OTTAWA — The Harper government is taking steps to promote “workforce wellness” in the public service, as records show depression, stress and other mental illnesses account for nearly 45 per cent of all disability claims. The Treasury Board quietly kicked off a disability initiative several years ago and is expected to have a business plan ready within the year — a critical first step in turning around the escalating number of mental-health claims that are taking employees off the job. The “workforce wellness” strategy promotes prevention, takes the stigma out of mental illness and gets those suffering 
from depression treated and back to work as quickly as possible.It marks the biggest shift in disability management since the plan was introduced 40 years ago. Stress, burnout, anxiety and depression are rampant in all workplaces, especially in time of economic uncertainty. The federal public service, however, ranks among the worst.Disability claims in Canada continue to climb, with between 40 and 50 per cent for depression. In the public service, mental-health claims doubled between 1991 and 2008 to 45 per cent, half of which were for depression.
Treasury Board officials said 10,560 public servants have received disability benefits since April 2009. About 3,000 aren’t permanently disabled and managers are trying to get them back to work. Treasury Board documents show the government paid about $331 million in 2007-08 in premiums and fees to the insurance companies that manage its disability plans.During that time, it paid $436 million in salaries for workers on sick leave. Public servants get 15 days for every year they work, which they can bank over a career.
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