Fear of impact on pay may explain mixed opinions
More Quebecers now enjoy summer hours, according to a survey by l’Ordre des CRHA et CRIA du Québec in Montreal. The phone poll of more than 1,000 respondents in May found 25 per cent of employees enjoy summer schedules (Friday afternoons off) compared to 21 per cent in 2003.
There are slight differences among generations, as the summer schedule is offered to 30 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds, 23 per cent of 35- to 54-year-olds and 21 per cent of those over 55.
Among those employers who do offer this perk, three-quarters said it applies to all employees while only one-quarter offer it to a select few.
“This is probably because some jobs, such as assembly line work, aren’t suited to HR practices of this kind. If employers offer summer hours, they have to interrupt production, which can be problematic for some companies,” said Florent Francoeur, Ordre president and chief executive officer.
The survey also shows 90 per cent of workers who enjoy Friday afternoons off are satisfied with this schedule. And 47 per cent of respondents who don’t benefit from summer hours would like to see their employer introduce this practice, to make it easier for them to balance their work and family commitments.
However, a very close percentage (45 per cent) of those interviewed said they weren’t in favour of summer schedules.
“The fact that workers have mixed opinions on the issue could partly be explained by fears about the impact of summer hours. They might think they’d earn less or that their workload would be heavier the rest of the week to make up for their time off,” said Francoeur. “Employers should take these considerations into account when establishing summer hours to make sure they don’t backfire.”
Again the numbers varied by age, as just 31 per cent of those over 55 would like to see summer hours offered, compared to 43 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 and 54 per cent of those 35 to 54.
There are slight differences among generations, as the summer schedule is offered to 30 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds, 23 per cent of 35- to 54-year-olds and 21 per cent of those over 55.
Among those employers who do offer this perk, three-quarters said it applies to all employees while only one-quarter offer it to a select few.
“This is probably because some jobs, such as assembly line work, aren’t suited to HR practices of this kind. If employers offer summer hours, they have to interrupt production, which can be problematic for some companies,” said Florent Francoeur, Ordre president and chief executive officer.
The survey also shows 90 per cent of workers who enjoy Friday afternoons off are satisfied with this schedule. And 47 per cent of respondents who don’t benefit from summer hours would like to see their employer introduce this practice, to make it easier for them to balance their work and family commitments.
However, a very close percentage (45 per cent) of those interviewed said they weren’t in favour of summer schedules.
“The fact that workers have mixed opinions on the issue could partly be explained by fears about the impact of summer hours. They might think they’d earn less or that their workload would be heavier the rest of the week to make up for their time off,” said Francoeur. “Employers should take these considerations into account when establishing summer hours to make sure they don’t backfire.”
Again the numbers varied by age, as just 31 per cent of those over 55 would like to see summer hours offered, compared to 43 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 and 54 per cent of those 35 to 54.
