Working time and work-life balance are key dimensions of an employer’s culture that can impact workers’ health, well-being and quality of life, according to a report by Statistics Canada.
It found some flexible working arrangements, such as start and finishing times, can help employees balance work and family commitments, while others, such as long working hours, can be more challenging to navigate. An additional dimension of working time — the need to come into work or connect to a work device at short notice to address work demands — can also put pressure on workers and affect work-life balance.
In April 2024, more than a quarter (28.4 per cent) of employees between ages 15 to 69 indicated they had to go into work or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month and men (30.5 per cent) were more likely than women (26.2 per cent) to have done so.
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More than half of workers in management occupations, including legislative and senior managers (59.8 per cent) and specialized middle management occupations in health care (55.9 per cent), were particularly likely to have to go into work or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month.
Meanwhile, among respondents in health-care occupations, more workers may be expected to physically travel to their work site when called upon to work at short notice. In April, 39.2 per cent of health treating and consultation services professionals — which includes physicians and dentists — had to come into work or connect to a work device at short notice several times a month or more.
A third (30.3 per cent) of registered nurses had to come to work or connect to a work device at short notice at least several times a month — a proportion higher than the average for all employees (26.3 per cent).
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