Workers fear for the climate, but few see their employer act, a Beneva study finds
Employees are worried about climate change long before that worry dents their work, and Beneva is pointing employers to the gap in between as a chance to act early.
That gap sits at the centre of a new guide Beneva has published for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), built on what it calls the first large-scale study of eco-anxiety in Canadian SMEs.
The condition has now been added to the list of mental health risk factors in the workplace.
On a 100-point index, environmental concern scored 59.3 while consequences on performance reached 28.7.
Beneva said the spread shows concern tends to precede any hit to mental health and performance, leaving employers a window for preventive action.
Some 69 percent of employees said the anxiety first surfaces as concern and emotion, and the effects stayed moderate in 20 percent of workers.
Left unaddressed, the guide said, eco-anxiety can compound existing stressors and raise the risk of anxiety, fatigue, depression and burnout, while eroding engagement and trust in management.
The stakes are not small: 55 percent of employees in Quebec SMEs reported at least one mental health issue in 2023, and 22 percent of them faced clinical-level burnout, according to research cited in the guide.
The study also exposed a perception gap.
Only 17.7 out of 100 employees felt their employer had an environmental culture, even as many reported taking action themselves, scoring 77.3 out of 100 for sorting waste and recycling.
Beneva said closing that gap can support talent attraction and retention and strengthen the employer brand, since employees who feel their values align with their employer's tend to be more engaged.
Eco-anxiety lands differently across a workforce, the study found.
Workers aged 18 to 34 reported higher levels than older colleagues and are the most sensitive to whether an employer's actions match its words.
Women reported more intense concern, while men more often showed physical effects such as poor sleep and irritability.
Managers reported a sharper impact on performance, including exhaustion and mental fatigue.
To get ahead of it, the guide urged employers to treat performance effects as an early warning sign, schedule regular check-ins, channel concern into concrete initiatives and tailor support across age groups and roles.
Christelle Lim-Severe, sustainability practice leader at Beneva, said eco-anxiety signals commitment and awareness among employees and managers rather than being only a risk.
A high level of hope offsets helplessness and "acts as a protective shield," she said.
The Research Chair in Mental Health, Self-Management and Work, powered by Beneva, conducted the study.
