'We're going to focus our attention on making sure that the HR professionals understand the critical role they play in supporting Canadians in getting healthier'
HR professionals facing a shrinking labour pool and rising mental health-related disability claims will be given data-driven guidance on retaining talent through better return-to-work planning at an upcoming HR Fest Canada panel.
Tammy Sergei, Chief HR and Privacy Officer at Edgewood Health Network (EHN), will speak on the panel titled "Well-Being ROI: Where Investments Actually Move the Numbers."
She said the panel's primary aim is to raise awareness of what she called the "dire state" of mental health and health care in Canada.
"We're going to focus our attention on making sure that the HR professionals understand the critical role they play in supporting Canadians in getting healthier," Sergei said.
Return-to-work timing
Sergei said the odds of an employee returning to work fall sharply without an early integration plan following a disability leave.
"If an individual goes off and we're not able to bring them back into the workforce on a partial, integrated, some sort of part-time basis or have an integration plan in place in the first six months, chances of them coming back reduces to only 62%," Sergei said.
She linked the issue to demographic pressure, citing large numbers of retiring baby boomers alongside slower population growth.
"The war [for talent] fatality becomes a real thing for businesses," Sergei said, adding that skilled talent, particularly in health care, "is simply not there" even amid slower economic conditions.
Supporting Data
Sergei cited a Randstad study reporting that 40% of Gen Z workers plan to leave their jobs within two years.
She also referenced findings, attributed to a Bizwire article, that 69% of employees say managers affect their mental health as much as a family member, and that 77% of organizations report lacking leadership depth to support employees.
Sergei pointed to a 2014 UKG workforce management study showing 45% of workers reported increased job demands, and to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) data showing a shift toward mental health-related disability claims since the pandemic.
Cost to employers
Sergei said standard supports such as Employee Assistance Programs are insufficient on their own: "It's not enough to get people back into the recovery, it's not enough to get people back to work."
She said absenteeism, presenteeism, replacement and training costs combined cost Canadian employers "millions and millions of dollars," and the broader economy billions.
Sergei said only 62 per cent of Canadians with disabilities currently participate in the labour market, underscoring the scale of the retention challenge facing employers.
Sergei has worked in HR for 25 years, with roles at organizations including Hummingbird (now OpenText), Telus Mobility, Grand & Toy and Staples before joining EHN, which she described as Canada's largest mental health and addiction service provider, nearly five years ago.
Sergei said she was drawn to health care after watching frontline workers continue reporting to work throughout the pandemic, prompting her move into mental health and addiction services.
HE Fest 2026 will be held on Nov. 10-11, 2026 at Rebel, Toronto. Register now!
