A core Howatt HR value is to promote wellness. This Institute will operate as a non-profit. We make no profit from applied research initiatives.
The institute will price all research projects using a cost recovery approach for researchers’ time, except for Dr. Bill Howatt. If he is involved, it will be in-kind. However, for tax purposes we need to charge HST.
Our goal is to put all of our applied research projects through a university IRB.
CSA Group
Olga Morawczynski – PhD, Founder of Heal-3 and CSA Public Policy Fellow
Kathleen Dobson – PhD, Associate Scientist, Institute for Work & Health
William A. Howatt – Ph.D., Ed.D., RP, RTC, Founder of Howatt Human Resources Consulting
This report estimates the economic cost of poor mental health in Canada at $180 billion annually. This high cost is driven largely by reactive and downstream spending, meaning only after serious mental health challenges have escalated and spilled into systems never designed to manage them. These include housing supports, police services, correctional services, and emergency departments. Decades of policy choices, including chronic underinvestment in prevention, narrow interpretations of medically necessary care and persistent trans-institutionalization have shifted mental health costs to the most expensive and least effective parts of the public sector. This report estimates that if Canada continues on its current trajectory, the annual cost of poor mental health is expected to rise to $600 billion by 2050, driven by worsening prevalence, increasing pressure on public systems, and continued reliance on crisis-based responses.
This growing burden will further strain productivity and limit Canada’s potential for long-term economic growth. It will also deepen the impact on employers, who already absorb roughly $110 billion of the current $180 billion burden, and are the single largest payer for poor mental health in the country.
To reverse this trajectory, the report identifies two essential reforms:
1. Achieving mental health parity so that mental health receives funding, coverage and accountability equal to physical health
2. Reorienting the system toward prevention by shifting resources upstream to reduce incidence, and expanding meaningful mental health support into the places where people spend most of their time—schools, workplaces, primary care and community settings
Although these reforms will require substantive changes to the healthcare system and to how mental health
is managed, they represent the most necessary and effective path to containing the escalating financial burden and addressing the human suffering behind
the numbers.
SMU Halifax
Lee-Baggley D, Bakour H, Howatt B, Gilin D, Etezad E (2026) Development and validation of the belonging at work scale: Association with mistreatment and leaves. PLoS One 21(4): e0346786. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0346786
This research focused on understanding belonging at work and why it matters for employee wellbeing and organizational health. Using data from two large samples of Canadian employees, the study developed and validated a Belonging at Work Scale (BWS) a practical tool organizations can use to measure employees’ lived experience of inclusion, connection, and feeling valued at work. The findings showed clear and consistent patterns. Employees from marginalized and intersecting identity groups reported significantly lower levels of belonging. Lower belonging was also associated with greater exposure to harmful workplace behaviours, increased strain on mental health, and a higher likelihood of taking leaves of absence. In contrast, higher levels of belonging appeared to function as a protective factor, reducing risk and supporting psychological health and safety at work. Importantly, this research moves beyond awareness and intent. It provides organizations with an evidence‑based, measurable way to assess belonging, identify risk, and track improvement over time—bridging the gap between employee experience, inclusion efforts, and health outcomes.
One Key Finding for every 1-point improvement reduce risk for harm by 30%
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0346786
CSA Group
Lee-Baggley, D. and Howatt, B. (2023). Employees’ perceived psychological health and safety experience during COVID-19 through an inclusion lens. Canadian Standards Association, Toronto, ON. This study was approved through Saint Mary’s University Research Ethics Board (SMU REB #21-053) and met academic and ethical standards.
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of supporting employees’ psychological well-being. In a recent research study, we examined employers’ responses to the pandemic and actions taken to support employees’ mental health. The current study builds upon the previous research report that evaluated the employer perspective by evaluating the employees’ perspectives. We examined employees’ experiences in the workplace using a diversity and inclusion lens. This employee-focused research offers insights into what employees believe their employers are doing well and what can be improved in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. By examining employer perspectives alongside employee experiences, we identified discrepancies and generated actionable recommendations for employers to improve psychological health and safety in the workplace. CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/ BNQ 9700-803/2013 (R2022) highlights the importance of continuously engaging employees to obtain their insights and feedback on the effectiveness of programs and policies intended to protect and support their mental health. Thus, understanding the employee experience is critical to facilitating a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.
WSPS Ontario
Johnston Group (Administrators of the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan)
This study was approved through Saint Mary’s University Research Ethics Board (SMU REB File #20-003) and met academic and ethical standards.
In March 2020, the WSPS CEO was concerned about the path the COVID-19 pandemic was taking. With the rapid onset of lockdowns and remote work becoming the new normal, there was no end in sight for how long the pandemic could disrupt society. The pandemic had a clear impact on risk of isolation and loneliness for employees. WSPS had over 4 million workers and 170,000 organizations impacted by COVID and not enough technology to scale and support workers’ mental health. Awareness of this prevalent risk and concern about how to address it, resulted in a rapid study to create a digital mental health app to mitigate workers’ risk of isolation and loneliness. With a limited budget and time, WSPS consultants and Territorial, working with Dr. Bill Howatt, took an idea to build a mental health version 1.0 product: the Hugr Authentic Connections app. The purpose of this study was to pilot this app with WSPS customers in a scientific research study led by Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley approved by Saint Mary’s University research ethics board.
