New research revealed that Canadians are planning to leverage their employee benefits to take back control of their physical and mental health in 2022. According to the second annual Canadian Attitudes on Health and Virtual Care Report, 82% of Canadians are committing to taking better care of themselves, and 39% plan on using their employee benefits to help them translate their new-found health and wellness consciousness into action.

56% of Canadians are more conscious, now than before, of their health as a result of the pandemic. 25% of Canadians indicated that the pandemic has worsened their overall health, while almost half (45%) said that mental health concerns like stress and anxiety have worsened as a result of the pandemic.

As Canadians look to make stronger commitments to their health and wellness, 50% said that the pandemic has made it more difficult to access quality healthcare. As COVID-19 creates additional strain on public healthcare systems, 25% of Canadians claimed that it typically takes four to seven days to see a healthcare professional for a minor health concern, while 23% said it can take more than a week. For Canadians concerned about their mental health, 52% believed that they should be able to get same-day support for the care they need. The reality is that 39% accessing mental health support had to wait eight days or more before getting the necessary support.

Employee benefits were identified as a key driver for Canadians working to get back on track with their physical and mental health goals. However, many are still unclear about what benefits they have, how to access them or whether they adequately meet their healthcare needs. According to the study, 26% do not know how to access their employee benefits. 24% of Canadians with benefit plans indicated that the mental health support available in their benefit plan is not sufficient, while 17% indicated that they aren’t even aware of what mental health resources are available in their employee benefits plan.