CANADIANS FINDING THAT COVID AFFECTS THEIR PRODUCTIVITY

Seven months into the pandemic and working Canadians are showing the strain, not only in our state of mind, but on the job. After a brief upturn during the summer, the mental health of working Canadians has now sunk to near the lowest point seen at the onset of the pandemic in April, finds the Morneau Shepell's Mental Health Index for October. This level of mental health shows the working population is now as distressed as the most distressed 1 per cent of working Canadians before the pandemic. Nearly half said they need mental health support, while almost a quarter said they were less productive. At the same time, 41 per cent are putting in more effort at work than before the pandemic. The extra effort needed to maintain productivity is a key sign of potential burnout.