Nearly six in 10 (58 per cent) Canadian employees are feeling emotionally burnt out, with more than half (53 per cent) reporting their workload has increased without a rise in pay, according to the latest financial resilience index from Harris & Partners Inc.

The index, which is built from more than 12,000 survey responses across multiple national studies, also found 45 per cent of Canadian workers said they took a second job or extra gig work just to get by, while 21 per cent reported they took on extra duties at work with no compensation and 15 per cent worked unpaid overtime.

“We’re used to thinking of overtime or extra work as a path to security,” said Joshua Harris, the organization’s chief executive officer, in a press release. “It has become a coping mechanism — and even then, it isn’t enough.”

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The survey also found 76 per cent of respondents said their job or financial stress harmed their mental health in the past year, while 60 per cent said they go to bed worrying about money and 46 per cent reported losing sleep because of financial pressure.

Nearly three-quarters (68 per cent) said their debt makes them anxious and 57 per cent said they hide their financial struggles from loved ones. “We’ve entered a period where financial shame is as common as financial stress,” said Harris in the release. “People feel embarrassed or they don’t want to worry their spouse or they think they should just ‘cope.’ But silent stress is still stress — it eats away at mental health and relationships.”

At the heart of the index, according to Harris & Partners, is the finding that household incomes are no longer matching the cost of living for the majority of Canadians. More than half (57 per cent) of respondents said their income doesn’t cover basic expenses including rent, food and bills. In addition, 89 per cent said they’re living paycheque to paycheque.

“We speak with people every day who are earning more than they ever have in their careers, yet still can’t keep up with grocery bills or rising rents,” said Harris. “When the basics become unaffordable, financial resilience doesn’t just erode, it vanishes.”

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