The Hugr Authentic Connections app is an innovative, low-cost, sustainable option for addressing workers’ concerns about loneliness and social isolation and providing guidance on creating authentic relationships. The Hugr Authentic Connections app addresses the critically important topics of loneliness and social isolation that were a challenge before the COVID-19 pandemic and will likely continue during and beyond the pandemic. Loneliness, social isolation, and authentic relationships became even more critical during the pandemic with a high potential to significantly influence employees’ mental health. Furthermore, many potential risks of isolation, such as hybrid and remote work, may continue to be aspects of the workforce long past the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Hugr AC app to be an integrative, innovative, scalable solution to support workplace mental health.
https://www.wsps.ca/resource-hub/corporate/examining-the-impact-of-the-hugr-authentic-connections
Canadian Psychological Association & Mental Health Commission of Canada
Mental health problems are common and costly in the Canadian population, and these needs have only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet a lack of mental health resources means that many workers’ mental health needs go unmet. Research and policy have focused more on the public system to promote timely and equitable access to mental health resources. However, two thirds of Canadian adults have access to extended health plan benefits via their employer with varying degrees of mental health care coverage. Yet little is known about how Canadians make use of extended health plan benefits to meet mental health needs. Furthermore, little is known about the breadth of extended health plan coverage that employers provide to their employees. Given the overall unmet needs for mental health services across the public and private sectors, extended health plan benefits are an important resource for Canadians. This survey sought to better understand the role of extended health plan benefits from both an employer and employee perspective.
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
This study was approved through Saint Mary’s University Research Ethics Board (SMU REB #21-053) and met academic and ethical standards.
With the onset of COVID-19 and its impact on the workplace and mental health, employee psychological health and safety became a topic of concern for leaders across all sectors and types of employers. Psychological health and safety in the workplace requires employers to intentionally take action to mitigate employee risk for mental harm and to promote and support employee mental health. CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013 (R2018), Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation (CAN/CSA-Z1003) was created to guide employers in designing and implementing policies, programs, and management systems to facilitate psychologically safe and healthy workplaces.
The purpose of this research project was to better understand the factors and hazards associated with psychological health and safety in the workplace as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify leading practices, innovative approaches, and lessons learned during the pandemic. This information may help employers better respond to employee needs as the pandemic progresses as well as to other potential future events that dramatically impact the workplace.
Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
This study was approved through Saint Mary’s University Research Ethics Board (SMU REB #21-053) and met academic and ethical standards.
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of supporting employees’ psychological well-being. In a recent research study, we examined employers’ responses to the pandemic and actions taken to support employees’ mental health. The current study builds upon the previous research report that evaluated the employer perspective by evaluating the employees’ perspectives. We examined employees’ experiences in the workplace using a diversity and inclusion lens. This employee-focused research offers insights into what employees believe their employers are doing well and what can be improved in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. By examining employer perspectives alongside employee experiences, we identified discrepancies and generated actionable recommendations for employers to improve psychological health and safety in the workplace. CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/ BNQ 9700-803/2013 (R2022) highlights the importance of continuously engaging employees to obtain their insights and feedback on the effectiveness of programs and policies intended to protect and support their mental health. Thus, understanding the employee experience is critical to facilitating a psychologically healthy and safe workplace.
The Howatt HR Mental Fitness Index (MFI) was used to support Workplace Safety & Prevention Services and The Conference Board of Canada’s development of the Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap. Note: The MFI has been updated with a new and improved tool now called Workplace Psychological & Safety Assessment (WPSA)
Moving to Action: Implementing the Workplace Safety & Prevention Services’ Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services and The Conference Board of Canada
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), in partnership with The Conference Board of Canada developed a Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap. The Roadmap is aligned to the three tenets of the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace: to prevent mental harm, to promote mental health, and to resolve incidences or conflicts in the workplace. This primer is the first of three publications on the Roadmap’s journey.
The Howatt HR Mental Fitness Index (MFI) was used to support Workplace Safety & Prevention Services and The Conference Board of Canada’s development of the Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap.
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services Mental Harm Prevention Roadmap: Research Findings, A search for evidence on the applied benefits of the Roadmap for psychological health and safety facilitators
Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
This study was approved through Saint Mary’s University Research Ethics Board (SMU REB # 21-091) and met academic and ethical standards.
The primary goal for year two’s search for evidence was moving the Roadmap from informed evidence to evidence-based. The research design for year two focused on psychological health and safety facilitators (i.e., person/persons accountable for workplace mental health). To be useful, the Roadmap must provide these individuals with knowledge and skills to positively impact workplace mental health. This study explored how exposing psychological health and safety facilitators to the Roadmap improved their self-efficacy (i.e., confidence) for reducing mental harm and promoting mental health within their organizations’ budgets and capacity.
Building Knowledge & Skills to Positively Impact Workplace Mental Health
Conduct a full statistical validation of the MFI scales annually. The result will be published and posted on this website each year and a white paper will be filed every August.
Note: The MFI has been successfully used in a study conducted with The Conference Board of Canada in partnership with WSPS Ontario
Morneau Shepell & Mental Health Commission of Canada
This study reports on the average professional Canadian employee with a mental health problem or mental illness in the workplace experiences. It also explores the actions employers can take to better support employees in the workplace who are experiencing a mental health problem or illness, as well as what employers can do to prevent mental injuries at work.
The Globe & Mail and Workplace Safety & Prevention Services
This study was conducted in partnership with the Globe and Mail and WSPS to explore the relationship between perceived isolation and loneliness with respect to workers’ self-reported resiliency. Resiliency was found as a protective factor for mitigating a worker’s risk for both perceived isolation and loneliness within the workplace context.
Below are the organizations we have partnered with to conduct applied research
For more information on our research projects or if you would like us to look at a research project, please drop us an email at research@howatthr.com.
© 2026 HowattHR. Website designed by HHDesign
