Employee wellbeing hits new low as financial pressures weigh on Canadians: RBC Insurance poll
As financial pressures continue to affect Canadians’ physical and mental health, group benefits remain one of the strongest ways employers can support their employees – yet their full value often goes untapped by those who need them most
Toronto, ON (July 21, 2026) – Employee wellbeing in Canada has declined across every metric over the past year, according to poll results from RBC Insurance. The study shows that Canadians’ overall level of wellbeing rated as excellent or good has dropped by 9 percentage points to 56% in 2026 from 65% in 2025.
This downward trend is consistent across all dimensions of wellbeing:
- Mental health dropped 7 points: 52% (2026) vs. 59% (2025)
- Physical health dropped 6 points: 53% (2026) vs. 59% (2025)
- Financial health dropped 2 points: 42% (2026) vs. 44% (2025)
The largest declines are seen among workers aged 18–34 which saw its overall year-over-year wellbeing score drop by 18 points (from 67% to 49%) and mental health scores fall by 14 points (from 56% to 42%).
However, challenges aren’t limited to younger generations: workers aged 55–65 – traditionally the most satisfied cohort – are also experiencing declines. Overall wellbeing fell 8 points and mental health dropped 11 points.
Despite the decline in wellbeing, the data highlights the need for comprehensive group benefits as a clear solution. Employees with access to group benefits reported higher levels of overall wellbeing, mental health, physical health and financial health. They are also significantly more likely (64%) to believe their workplace culture supports their health and wellbeing compared to those without (46%).
“Canadians are navigating real pressures of a challenging few years and it’s showing up in how they feel day-to-day,” said Tony Bruin, Head, Group Benefits, RBC Insurance. “What’s encouraging is that employers who lean in and make benefits available and accessible are seeing real results. The opportunity right now isn’t just in offering coverage, it’s in making sure employees actually understand and know how to use them.”
What are the biggest obstacles to employee wellbeing?
The rising cost of living is the leading obstacle, with 51% of respondents citing it as the primary barrier to investing in their wellbeing. This challenge is felt even more by employees with disabilities, with 60% of those citing the rising cost of living as a major hurdle.
In terms of what Canadians most want to improve, physical fitness (57%), diet and nutrition (48%) and sleep quality (47%) are top priorities. Meanwhile, the factors that have the greatest effect on wellbeing include sleep quality (66%), physical fitness (55%) and financial security (54%).
The path towards a strong, well-supported workforce requires modernizing the traditional benefits model with tailored solutions for the unique needs of an employee population. For example, leading benefit programs are increasingly designed with the full spectrum of employees in mind, from women’s health support, desired by 74% of women surveyed, to ensuring coverage is accessible across all income levels and life stages and demonstrating tangible value for employees.
“Benefit programs are most successful when both sides are engaged – employers investing in the right coverage and making it easy to navigate, and employees recognizing the value of those benefits and choosing to use them,” said Bruin. “When employees understand the benefits they have access to and feel it has been designed with their real needs in mind, the data shows they feel better supported – and that matters for everyone.”
Learn more at rbcinsurance.com/group-benefits.
About the Poll
These are some of the findings from an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of RBC Insurance. For this poll, a sample of 1,001 working Canadians were surveyed online via the Ipsos I-Say panel between March 3-5, 2026. The precision of online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the results are accurate to within ± 3.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of working adults aged 18-65 in Canada been surveyed. Credibility intervals will be wider for smaller subsets of the population.
About RBC Insurance
RBC Insurance® offers a wide range of life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, group benefits, annuities and reinsurance advice and solutions, as well as creditor and business insurance services to individual, business and group clients. RBC Insurance is the brand name for the insurance operating entities of Royal Bank of Canada, Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization. RBC Insurance has over 2,700 employees who serve nearly 5 million clients globally. For more information, visit rbcinsurance.com.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 94,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. For more information, visit rbc.com.
Source: RBC Insurance
Tags: benefits, human resources, mental health care, RBC, social responsibility, survey