TELUS Corporation: A Model for Alleviating the Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Mental health issues are the leading cause of short- and long-term disability among Canadian workers. The good news is that employers can take steps to improve employees’ mental health through improved workspace design. This case study examines innovations Telus Corporation has introduced that may be particularly helpful for employees suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and the milder “winter blues”—forms of depression linked to lack of exposure to natural daylight. In particular, the case study looks at how these innovations were incorporated in Telus’ new York Street building in Toronto.

Given that research shows that employee well-being is positively associated with improved job performance, Telus expects to see an impact on its bottom line. The case study concludes that other employers can look to the Telus example and adopt policies and practices that will improve not only the well-being of their employees but also overall organizational performance.