Canadian workers more stressed about demands on time than job security: Statistics Canada
Long hours and work that makes a lot of demands on time are the main driving factors behind workplace stress for Canadians, according to new research from Statistics Canada.
At the same time, job security has become less of a concern. In 1994 and 2000, the highest proportion of working Canadians, 34 per cent, cited too many demands or hours as the most common source of stress in the workplace.
Over the same period, stress about job security has decreased. In 1994, when the economy was emerging from a prolonged recession and the unemployment rate was hovering near 10 per cent, 22 per cent of workers cited fear of losing their job or being laid off as their main source of stress. By 2000, with a stronger economy and plentiful jobs, that figure dropped to 13 per cent.
Other stress factors include:
•Poor interpersonal relations (15 per cent);
•Risk of accident and injury (13 per cent); and
•Learning new technology (10 per cent).
Shift work also plays a role in stress at work. One quarter of Canadians who worked rotating shifts worried about the risk of accident or injury compared with only 11 per cent of regular daytime workers.
Managers, health workers feeling the pressure
According to Statistics Canada, managers and professionals were significantly more likely than workers in primary industries to report stress from too many demands or hours.
Employees in health occupations were about seven times more likely than employees in management, business, finance or science occupations to cite fear of accident or injury.
The battles of the sexes
Sources of stress also varied between men and women. Men were less likely than women to feel stress as a result of too many hours or demands, but were 1.3 more times likely to feel stress from fear of accident or injury.
Many employers have put programs in place to help employees deal with stress. According to the 1999 Workplace and Employee Survey, 26 per cent of employees had access to employee assistance programs (EAPs).
The conclusions were published in the analytical article, “Sources of workplace stress” in the June online edition of Statistics Canada’s Perspectives on Labour and Income. The numbers are based on the General Social Survey, an annual telephone survey covering about 25,000 people aged 15 and over in the 10 provinces.
At the same time, job security has become less of a concern. In 1994 and 2000, the highest proportion of working Canadians, 34 per cent, cited too many demands or hours as the most common source of stress in the workplace.
Over the same period, stress about job security has decreased. In 1994, when the economy was emerging from a prolonged recession and the unemployment rate was hovering near 10 per cent, 22 per cent of workers cited fear of losing their job or being laid off as their main source of stress. By 2000, with a stronger economy and plentiful jobs, that figure dropped to 13 per cent.
Other stress factors include:
•Poor interpersonal relations (15 per cent);
•Risk of accident and injury (13 per cent); and
•Learning new technology (10 per cent).
Shift work also plays a role in stress at work. One quarter of Canadians who worked rotating shifts worried about the risk of accident or injury compared with only 11 per cent of regular daytime workers.
Managers, health workers feeling the pressure
According to Statistics Canada, managers and professionals were significantly more likely than workers in primary industries to report stress from too many demands or hours.
Employees in health occupations were about seven times more likely than employees in management, business, finance or science occupations to cite fear of accident or injury.
The battles of the sexes
Sources of stress also varied between men and women. Men were less likely than women to feel stress as a result of too many hours or demands, but were 1.3 more times likely to feel stress from fear of accident or injury.
Many employers have put programs in place to help employees deal with stress. According to the 1999 Workplace and Employee Survey, 26 per cent of employees had access to employee assistance programs (EAPs).
The conclusions were published in the analytical article, “Sources of workplace stress” in the June online edition of Statistics Canada’s Perspectives on Labour and Income. The numbers are based on the General Social Survey, an annual telephone survey covering about 25,000 people aged 15 and over in the 10 provinces.
