What our surveys say

What our survey says

For the sixth consecutive year, Desjardins Financial Security has surveyed Canadians to find out their opinions on their physical and mental health. This year, we're interested in knowing how employees and employers are managing in this recession.

Here are some preliminary results from the Health is Cool! 2009 Survey, from the employee point of view: 
 

• 1062 Total respondents
  
  
• Since the start of the recession:
  
   
  • 47% have experienced increased stress
    
  • 83 % are paying more attention to their spending
    
  • 28% have experienced a reduction in their employment income
    
    
    
• Top three stressors: Money 31%, Work 25%, Family Responsibilities 10%
  
  
• 43% of respondents worry about loosing their jobs 
  
  
• 47% think the recession will last one or more years. 18% don't know how long the recession will last.
  
  

Be sure to come back regularly as we continue to bring you more interesting results from both the employee and employer surveys.

Brochures 2008

For families
For business people
For plan sponsors and employee benefits consultants

For families

Back-to-school stress

As kids return to school this September, parents' stress increases due to over-loaded family calendars. More than three-quarters of Canadians surveyed (78%) agree that parents have to do everything possible so that children can be “the best” among children. Yet, in a seeming contradiction, 71% also agree that today’s parents do “too much” for their children.

Other highlights include: 
 

• 88% of respondents say parents with full-time jobs have difficulty finding time just to relax.
• 56% of respondents say they spend less and less spare time with friends.
• 39% of respondents say they spend less and less spare time with family members.
   

Health is Cool! - Volume 3 (Back-to-school stress    8 pages - 1,286 kb

For business people

Many business owners and self-employed workers report that their overall stress level has increased or stayed the same in the last year. This brochure will certainly interest you!

Health is Cool! - Volume 3 (For business people)    8 pages - 728 kb

For plan sponsors and employee benefits consultants

Plan sponsors and employee benefits consultants, this brochure is for you! Take advantage of the information in it to create productive and healthy workplaces free of unnecessary stress.

Health is Cool! - Volume 3 (For plan sponsors and employee benefits consultants)    8 pages – 700 kb

Highlights

Did you know that among the business owners who participated in our survey: 
 

• 31% said that their stress has increased since last year;
• 78% have gone to work sick or exhausted, 7.14 times on average in the last year; The reasons most often mentioned for doing this included meeting deadlines and out of a sense of personal duty;
• Those experiencing increased stress felt that they would likely experience depression (42%), anxiety (37%) or a burn out (65%) sometime in the future;
• Business owners did respond positively to the idea of working fewer hours for less pay (65%) and taking on less responsibility (72%) as a means to manage their stress. 
   

See the attached document for other statistics from our surveys!

Highlights of the Health is Cool! 2008 Survey – part one
   14 pages – 48 kb

Results of our past surveys

Health is Cool! 2007 Survey (Volume 2)

In this fourth edition of Desjardins Financial Security’s national health survey (volume 2 of the Health is Cool! series), Canadians had a lot to say about their perceptions about:
 

• Workaholics
• How mental health issues are handled in the workplace vs. physical ailments
• Money issues at home and what would be their main problem if they won the lottery!
• How they perceive their employers, particularly their interest in promoting work/life balance
   

Download our brochure!

Health is Cool! 2006 Survey (Volume 1)

By reading the first volume of the Health is Cool! survey, you can:
 

• explore the realities of Canadians' perceptions toward mental health issues and the impact of 24/7 technology;
• learn about mental health issues in the workplace, and get ideas on managing stress and achieving a healthy work/life balance.
   

Download our brochure!