The Globe and Mail posts an interesting problem developing in the work force today in its article about balancing work and life. Canadians today are less satisfied with life than they were twenty years ago, reports a survey taken by over 25 000 Canadians run by professors Linda Duxbury of Carleton University and Christopher Higgins of the University of Western Ontario. 

The survey states that more than two thirds of Canadians are now working more than 45 hours per week, up 50% from twenty years ago. Work weeks are also more rigid and flexible hours are becoming a thing of the past. A third of workers feel they have to do more work than time permits and an average of seven hours of work per week is taken home. If you include family responsibilities, 40% feel overwhelmed.

The survey also brings up an interesting point that employers may feel that giving more work to fewer workers will cut down on costs and increase productivity, but that’s not what professors Duxbury and Higgins found. The high stress and constant overload of work actually decreases productivity as sleep is often sacrificed. The result is everything from sick days to slower works. Flexible working arrangements need to be not just company policy, but part of understanding management, says Duxbury. 

Flexible hours, understanding management, and manageable workloads would be a very appealing factor in the recruiting process and actually attract better workers looking for a good life – work ratio. This is something employers should think about in their workplace.