OTTAWA — It used to be that if someone was off sick for a short time, chances were good that he had put his back out, or that she had had an accident.

But according to its biennial Staying@Work survey, Towers Watson says these days 83 per cent of short-term disability claims are due to mental health issues, followed by musculoskeletal/back issues at 76 per cent and accidents at 37 per cent.

Mental health issues are also the drivers behind of 85 per cent of long-term disability claims, respondents said, followed by musculoskeletal/back issues at 76 per cent and cancer at 63 per cent.

"Most organizations report that employee stress is a major and growing business issue, and many are planning to adapt their organizational health strategies for the next two years to include a focus on mental health (61 per cent) as well as physical health," says Towers Watson, a global professional services company.

"Canadian respondents cited excessive workloads, lack of work/life balance, unclear or conflicting job expectations and inadequate staffing as the top sources of workplace stress."

The survey was completed by 335 human resources and/or health benefit managers in Canada and the U.S. in organizations with at least 1,000 employees. Respondents indicated that all of these stressors have intensified since the last survey two years ago.

Eighty-nine per cent of Canadian employers say excessive workload is a problem — up 25 per cent from 2009.

"Over the past few years we've seen employers asking employees to work longer hours, to do more with less, leaving less time for healthy activities like going to the gym, or eating properly," says Keri Alletson, senior consultant and a member of the research team. "At the same time, people are worrying about job security and their personal well-being. Together, these factors can add up and take a serious toll on both physical and mental health, as well as increase absence from work and presenteeism. In addition to the individual consequences, the business consequences — higher health-care costs, reduced work performance and lost productivity — can be significant."

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