While a majority (82 per cent) of Canadian employees say summer flexible working policies help reduce burnout, 42 per cent say they’re less productive during the summer, according to a new survey by Dayforce Inc.
The survey, which polled more than 2,800 full-time employees in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., found more than half (55 per cent) of Canadian workers said their employer offers some form of flexibility option like ‘Summer Fridays’ or increased remote working options.
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However, the vast majority (86 per cent) said they can’t always take advantage of these flexible offerings because they’re too busy (31 per cent), there’s no one to cover their work (29 per cent) or they’re concerned it will reflect negatively on them (23 per cent).
The survey also noted while summer flex policies are generally seen as positive, they can add to stress if they’re not managed correctly. Among all survey respondents, 80 per cent said there are negative aspects to these policies, including reduced productivity (31 per cent), increased anxiety from completing more work in fewer hours (25 per cent) and added frustration from not being able to take advantage of these policies due to workload (22 per cent). Notably, only two-fifths (39 per cent) of all employees said they unplug completely when they’re on summer vacation.
Meanwhile, a third (34 per cent) said they slack off when their boss is on summer vacation, a percentage that increases to 51 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively, among workers aged 18 to 34.
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