Balancing work, family and personal time getting harder
Canadians, especially women, are caught in a time crunch between work and family and the problem has been getting worse over the past 15 years, according to a new report.
The proportion of Canadians experiencing high levels of time crunch grew from 16 per cent in 1992 to 20 per cent in 2005, found the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) report Caught in the Time Crunch: Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada. About 23 per cent of women felt time pressured compared to 17 per cent of men.
In a world with the Internet and Blackberrys, work no longer just happens in the workplace from 9 to 5. As such, Canadians are struggling to meet the competing demands of work, caring for children and aging parents, and taking the time they need to refresh body and mind, said Roy Romanow, chair of the CIW advisory board.
"As individuals and as a society we are paying a steep price for this time crunch. We're less healthy, both physically and mentally and we have less time for leisure and relaxation with family," said Romanow.
While just 11 per cent of Canadians are working 50 hours a week, down from almost 15 per cent in 1996, more people are working weekends, evenings, nights and rotating shifts (29 per cent in 2009 compared to 23 per cent in 1992).
More Canadians are also taking care of seniors, with the proportion jumping from 17 per cent in 1996 to 20 per cent in 2006, found the report. The responsibility for this care is more likely to fall to women (23 per cent) than men (16 per cent).
With work and family responsibilities increasing, Canadians have less time to spend doing the things they enjoy. Time spent on social leisure activities dropped from 15 per cent in 1998 to 12 per cent in 2005, found the report.
"This is not just a simple case of individuals needing to better manage their time," said Romanow. "We need family-friendly policies for all workers and more community resources and supports for seniors. We need governments and public policies that support leisure and culture activities and venues - ensuring that equity and inclusion are overarching principles in our approach."
