Early findings on AI and workplace accommodations
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New workplace data offers an early look at how AI and accommodation needs are shaping work in Canada, ahead of fuller analysis this November.
Workplaces are changing, but not every worker is experiencing those changes in the same way.
New findings from Mental Health Research Canada and Workplace Strategies for Mental Health, compliments of Canada Life, provide an early look at two workplace issues: how AI is affecting work and how working people experience workplace accommodations. The findings show that AI is affecting how some people work, although its impact is not yet universal. They also point to important differences in workplace accommodation experiences, including workers who need accommodations but do not ask for them and workers with mental health conditions who are less likely to receive all the accommodations they request.
More comprehensive analysis will be included in our full workplace mental health report in November 2026.
Artificial intelligence in the workplace
AI is affecting how some people work, but its impact is not yet universal.
Four in 10 working people surveyed say AI is affecting how they do their jobs, while more than half report no impact. Overall, 27% describe the effects of AI on their work as positive, compared with 12% who describe them as negative.
Among those reporting positive effects, the most common benefits are greater efficiency, easier work and more time for other tasks. Among those reporting negative effects, ethical concerns, mistakes and fear of job loss are the leading concerns.
The experience is not the same across the workforce. Younger workers, managers and full-time workers are more likely to report that AI is affecting their work.
Workplace accommodations
The first barrier may be asking.
One in 10 working people surveyed report needing an accommodation but not asking for one. Among those who do make a request, experiences also differ.
One in five working people surveyed report asking for an accommodation at work. Among workers with physical conditions, 60% received all of the accommodations they requested, compared with 47% of workers with mental health or emotional conditions.
At the same time, one in 10 working people report needing an accommodation but not asking for one. Unmet need is higher among workers with mental health conditions than among those with physical conditions and also varies by age and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity.
Together, these findings point to two different parts of the accommodation experience: whether workers who need an accommodation make a request and whether those who do receive all of the accommodations they request.
Why does this matter?
Workplace mental health is shaped not only by the supports available, but by how people experience changing working conditions and whether they can access the support they need.
These findings point to important differences across workers, roles and groups. Understanding those differences can help employers, workers and decision-makers better identify where workplace practices and supports may need attention.
About the findings
These findings are based on a national online survey conducted from March 30 to April 9, 2026, among 5,511 working people in Canada aged 18 and older.
The research is part of an ongoing collaboration between Mental Health Research Canada and Workplace Strategies for Mental Health, compliments of Canada Life, to generate and share evidence on workplace mental health in Canada.
The September infographics provide an early look at selected findings. More comprehensive analysis will follow in the full workplace mental health report in November 2026.
