Work-Life Balance A Canadian Priority

Labour Day weekend is nearly upon us. This weekend, Canadians will be able to enjoy another long weekend as they say farewell to what is recognized as the real summer season and welcome (for some, we suppose) the beginning of the fall. With school about to start and the weather about to dip a few degrees, Canadians know that things are about to change.

And we don’t just mean the colour of the leaves! That being said, many will simply take this long weekend to relax. Others will be out enjoying some of the final warm days of the summer. But just how relaxed are Canadians this time of year? Yesterday, the QMI Agency released a report the revealed some pretty eyebrow-raising findings.

A recent Monster.ca report discovered that more than 80 per cent of Canadians would agree to taking a pay cut if they could experience a greater work-life balance. In other words, perhaps more long weekends are in order! In addition, 57 per cent of those polled said that they feel they have better job security now than one year ago.

Thankfully, this shows a greater confidence in the growing economy and strengthening of the workforce. In last year’s poll, says the report, just 46 per cent of respondents felt that they were safe in their current job positions. Says QMI: “Workers in the Prairie provinces feel most secure while those in Ontario reported the biggest year-over-year improvement.”

Perhaps, these findings are not so surprising after all. For many, creating a good work-life balance is a difficult task. Between going to work, finding time for personal activities and household responsibilities, it often feels as if there simply isn’t enough time in the day. Those with families are especially stressed with what they feel is a major time crunch brought on by long hours at work.

The stress is only exacerbated by the fear that another recession could potentially fall upon us in the near future. According to the findings of the Monster.ca study, “Canadians appear split down the middle with half concerned a double-dip is imminent and the rest more hopeful.”

However, 34 per cent of Canadians feel that work-life balance is the most important feature of their jobs. It is continually a top priority among workers in the country. Evidently, it isn’t easy having to work nights and weekends. The study shows, however, that employees aged 18-24 are generally the ones working these shifts.

Reports QMI : “Harris/Decima surveyed 1,008 working and non-working Canadians for Monster.ca between Aug. 5 and Aug. 9. The results are considered accurate /- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.”