Employee Wellbeing: What Buyers Want to See in Your Next Proposal 

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month in Canada, and a good moment to look at how employers are thinking about wellbeing. The picture from the past few months is clear. Just 56 per cent of Canadian employees now rate their overall wellbeing as excellent or good, down from 65 per cent in 2025, with mental health falling from 59 to 52 per cent. Only 49 per cent of workers feel comfortable telling their manager about a mental health issue. 

For EFAP, disability management, occupational health and medical assessment providers, buyers are asking a sharper question: will your program reach the people who need it? Here are five ways to answer that in your next RFP. 

1. Make confidential access easy to see. When workers explain what stops them from seeking help for substance use, they point to stigma (27 per cent), cost (23 per cent), confidentiality concerns (22 per cent) and fear of having to tell someone at work (21 per cent). Show evaluators every route an employee can use without going through their manager, and explain your confidentiality safeguards in plain language.
2. Connect financial wellbeing to mental health. For 63 per cent of Canadian workers, cost of living is their top financial stressor, and one in five say money worries have hurt their productivity. If your program includes financial counselling, give it a visible place in your response and link it to the outcomes the buyer cares about.
3. Show how you reach younger employees. Among workers aged 18 to 34, only 49 per cent report good or excellent wellbeing, down from 67 per cent a year earlier. Explain how your engagement and communication plan reaches early-career staff specifically.
4. Put your people forward. Industry leaders point to high demand for disability management professionals across Ontario and Canada, driven by an aging workforce and rising mental health claims. Name your team’s credentials, explain how cases are assigned, and show the buyer who will manage their employees’ return to work.
5. Address cross-border delivery. Among employers with globally mobile employees, 59 per cent offer an employee assistance program. If you serve multinational clients, show how your services work across countries, languages and time zones.

Have a wellbeing RFP on the horizon? 

The RFP House manages more than 40 health and wellbeing proposals a year, from bid discovery through to finalist presentations. Let’s help you reach the shortlist: www.therfphouse.com/rfp-services 

Sources 

• Just 56% of Canadian employees reporting high level of well-being: survey (Benefits Canada, July 2026) 

• TELUS Mental Health Index: Cost-of-living is the number one financial stress for 63 per cent of workers in Canada (TELUS Health, September 2026) 

• TELUS Mental Health Index release (Newswire, September 2026) 

• Employers with globally-mobile employees increasing focus on well-being: survey (Benefits Canada, September 2026) 

• York University launches new Certificate in Disability Case Management (Newswire, August 2026) 

• National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2026 (CCRW)