Many Canadians are unhappy with their present work environment and would like to see their employers offering more flexible options such as remote work or non-standard hours, a new survey by global recruiting firm Randstad Holding nv has found.
Despite being the architects behind many of those options, it would appear that IT workers aren’t immune to the malaise: 61.3 per cent reported satisfaction with their current schedules, placing them sixth among the 15 job sectors that Randstad surveyed.
In a statement, Randstad Canada CEO Marc-Étienne Julien said the study illustrates that if Canadian firms wish to remain attractive places to work, their office cultures need to evolve alongside global standards by offering a flexible work environment that meets both business and employee needs.
Conducted as part of the global Randstad Award survey, which polled approximately 200,000 employees between the ages of 18 and 65 across 25 countries between September and December 2015, the survey revealed that 44 per cent of working Canadians are “not satisfied” with their current work schedule, with the average Canadian working 36 hours per week and 30 per cent working more than 40 hours per week.
Of the 7,041 Canadian employees polled, 30 per cent said they would prefer variable hours, while 65 per cent said they would like to work remotely at least occasionally.
Lest companies blame the desire for remote work on millennials, it was actually highest among older workers, with 21 per cent of employees between the ages of 45 and 65 saying they would prefer to work remotely every day, while only 13 per cent of workers between the ages of 18 and 24, and 16 per cent of workers between 25 and 44, said the same.
Globally, 64 per cent of workers said they would occasionally like to work remotely.
Meanwhile, among the 15 job titles polled, IT workers tied with HR and recruitment in job satisfaction. Economists and consultants ranked highest, with 77.7 per cent satisfied with their current work schedules, while those working in education ranked lowest, at 45 per cent.