More than a quarter (30 per cent) of Canadian employees report decreased productivity due to hunger, according to a new survey by the National Payroll Institute.
The survey, which polled more than 1,400 Canadian employees, found three-quarters said they worry about food affordability while at work, while three in 10 admit to spending more than half an hour each workday thinking about it. As a result, overall lost productivity tied to food insecurity is estimated to cost Canadian businesses $65.2 billion annually.
A quarter of respondents reported struggling to afford their basic needs, with one in 10 struggling at a serious level. More than half (53 per cent) said food affordability has worsened over the past year and 43 per cent cited the cost of groceries as a severe issue affecting their ability to access food.
Read: How employers can support employees dealing with food insecurity
A third (34 per cent) of respondents reported relying on debt to afford food, 33 per cent said difficulty affording nutritious food has negatively affected their health and 22 per cent reported losing weight due to food insecurity.
Workers who experienced fluctuating pay were 29-per-cent more likely to experience food insecurity compared to those who rarely experienced pay volatility. Employees who said they’d prefer more hours (19 per cent) were more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity than those who said they’re satisfied with their hours (eight per cent). Part-time workers (34 per cent) also experienced significantly higher rates of food insecurity than full-time employees (22 per cent).
“Employers cannot solve affordability challenges on their own, but workplaces can play an important role in supporting financial stability by helping employees understand their options,” said Peter Tzanetakis, president and chief executive officer of the National Payroll Institute, in a press release. “Predictable, accurate pay and professional payroll practices can help reduce uncertainty for workers navigating ongoing cost pressures and encourage adoption of healthy financial habits.”
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