The Ontario-based Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) recently increased its mental health coverage in 2023 from $3,000 to $5,000 while expanding its practitioners to include psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and psychoanalysts. In January, mental health coverage became unlimited for its employees and their dependents.
WSIB also recently increased mental health coverage in its organization by making it unlimited for its employees and their dependents.
These efforts highlight a growing need among Canada’s population of about 39 million for more healthcare for mental well-being. WSIB seems to be leading the way in this regard, at least in Canada, by offering such coverage to roughly one-eighth of the nation’s citizens who have coverage with the group.
WSIB provides wage-loss benefits, medical coverage, and support to workers injured on the job. It also provides no-fault collective liability insurance and health and safety information access. WSIB serves over five million workers in more than 300,000 workplaces in Ontario.
Its leaders say that employee well-being is crucial at WSIB.
“When we look at the claims we’re dealing with every day in Ontario, mental-health-related claims are growing faster than any other type of claim,” said Anna Filice, WSIB chief people officer. “The effects tend to linger and the costs to employees’ lives once they enter into the [health-care] system are great.”
A report by the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association said that Canadian insurers processed about $600 million in mental health claims in 2021, up 75% from 2019.
Filice said the expanded coverage in WSIB reflects its vision.
“Our employer value proposition is based around taking care of the whole person. The decision to make mental health coverage unlimited aligns with our shared values and our broader wellness strategy. We thought this was a meaningful way to demonstrate our commitment to our employees,” Filice said. “We didn’t want to put a ceiling on these types of benefits because we didn’t want anyone running into barriers accessing services they need for their recovery.”
According to a 2023 survey by TELUS Health, 32% of Canadian employees say cost is the biggest obstacle in getting mental health support.
The TELUS Mental Health Index recently (October 2023) stated that workers who have work conflicts lose an average of 55 work days annually. TELUS found that among Canadian workers, 26% say better support by their employer for their well-being is more important than a pay raise.
“The negative impacts of stress… have a ripple effect throughout an organization, impacting every level,” said Juggy Sihota, Chief Growth Officer for TELUS Health. “The well-being of workers and the success of the business are inherently connected. By prioritizing investments in tools, processes and comprehensive benefits plans that foster a psychologically safe and supportive work environment, employers can cultivate a highly engaged and productive workforce that drives business outcomes.”
Many traditional benefits plans only cover psychology or social work and reimburse as little as $300 to $500 in such expenses annually.
According to Mercer Canada’s 2022 People Risk Survey, a third of disability claims under Canadian employer-sponsored benefits plans in 2022 were due to mental health reasons. About 55% of employers expect health and safety risks to impact their businesses in the next three years. Workforce exhaustion exacerbates mental health issues among workers.
