Line between work, home increasingly blurred

One-half of workers handle work-related matters at home: Survey

Many Canadian workers feel the line between work and home is becoming increasingly blurred, according to Randstad's latest Global Workmonitor, surveying employees in 29 countries (with a minimal sample size of 400 per country).

Almost one-half (46 per cent) of Canadians handle private matters during working hours, 51 per cent handle work-related matters in private time and 44 per cent receive work-related calls or emails when on holiday.

More than one-half (53 per cent) receive calls or emails outside of office hours, 44 per cent receive calls or emails on holiday, 29 per cent expect to be available 24-7 and 43 per cent feel they fall short if they do not respond immediately, found the survey.

"Technology has redefined the traditional workplace as we know it,” said Stacy Parker, executive vice-president of marketing at Randstad Canada. β€œFor instance, employees are working at home, shopping at work, attending school at home, connecting to training webinars at work, and learning new job skills from their children and grandchildren. No generation has ever been this connected and, for good and bad, there is a fusion going on between home and work.”

Additionally, employers are becoming increasingly aware of the cost implications associated with over-worked employees, with areas such as operating and productivity costs, absenteeism, punctuality, commitment and performance all being negatively affected, said Randstad.

Work-life balance is all about creating and maintaining supportive and healthy work environments, said Parker.

"Employees and employees should both take the initiative to take the necessary steps towards achieving a healthy balance between work and personal responsibilities," she said. "This helps strengthen employee loyalty, productivity, and overall happiness β€” making it a win-win scenario for everyone involved."

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