Around 65 per cent of Canadians feel they struck a better work-life balance in 2022, a new poll shows.
The Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News between Dec. 14 and 16, 2022 surveyed 1,004 Canadians 18 years old or older. Their responses suggest that two-thirds of working Canadians “achieved a better work-life balance” last year.
Ipsos senior vice-president Sean Simpson told Global News on Wednesday that almost three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, most people have settled into the new normal.
“Working Canadians are adjusting to the new reality. Many have been called back to the office, but many of them are still working from home. And overall, Canadians are saying they’re doing a better job figuring out that balance between work and life,” said Simpson.
Ipsos predicts that the new year might bring “unpredictable shifts to the workplace environment and will no doubt influence perceptions among working Canadians regarding how they split their time between work and play.”
According to the poll, 36 per cent of those who worked from home in 2022 expect to return to the office “on a regular basis in 2023.”
However, data shows 84 per cent of Canadians who work remotely say they have enjoyed working from home more often in the past year, and as a result, 70 per cent don’t want to return to the office regularly in 2023.
“I think there’s going to be another period of adjustment…. Many don’t want to go back … so there’s going to be some negotiation there between employers and employees,” said Simpson.
“And if they can’t negotiate terms that are mutually acceptable … some might be looking for a new job as a result.”
A survey by recruitment firm Robert Half conducted in the fall of 2022, found 50 per cent of respondents planning to search for a new job in the next six months.
The top reasons behind that included a higher salary, better benefits and perks, more advancement opportunities and greater flexibility to choose when and where they work.
David King, senior managing director of Robert Half for Canada and South America, told The Canadian Press that many Canadian workers continue to have confidence in the job market despite news of layoffs and a hiring slowdown.
“Professionals with in-demand skills know they have leverage given the talent shortage, and are open to new opportunities that offer more fulfilling work, a higher salary, and improved perks and benefits,” he said.
However, amid recession worries, Simpson says it might not be the ideal time to be looking for a job.
“It adds another layer of complication into the negotiation.”
Given that the majority of respondents who worked from home enjoyed the work-life adjustment, 36 per cent of employed Canadians said they would be fine earning 20 per cent less money if it meant they could work 20 per cent fewer hours than they do now, the poll shows.
Moreover, seven in 10 (71 per cent) Canadians say they have changed jobs in 2022 and have done so of their own accord — meaning for 29 per cent, it wasn’t their choice.
Simpson explains that there are “two things at play here.” The first is that the pandemic gave a lot of people who no longer had to commute to the office anymore their time back.
“Some of them are spending more time with family and doing the things that they like or doing their house chores. Many don’t want to relinquish that time,” said Simpson.
“They’ve had that taste now of what it is like to achieve a better work-life balance. And they want to keep it. They don’t want to give it up.”
The second thing is generational, according to Simpson. The younger generation has gotten used to working online, he said.
“The newest crop of employees don’t know the difference…. They’ve done some of their school online. They’ve now been hired and trained online…. They don’t necessarily want to go back in the office.”
He says the youngest people seem to be the most comfortable with the idea of earning less money if they work 20 per cent fewer hours.
“That’s interesting because younger people generally earn less. They’re there earlier on in their career, and yet they’re still more likely than those Gen Xers or boomers who are still working to say that they would accept less money,” Simpson said.
He says there’s a generational divide happening there with younger people who are more likely to value the work-life balance than older generations.
“I think it’s been exacerbated or amplified by the pandemic. And now even some of the older generations are saying, ‘You know what? I’d be OK to slow down. I’m used to this new pace,'” said Simpson.
— with files from The Canadian Press and Rachel Gilmore
Exclusive Global News Ipsos polls are protected by copyright. The information and/or data may only be rebroadcast or republished with full and proper credit and attribution to “Global News Ipsos.” This poll was conducted between Dec. 14 and 16, 2022, on behalf of Global News. For this survey, a sample of 1,004 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. This poll is accurate.