TORONTO -- Remote workers in Canada are logging more hours, experiencing more stress, and feeling less engaged with their work, according to a new survey.
, conducted by ADP Canada and Angus Reid, asked 1,501 Canadians working remotely and in person to evaluate their experience working during the pandemic, including their work hours, productivity, engagement, stress levels, and quality of their work.
The survey found that 44 per cent of remote workers reported they were logging more hours of work than they were in pre-pandemic times. Of those, one in ten reported working an additional day, or more than eight extra hours per week.
In contrast, only 15 per cent reported working fewer hours and 38 per cent said there was no change in the hours they worked.
Janet Candido, a human resources professional of 20 years and founder and principal of Candido Consulting Group, said she thinks people are working longer hours because they鈥檙e not as busy in the evenings or on weekends due to pandemic-related restrictions.
鈥淚 heard this from my own team a year ago: 鈥榃ell, I don't have anything else to do so I might as well get this done,鈥欌 she told CTVNews.ca during a telephone interview on Thursday.
Candido, who was not involved in the survey, said workers鈥 output is increasing as a result, and this increased productivity has almost become an expectation.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 an expectation so much in terms of companies saying, 鈥榃ell, now you can work 10 hours a day.鈥 I think the expectation is around the production,鈥 she said.
It seems employees agree their output has increased as a result of their long workdays with 42 per cent of remote workers reporting that they feel more productive and 37 per cent saying they have noticed an increase in the quality of their work.
While increased productivity sounds good on paper, the survey also showed that employees鈥 stress levels were on the rise and engagement with their work was down.
Stress levels rose seven per cent over the past year, from 34 per cent in April 2020 to 41 per cent in April 2021.
In terms of engagement, the survey reported that 46 per cent of remote workers said they felt less engaged with their work since the start of the pandemic.
Candido said these findings should be a cause for concern for employers.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e burning out,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e exhausted.鈥
WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO
Candido said a lot of employees haven鈥檛 been taking their vacation days during the pandemic because they鈥檙e not able to travel or do a lot of the activities they would normally do.
鈥淭hey can't go play golf, they can't travel, they can't go to a concert. So they kind of feel like it's a waste of their vacation,鈥 she said.
This only adds to employee burnout and stress, according to Candido. To prevent this, she said employers should force their employees to take their vacation time so they can have a break.
And Candido says employers should strongly discourage workers from putting in longer hours on the job.
鈥淸Say to them] 鈥業 don't want to hear from you after six o'clock, I don't want to hear from you on the weekend.鈥 If you don't reward it, the behaviour will stop eventually,鈥 she said.
Candido also recommended that employers pay close attention to their remote-workers鈥 mental health and well-being by scheduling regular check-ins.
鈥淒o you see signs of anxiety? Are they short-tempered? Do they appear to be really tired? Or, like, ridiculously awake? Are you seeing any signs that not all is well? And then you have to address it,鈥 she said.
From her own experience, Candido said she鈥檚 had employees tell her they鈥檝e really appreciated hearing from their manager or their supervisor while they鈥檝e been working from home.
鈥淭hey're not telling me that they're happy their manager called to find out if the report was done on time, they're happy the manager called just to check in on how they're doing,鈥 she said.
Candido said it鈥檚 also important for companies to have mental health resources available to their workers, even when they鈥檙e not physically in the office.
鈥淲e all pay lip service to it, but it's not always effective,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o they have to put more effort into making those resources available and making it OK for employees to access them.鈥
If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available.
Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline (1-833-456-4566)
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338)
Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645)
Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)
If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
