46 per cent say they put in extra hours to counteract rising fuel and food costs
The official end of summer, Labour Day, is around the corner and instead of enjoying the last long weekend of the season, more than one-third of Canadians say they will be working on Sept. 1.
The Everest College Labour Day Poll, which surveyed 1,185 working Canadians, found 35 per cent of respondents will have their noses to the grindstone this Labour Day.
The survey, conducted by career college Everest College, which has 17 campuses in Ontario, found 55 per cent of working Canadians usually spend nine or more hours a day working and commuting and 46 per cent of them said they have to log more hours on the job to cover the rising costs of fuel, food and other living expenses.
However, the survey suggests education is a factor in determining the number of work hours. Of respondents who work 11 hours or more, 21 per cent had no education above high school level compare to the 14 per cent who had post-secondary education.
"In today's economic environment, people with less education may have to work longer hours in order to make ends meet, which severely impacts work-life balance," said Julia Kennedy, assistant vice-president of career services at Everest College.
The overwhelming majority of respondents (91 per cent) believe employers should make work-life balance a bigger priority. More than one-half (58 per cent) of respondents said they would be happier if their jobs offered them more flexibility, but 79 per cent said, despite rising fuel costs, they haven't been given the option to work from home.
“The option to work from home, have flex hours and appropriate vacation scheduling can all contribute to the work-life balance Canadians are looking for,” said Kennedy.
Other results from the survey:
• 12 per cent of Canadians say work dominates their life
• 28 per cent say they don’t have a lot of flexibility with their current job
• 62 per cent of baby boomers and Generation Y agree they would be happier in their jobs if they had greater flexibility
• 25 per cent have considered finding a new job closer to home given the rising cost of fuel and other daily expenses
• Among Canadians who work 11 hours a day or more, males outnumber females almost two to one
The Everest College Labour Day Poll, which surveyed 1,185 working Canadians, found 35 per cent of respondents will have their noses to the grindstone this Labour Day.
The survey, conducted by career college Everest College, which has 17 campuses in Ontario, found 55 per cent of working Canadians usually spend nine or more hours a day working and commuting and 46 per cent of them said they have to log more hours on the job to cover the rising costs of fuel, food and other living expenses.
However, the survey suggests education is a factor in determining the number of work hours. Of respondents who work 11 hours or more, 21 per cent had no education above high school level compare to the 14 per cent who had post-secondary education.
"In today's economic environment, people with less education may have to work longer hours in order to make ends meet, which severely impacts work-life balance," said Julia Kennedy, assistant vice-president of career services at Everest College.
The overwhelming majority of respondents (91 per cent) believe employers should make work-life balance a bigger priority. More than one-half (58 per cent) of respondents said they would be happier if their jobs offered them more flexibility, but 79 per cent said, despite rising fuel costs, they haven't been given the option to work from home.
“The option to work from home, have flex hours and appropriate vacation scheduling can all contribute to the work-life balance Canadians are looking for,” said Kennedy.
Other results from the survey:
• 12 per cent of Canadians say work dominates their life
• 28 per cent say they don’t have a lot of flexibility with their current job
• 62 per cent of baby boomers and Generation Y agree they would be happier in their jobs if they had greater flexibility
• 25 per cent have considered finding a new job closer to home given the rising cost of fuel and other daily expenses
• Among Canadians who work 11 hours a day or more, males outnumber females almost two to one
