In what marks a troubling shift in Canada’s public service landscape, federal employees are reporting unprecedented levels of workplace stress and emotional exhaustion, according to a comprehensive survey released Tuesday by the Treasury Board Secretariat. The findings paint a concerning picture of declining mental wellness across government departments as we approach mid-2025.
“I’ve never seen morale this low in my 22 years of service,” confides Marianne Desmarais, a senior policy analyst at Transport Canada. “The combination of increased workloads, budget constraints, and the lingering effects of pandemic-era workplace transformations has created the perfect storm for burnout.”
The annual workplace survey, which gathered responses from over 82,000 federal employees between January and March 2025, reveals that 68% of respondents report feeling “emotionally drained” after work—a sharp 14-percentage-point increase from 2023 figures. More concerning still, 57% describe their stress levels as “high” or “very high,” compared to 41% in the previous assessment.
Treasury Board President Anita Anand acknowledged the troubling findings during a press conference in Ottawa. “These results demand our immediate attention. The mental health of our public servants directly impacts the quality of services Canadians receive, and we are taking these indicators very seriously,” she stated.
The survey identifies several key factors contributing to the deteriorating workplace environment. Budget restrictions implemented under the government’s fiscal restraint program have led to staffing freezes across multiple departments, with 73% of respondents indicating they’re managing increased responsibilities without corresponding support. Additionally, the survey reveals growing dissatisfaction with hybrid work arrangements, with many employees reporting feelings of disconnection from colleagues and inadequate home office accommodations.
Dr. Elise Fortier, workplace psychologist and advisor to the Public Service Alliance of Canada, points to systemic issues underlying the statistics. “What we’re witnessing isn’t simply a matter of individual coping mechanisms failing, but rather organizational structures buckling under pressure. The public service has undergone radical transformation in recent years without the necessary supports to facilitate these changes.”
The mental health crisis appears most acute in departments handling emergency response, immigration processing, and social services—areas facing heightened public demands following recent economic challenges. At Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, where application backlogs have made headlines throughout early 2025, an alarming 76% of employees report feeling unable to complete their work to satisfaction.
The financial implications of this wellness decline are substantial. Treasury Board estimates that mental health-related absences cost federal departments approximately $1.8 billion in lost productivity during the 2024 fiscal year, a figure projected to rise further without intervention.
In response to the findings, the government has announced a $245 million investment over three years to bolster mental health support services, including expanded access to counseling, departmental wellness coordinators, and workload assessment initiatives. Critics, however, question whether these measures address the fundamental structural issues at play.
“Throwing money at wellness programs won’t solve the problem if we don’t address the underlying causes,” argues Martin Chen, director of public service research at the University of Ottawa. “Chronic understaffing, unclear departmental mandates, and outdated technological infrastructure create daily frustrations that accumulate over time.”
The survey does highlight some positive findings—92% of employees report feeling their work contributes to important public outcomes, and 74% believe in their department’s mission. These elements of purpose may provide the foundation for recovery efforts.
As federal departments digest these findings, the question remains: can Canada’s public service rebuild workplace wellness while meeting increasing service demands, or are we witnessing the beginning of a fundamental crisis in how government work is structured? The answer will profoundly impact not only thousands of public servants but also the millions of Canadians who depend on their services daily.
