What happened
A deputy coroner's report on suicides among Ontario's correctional workers is drawing attention to how these employees are supported, as reported by Talent Canada. The report counts 34 documented deaths by suicide since 2010. Seventeen came in the 10 years from 2010 to 2019. The same number came in the five years from 2020 to 2024.
The report makes 28 recommendations. They include higher mental health benefits and more mental health training for staff, both before a placement starts and throughout a career. It also recognizes the risk of harm officers face from verbal and physical violence on the job.
Union representatives say the current benefits fall short. They describe mental health coverage capped at a low amount, so people in crisis run out before they get the help they need. They say there is no coverage for inpatient treatment programs, and that police and other public safety workers have much higher or unlimited limits. They also say the training now available centres more on inmates than on staff, and that mandatory training for everyone is due to roll out in the fall.
Why it matters if you are hiring
This is a public sector story, but the lesson reaches any employer with people in high-stress, high-risk work: corrections, security, healthcare, emergency services, and also plant floors and field operations where incidents happen.
Benefits are part of the offer. Candidates in demanding roles read the plan closely. A low annual cap on psychological services, or no coverage for inpatient care, is a real gap, and it shows up in retention and in who accepts your offer. The union's point about early access is a cost point too. Support when a problem is small is cheaper and easier than support after a crisis.
If you hire supervisors and front-line leads, training matters as much as coverage. The report calls for training for the people doing the job, not only for the people they supervise or serve. The union says it took 10 years to win mandatory training. Employers who move first have an edge in attracting people.
The report is about Ontario corrections. It does not say what private employers should do, and we should not claim it does. It does show where scrutiny is heading.
One thing to do this week
Pull your group benefits booklet and look up three numbers: the annual cap on psychologist or counsellor visits, whether inpatient mental health treatment is covered, and how many sessions a worker can use before the limit runs out. Compare them with what you offer for physical injuries such as physiotherapy. If the gap is large, bring those figures to your next benefits renewal conversation.
Traverse helps employers find and keep skilled operations, manufacturing and contract people for demanding roles, and we tell clients plainly when pay and benefits are what candidates are pushing back on.