Nearly 25% of Canadian workers feel they are required to be available 24/7 while on their vacation, according to a Randstad Canada survey.
“We keep a close eye on how Canadians are feeling in their jobs, and, looking at 2013, many Canadians are definitely burning the candle at both ends,” says Tom Turpin, president of Randstad Canada. “A lack of relaxation both physically and virtually will eventually take its toll and isn’t good for either the employee’s health and well-being or the company’s bottom line.”
Employer expectations aren’t the only reason why many Canadians aren’t taking advantage of what should be considered downtime. Forty-one percent of Canadians plan to proactively check in with the workplace during the holidays to stay informed, while another 29% say they can’t resist reading their work email during the holidays.
Although some Canadians feel the need to stay constantly connected to their email, they aren’t feeling the pressure as much as those in Turkey (63%), China (58%) and Japan (56%).
“For many places around the globe, speaking about overworking has become a form of boasting and tends to be applauded with a nice pat on the back, “says Turpin. “But the reality is that when you have so many Canadian workers who feel they need to remain connected 100% of the time, the mentality will eventually catch up, resulting in poor work/life balance and potentially employee burnout and talent loss.”
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