To cope, many are working off-hours or fewer hours: Survey
Nearly half of men and women say that they are unable to focus on work while their kids are home, according to a survey by LinkedIn.
To cope, parents, both men and women, are:
- alternating duties with someone in their household to provide childcare (40 per cent for women, 52 per cent for men)
- working outside normal business hours to provide childcare (35 per cent for women, 42 per cent for men)
- working fewer hours to provide childcare (21 per cent for women, 26 per cent for men)
- relying on a family member or friend to care for their children (22 per cent for women, 21 per cent for men)
- providing childcare full-time (18 per cent for women, 16 per cent for men)
Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of parents say they are concerned about their anxiety as children return to school, according to a survey from the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
Gender differences
Overall, when it come to jobs, finances and careers, Canadians are feeling a little more positive, according to the latest LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index. Canada has an overall score of +35 for August, compared to +31 in July and +35 in June.
Men fared better than women with a score of +42, compared to +27 for women, found the survey of 2,150 professionals in Canada conducted between July 27 and Aug. 23.
Women also have significantly lower scores in three core areas measured by the index:
- job security: +42 for women, +58 for men (+51 overall)
- personal finance: +17 for women, +32 for men (+25 overall)
- career outlook: +20 for women, +36 for men (+28 overall)
Women are more likely to report they are:
- spending more time socially isolated due to the coronavirus than men (77 per cent for women, 60 per cent for men)
- experiencing greater stress or anxiety due to the virus (68 per cent for women, 49 per cent for men).
Overall, 68 per cent of Canadians report greater isolation during the pandemic, while 58 per cent report a rise in stress or anxiety.
A separate survey by Morneau Shepell recently found Canadians’ mental health score continue to decline.
Women are also less likely expect their income to increase (20 per cent for women, 27 per cent for men) and less likely to expect to contribute more to their retirement accounts (16 per cent for women, 25 per cent for men).
