The final report from StressAssess revealed an impressive 69% participation rate, significantly higher than the 30-40% seen in other unions. This strong engagement speaks to how deeply our Members care about their workplace well-being.

We sincerely appreciate your time and honesty in sharing your experiences. It’s clear that while some Members are doing well in certain areas, many are facing serious challenges.

The data highlighted key factors that significantly influenced whether someone experienced a positive or negative psychosocial climate at work:

• Feeling recognized and treated fairly
• A manageable workload
• Emotional demands that are not overwhelming

Factors contributing to a positive workplace climate:

• Finding meaning in one’s work
• Trust between management and workers

Factors contributing to stress, anxiety, and burnout:

• Job insecurity, especially for those feeling pressured to return to the office
• Role conflicts, such as being asked to work in ways that contradict best practices

When compared to the Canadian average, 49% of our Members reported they were more likely unable to fully complete their work tasks or fall behind in their work. Also, 31.4% of our Members report moderate to severe feelings of general anxiety (national average 15%) and 24.5% report moderate to severe feelings of depression (national average 17%).

Beyond the numbers, your personal statements reinforced these findings. Many Members emphasized that remote work has been crucial in maintaining their mental health, reducing stress, and achieving a better work-life balance. The employer’s return-to-office mandate has created significant distress, leaving many feeling betrayed – especially those who were hired with the promise of remote work. Please know that we are actively pursuing grievance and arbitration processes to advocate for your rights.

We also recognize the toll of constant work pressure. Members have expressed feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, and dissatisfied due to excessive workloads. Many believe that management must take meaningful action, such as hiring more staff and ensuring a fairer distribution of work.

Additionally, many Members stated that management does not adequately acknowledge or address concerns related to mental health, workload, and psychological safety. We have heard your concerns about vicarious trauma and the emotional weight of dealing with difficult clients.

These findings in your Union’s StressAssess survey align with the 2024 Employee Workplace Culture results, which revealed that the employer did not follow through on their two key commitments:

1. Identify and address causes of unnecessary stress that impact employees’ psychological health and safety – including conducting additional research in early 2024 to address what factors may be contributing to unnecessary stress.

Reality: Unnecessary stress was not improved through 2024, despite previous promises.

• Determine what issues that employees want increased input and find ways to better communicate their feedback to the senior leadership team.

Reality: Employees feel less heard and less valued.

Instead of progress, the employer’s results showed concerning declines:

• 13% drop in confidence that WorkSafeBC is committed to minimizing unnecessary stress
• 11% drop in employees describing their workplace as psychologically healthy
• 10% or more drop in all senior leadership ratings

We recognize how discouraging this may feel, and we want to assure you that your concerns are being heard. We remain committed to advocating for real change and will continue to push for a healthier, more supportive work environment.

We had scheduled a March 25, 2025 CEU/WCB meeting with Anne Nasser to bring these important concerns forward. However, she had a scheduling conflict and was unable to attend the meeting. Despite this, we proceeded with the meeting and spoke with Wendy Strugnell (Head of People and Culture), Brad Gehring (Director of Labour Relations), and Kevin Hong (Director of Employee Health, Safety & Wellness). During our discussion, we conveyed the results and our concerns. The employer acknowledged that our survey results closely align with their own internal findings.

We shared your frustrations, and emphasized the negative impact of the following:

• The employer’s mandate requiring a return to in-office work;
• The overwhelming workload and expectations – with the clear need for additional staffing as a solution; and
• The disconnect between the employer and employees – driven by constant changes and a lack of transparency in communication.

Above all, we stressed the importance of psychological supports, including a genuine commitment from the employer to the prevention of workplace stress and trauma.

Your voices matter. Your well-being matters. We remain committed to fighting for both.

Michael Hess,

CEU Co-Chair on Joint Mental Health Committee

Laura Snow,

CEU President

Kristy Child,

Chief Labour Relations Officer

On Behalf of your CEU Executive Board