A third of Canadian workers cannot prioritize their personal life

A third of Canadian workers cannot prioritize their personal life

According to a survey by ADP Canada, more than a third of working Canadians (34%) struggle with setting boundaries at work when it comes to maintaining their work-life balance.

Although seven out of ten Canadian workers say they are “happy at work”, 32% of respondents reported feeling tired or overworked at work.

This feeling was most evident among respondents aged 18-34, where 23% said they regularly worked long hours and 43% said they found it difficult to draw boundaries between their work and personal lives.

“As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the line between work and life has been blurred for many home workers, it will be important for employers to continue to provide a caring and supportive work environment that provides employees with regular opportunities to get their priorities straight and encourages them to feel comfortable setting boundaries,” said Ed Yuen, vice president of HR strategy and outsourcing at ADP Canada.

employer support

The survey results also show that nearly three in ten respondents (29%) feel they have not received the support, tools, and resources needed to advance their careers.

However, companies seem to realize the importance of meeting regularly with their employees to discuss goals and feedback, with four in ten respondents (40%) saying they receive a weekly update from their management.

“These reviews not only enable early detection of potential problems, but also provide employers with an opportunity to support their employees and report capacity or fatigue issues,” Yuen added.

In addition to these regular check-ins, Canadian workers say their feedback is taken into account: More than half of respondents (53%) say their goals, feedback and expectations are taken seriously by their employer.

The survey was conducted by Maru Public Opinion on September 12-13, 2022 among 748 working Canadian adults.