There is a lot of talk about mental health. There is much less talk about its financial impact.
However, work-related psychosocial risks (PSRs) and psychological occupational injuries contribute to a tangible change in the cost profile of the CNESST system. When this profile changes in a lasting way, CNESST rates end up reflecting that change. This is not a hypothesis. It is how the system works.
Allocation mechanism
When an occupational injury, whether physical or psychological, is recognized and attributed to the employer, the associated costs are included in the employer's experience file:
- income replacement benefits
- medical expenses
- expert assessments
- rehabilitation.
This file is then used as the basis for CNESST pricing in subsequent years. The principle is like an insurance plan: history influences future premiums.
However, the effect is never uniform. It depends on the sector of activity, the payroll, and the applicable pricing method. Some companies feel the impact quickly. Others see it materialize gradually.
Psychological injuries = greater uncertainty
Psychosocial risks are organizational factors. What really influences CNESST rates is the recognition of a psychological work-related injury and its attribution. These cases often have a different profile.
In general, physical injuries are associated with medical protocols and fairly well-defined recovery trajectories. Recognized psychological injuries can evolve in less predictable ways. Their duration is sometimes more variable and their medical and administrative management is more complex. In a system based on historical costs, this variability becomes strategic.
A trend in line with changes in the workplace
The Work & Health 2040 report by the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) group highlights that the world of work is evolving towards more intensive tasks, hybrid employment models, increased performance pressure, and fragmented statuses. These trends are associated with growing exposure to psychosocial risks related to work.
According to this forward-looking analysis, mental health issues in the workplace could take on a more structural role in compensation schemes in the coming years1.
In other words, the trend observed is not a one-off occurrence. It is part of a lasting transformation. And any lasting transformation in the cost profile will, in the medium term, influence CNESST rates.
Should we expect an increase in unit rates?
There are no official projections announcing a specific increase in unit rates attributable to psychosocial risks. However, the financial logic remains the same.
If cases involving prolonged absences account for a growing share of the plan, if average costs per case remain high, and if recognized psychological injuries are better structured, then gradual pressure on overall costs becomes plausible.
This pressure may result in increased sensitivity in pricing, either individually or by sector. This is not a sudden shock, but a cumulative dynamic.
The real risk: underestimating the medium-term effect
Many organizations assess their exposure by looking at the number of open claims. However, in a cost-based system, volume is not always the most relevant indicator.
What really influences the trajectory of CNESST rates is the combination of duration and cost. A single prolonged case can have a more significant impact on rates than several minor incidents that are quickly resolved.
The risk is therefore not necessarily an increase in the number of claims. Rather, it is failing to measure the cumulative effect of recognized costs over time. The strategic question then becomes: are we accumulating costs whose impact on CNESST rates will gradually materialize over the next few years?
What about environments that have historically had low exposure?
Several sectors traditionally less affected by physical injuries (professional services, administrative environments, technology), the cost profile has been fairly stable. However, psychosocial risks can change this picture. In environments where physical risk was marginal, organizational risk can become a defining factor.
Another question worth asking is: Have you aligned your group insurance plan with this reality? Certain situations previously covered by private plans may, when an injury is recognized by the CNESST, be transferred to the public plan. The payer changes, as does the cost structure.
What used to be covered by a group premium can now influence your experience file and your rates. We are no longer just talking about the work environment. We are talking about financial governance.
When the risk profile changes, the financing structure must change as well. The process is well known. The question is simple: will you integrate this change now... or will you wait for your contribution to integrate it for you?
Ready to take action? Our experts are here to help and available to support you. Don’t hesitate to contact them.
1Institute for Work & Health. (2026). Work & Health 2040: Foresight on the future of work and health. Toronto, ON: IWH.
Mathieu Carrière, B.Sc. Act., CRHA
Senior Director, Benefits
