee well-being is closely tied to productivity, engagement and retention, many struggle to ensure employees get the support they need and to measure the impact of the benefits they provide. The report identifies three key challenges:
Access friction:Among employees with workplace health benefits, 67% used them in the last year, but only 20% were very satisfied. Long wait times, cost, and navigation challenges drive employees to delay or avoid care, showing up instead as presenteeism and absenteeism
Portfolio mismatch: HR leaders rank engagement and retention as top priorities, yet the programs that address daily employee pressures, including financial stress, weight management, and caregiving, are the least commonly offered
Measurement gap: Only 31% of HR leaders receive regular, actionable insights from their providers, making it nearly impossible to prove Return On Investment (ROI) or build a business case for benefits
