Unlocking Mental Health Support for Men in the Workplace

A Guide to Evaluating and Improving Workplace Mental Health

Too often, Canadian men dismiss stress, sleepless nights, or weeks of low mood as “just a rough patch.” But late-night scrolling and restless mornings can quietly turn into burnout, strained relationships, and challenges at work.

These aren’t just personal struggles. They’re early signs of mental health concerns that affect men, their families, their teams, and ultimately their workplaces.

Why Men’s Mental Health Matters at Work

With half of all Canadians experiencing a mental illness by age 40 and with those illnesses preventing 500,000 Canadians from attending work each week, mental health is a workforce issue, not just an individual one.

Yet men remain 30% less likely than women to use health services for mental illness. Their challenges are often left unaddressed until they escalate, contributing to disability claims, absenteeism, and burnout. This costs the Canadian economy an estimated $51 billion annually.

For organizations, this gap represents both a business risk and an opportunity to act early.

Common Barriers for Men Seeking Care

Even when mental health support is technically available, the way it’s delivered often prevents men from engaging:

• Complex access: long intake forms, referral requirements, or limited office-hour appointments.
• Stigma and uncertainty: not knowing if what they’re experiencing “is serious enough” to warrant professional help.
• Mismatch of needs: a one-size-fits-all solution that doesn’t account for different levels of severity or personal preference.

When care feels complicated or doesn’t fit real life, it’s easier to delay. For many men, delay turns into disengagement.

What a Great Mental Health Solution Looks Like

Employers don’t just need a program; they need a framework to evaluate and benchmark solutions. A strong approach to mental health support, especially for men, should be built around three pillars:

1. Breadth of Care: Flexible Options for Every Employee

• Why it matters: Not every individual experiences the same challenges. Some need tools to manage everyday stress; others require specialized clinical interventions.
• What to look for:
  • A range of support modalities: therapy, coaching, self-guided tools, medication management and mindfulness.
  • Coverage across populations: adults, children, neurodiverse individuals, and marginalized groups.
  • The ability to match resources to the individual’s starting point.

2. Depth of Support: From Light Touch to Robust Care

• Why it matters: A well-functioning program should scale with an individual’s needs, instead of forcing them into a single level of care.
• What to look for:
  • Tiered levels of support: self-care and mindfulness at the low end, structured coaching and therapy in the middle, mental health GPs and trauma care at the high end.
  • Clear, evidence-based pathways that adapt as needs evolve.
  • Built-in assessments that help identify the right level of support.

3. Frequency of Support: Episodic and Ongoing

• Why it matters: Traditional care often leaves gaps between appointments. Continuous support can help prevent relapse and promote long-term resilience.
• What to look for:
  • Multiple frequencies of care: one-off visits when needed, but also ongoing access to digital tools.
  • Always-on support models that allow employees to access help early, before a crisis.
  • Mechanisms for continuous engagement – such as daily tracking or digital therapeutics.

How to Benchmark Current Approaches

When reviewing existing mental health offerings, consider:

• Accessibility: Can employees start using it without friction?
• Choice: Does it offer a spectrum of options to meet diverse needs?
• Scalability: Can support deepen or increase in frequency as challenges evolve?
• Proactivity: Does it encourage early intervention, or only react when issues are severe?
• Cultural Fit: Does it resonate with men who may be hesitant to seek care?

The Employer Opportunity

By focusing on breadth, depth, and frequency of care, workplaces can design programs that actually meet men where they are without overwhelming them, stigmatizing them, or forcing them into rigid pathways.

The result: healthier employees, reduced absenteeism, stronger retention, and a culture where men feel safe to seek support before issues escalate.