Data released today sheds light on what workers want from employers in New Year
With the festive season fast upon us, employees are dreaming of their holiday wish list – with a recent report from Robert Half Canada revealing workers’ number one request for the New Year to be improved work-life balance.
Two in five (39%) Canadian employees want a more balanced private/professional life, followed by enhanced remote working options (28%), growth opportunities (24%), and better working culture (nine percent).
The report, released today, found that the majority of Canadians are still grappling with long hours seeping into their family time. With the rising pressures of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, employees are heading towards a mental health crisis.
“Looking forward to time off over the holidays is to be expected, however as companies are struggling to hire and retain talent, many teams are running lean,” says Deborah Bottineau, MD at Robert Half Canada.
“Burnout is often a result of persistent stress, and the past few years have been especially stressful for most people.”
Bottineau says that in order to combat this, leaders need to promote health work-life balance all year-round, not just when they see burnout in their teams. It’s about encouraging employees to take regular breaks and balancing out workloads – especially as the festive season draws near and the New Year is on the horizon.
“Professionals should also make the effort to protect their time, speak up when they need support, and take breaks to recharge,” says Bottineau. “While looking forward to a break over the holidays is natural, if your employees feel that they don’t have balance during the rest of the year, that can be a sign that your team’s workloads may need reassessing, with more support and flexibility being made available.”
