On April 28, we mark our National Day of Mourning: a day to remember worker suffering because of hazardous work and to recommit ourselves to creating safer, healthier work for all.

This year’s Day of Mourning theme, Ensuring Workers Survive and Thrive, reflects a reality that can’t be overlooked. When we talk about workplace health and safety, we can’t limit the conversation to traumatic injuries and fatalities alone. We need to confront one of the most widespread occupational health concerns of our time: worker mental health. Reducing stigma and telling workers to be “more resilient” is not enough. The problem is systemic, and the solutions must be too.

The numbers help show the scale of what workers are facing in Ontario workplaces. In 2024, the WSIB allowed 243 worker death claims and 179,611 injury and illness claims. But the real toll is estimated to be far higher. Conservative estimates point to 2,430 worker deaths and 359,222 worker injuries and illnesses in Ontario resulting from hazardous work. 

Mental injuries caused or worsened by work are also often underreported and underrecognized, even though worker experiences and research continue to show that work-related mental harm is both real and widespread.

Worker mental health is a health and safety issue

The broader mental health picture is equally serious. More than one in five Canadians reported high or very high levels of work-related stress in a 2023 Statistics Canada survey. Statistics Canada also found that 7.5 per cent of employed Canadians, about 1.2 million people, took time off work in the previous year because of work-related stress or mental health reasons. GreenShield reported that more than 60 per cent of missed workdays are tied to poor mental health. These are not isolated experiences. They point to a deep workplace issue that demands prevention.

Real prevention means changing work

There are solutions. Effective prevention starts with how work is designed, organized, and managed. Balanced workloads, reasonable work hours, role clarity, worker autonomy where possible, mutual respect, proper work direction, supportive workplaces, and appropriate use of technology all make a difference. Functioning health and safety programs matter too. So do strong laws, real enforcement, and meaningful worker participation. Voluntary measures alone are often not enough.

This Day of Mourning, we invite you to take part in an event near you. Visit our website to explore this year’s resources, including the Day of Mourning flyer and our worker injury, illness, and death statistics document. You will also find the first iteration of our province-wide Day of Mourning event listing. We’ll continue updating that listing as new information becomes available, so please check back regularly and share it and our other Day of Mourning resources with those in your network.

On April 28, let’s do more than remember. Let’s mourn for the dead, fight for the living, and keep building the kind of workplaces where workers are supported to survive and thrive. 

At Workers Health & Safety Centre our work is designed to support yours, be sure to watch for upcoming news of our campaign to ensure access to affordable, effective workplace mental health training solutions. 

In solidarity,
Workers Health & Safety Centre

Need more information? 
Contact a WHSC Training Services Representative in your area.
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca
Visit: whsc.on.ca
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