3 in 5 say they’ve been given additional resources to work from home in pandemic: survey
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, three-quarters of working Canadians feel their employer is providing regular, timely updates on the situation, while 59 per cent say their employer is providing additional resources so they can work from home.
That’s according to a survey by ADP Canada that also found nearly nine in 10 (89 per cent) employees say their employer has either updated existing policies or introduced new policies as a result of the pandemic.
Nearly half (45 per cent) of workers across all industries say their employer is providing employees with additional mental health resources amid the pandemic. This follows a separate survey in Ontario that found that 48 per cent of employers are providing unique mental health supports to workers amid the crisis.
But while 46 per cent of frontline workers in the health-care industry say they are getting that mental health benefit, only 27 per cent of those in retail, food services, hospitality and warehouse and transportation claim to be receiving the same support, found the survey of 756 working Canadians from April 14 to 15, 2020.
However, 44 per cent of front-liners outside health care are receiving financial support from their employer, compared to 24 per cent of all employees.
Nearly half (44 per cent) of respondents believe their workplace was prepared for the pandemic but 51 per cent claim the contrary. More than half of those in business and professional services (54 per cent) felt their organization was prepared – the highest across all industries – compared to 39 per cent of health-care workers.
In March, Canadians’ mental health and well-being dropped, with mental stress change score jumping to 74.7 from a same-as-previous-month score of 50, found a separate study from Morneau Shepell. The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has now developed three free crisis response training programs designed to help front-line workers deal with the stress of COVID-19.
Recently, Ontario said it is providing a $4 top-up to the hourly wages of workers in long-term care, retirement homes, community care, home care and some hospitals, along with a $250 bonus for those who work more than 100 hours per month.
