Here’s a number that should keep every leader awake at night: 72% of employees say they’re completely in the dark about their organization’s wellbeing efforts.
At the same time, 50% of employers believe they have a clear wellbeing strategy.
This isn’t just a communication issue, it’s a perception gap that’s quietly eroding your bottom line through missed retention opportunities, declining engagement and wasted wellbeing investments.
The state of workplace wellbeing
We surveyed 2,000 employees across Canada to understand what’s really happening behind the scenes. What we found challenges everything most organizations think they know about employee wellbeing.
The insight that changes everything: While wellness initiatives matter, workplace culture magnifies the investment, leading to increased engagement, trust, retention and performance.
For leaders ready to align organizational and employee perceptions, our latest Workplace Wellbeing Report: Insights on Workplace Health from the Employee Perspective, provides the roadmap. Here’s what your people are really telling you.
The numbers prove that culture and strategy amplify each other
When we compared organizations with and without clear wellbeing strategies, the results were staggering. But here’s what’s really happening: Workplace wellbeing investments become exponentially more effective when they’re embedded into what matters most to employees—versus what employers view as a priority. In turn, those wellness investments help build organizational performance and individual productivity.
When strategy meets culture…
- Leadership trust: Jumps from 67% to 89% when people understand their employers’ wellbeing strategy and see it in practice
- Collaboration: Rises from 21% to 68% when wellbeing becomes part of how teams work together
- Mental wellbeing support: Increases from 13% to 62% when the strategy is clear and culturally reinforced
- Change readiness: 94% of employees feel equipped to handle change when wellbeing is woven into daily culture
But here’s the kicker: 81% of employees would recommend their employer when their wellbeing feels genuinely valued and supported through both formal initiatives and everyday interactions.
“When my organization is invested in me as a person, in addition to as an employee by supporting my needs and wellbeing, I will be set up to perform well and with passion at work.”
Survey participant
Workplace wellbeing isn’t a checkbox, it’s a culture shift
One participant captured the perception gap perfectly: “There’s more talk about wellbeing now than before, and some solid steps have been taken. But there’s still room to grow—especially in making sure leadership supports what’s being said.”
The reality check: Employees view health and dental benefits as table stakes. Here’s what drives retention and satisfaction in the modern workplace:
- Meaningful work with purpose
- Real, trusting connections with team members and leaders
- A feeling of safety and support
- A positive daily work experience that doesn’t bleed into personal time
Five moves to turn culture into your strongest wellbeing lever
Based on our findings, here are some actionable tactics that create the biggest cultural impact:
1. Listen first, act second: Establish regular feedback loops and close them with timely updates. Show employees that their voices create real change.
2. Make leadership accountability visible: Hold leaders responsible based on employee perceptions of support, not just productivity metrics.
3. Integrate wellbeing into everything: Weave employee wellbeing into performance reviews, team rituals and day-to-day decision-making.
4. Measure what matters: Track wellbeing metrics alongside business outcomes in dashboards reviewed by leadership.
5. Co-create solutions: Involve your team in designing programs so they trust, use and benefit from them.
The hidden cost of getting a wellbeing strategy wrong
Too often, organizations address wellbeing symptoms rather than root causes. Is your leadership team promoting work-life balance while sending emails late at night? Even with the best intentions, misaligned wellbeing efforts can lead to:
- Eroded trust in leadership and organizational culture
- Missed retention opportunities when employees feel unsupported
- Poor return on wellbeing investments that don’t address real needs
- Decreased change readiness when the workplace culture doesn’t support resilience
“Those who want to climb the corporate ladder seem to forget the people on the ground floor. They worry about sales and hitting goals rather than the health of the workers.”
Survey participant
Why employee wellbeing matters right now
Organizations with cohesive wellbeing strategies don’t just have happier employees. They have more engaged team members. They lead with vision and strength because they have more resilient, adaptable and high-performing teams. That type of resilience isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s essential for success.
Get the complete playbook
The full workplace wellbeing report includes:
- Complete data analysis with regional and industry breakdowns
- Union vs non-union environment analysis showing key differences in wellbeing priorities
- Real examples showing how companies improved trust from 67% to 89%
- Implementation takeaways for governance, communications and impact
- Six strategic action frameworks with specific steps you can implement this quarter
- Measurement guidance for tracking wellbeing metrics alongside business outcomes
“Wellbeing is good for me—and the healthier I am, the better able I am to do good for the organization.”
Survey participant
Your competitive advantage is waiting
Organizations that close the gap between what they perceive as important and what is truly impactful to employees see team members become brand advocates, with increased resilience and trust in leadership.
The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in employee wellbeing. It’s whether you can afford not to.
Download the full report now and learn how to prioritize your workforce’s resilience to become your strongest competitive advantage.
