By Kim Covert, Postmedia News September 14, 2010
OTTAWA - The recession's over, the economy's recovering, it's time to dance and sing, right?
Don't tell that to the 30 per cent of Canadian employees who say they're under more stress now than they were at this time last year.
The majority of respondents to the national health survey commissioned by Desjardins Financial Security were happy with their jobs - 74 per cent said they were passionate about their work, 75 per cent loved their co-workers and 76 per cent were generally satisfied with their jobs. That's the good news for employers.
The bad news is that only 32 per cent said their employer helped them manage their stress at work. Workplace stressors include insufficient pay (30 per cent), work overload (27 per cent) and a negative work environment (22 per cent).
Those results mesh with a recent survey by Towers Watson. It found cost- cutting measures undertaken during economic downturn meant workers had to take on more responsibilities, which left them feeling overburdened and over- stressed and took a toll on employee engagement.
Respondents to the Desjardins poll said they were changing their "workplace styles" to lessen stress, including accepting that their work wasn't always going to be perfect and being realistic about deadlines. Others were trying to eat more healthily and get more rest.
"The good news from the survey is that employees are taking steps to improve their stress levels," said Michele Nowski, director of disability income claims and disability management with Desjardins Financial Security. "It's important to be good to yourself, which is the secret to managing your stress."
The respondents said while they were doing what they could, employers also needed to step up. Thirty-six per cent said employers need to do more to recognize their efforts, 31 per cent said employers needed to improve the work environment and 26 per cent said working conditions overall needed to be addressed. Employers, on the other hand, felt for the most part (88 per cent) that they "supported their employees' work-life balance fairly or very well," according to the survey.
"Similar to last year's survey results, we're seeing an expectations gap between employers and employees," said Nowski. "Employees and employers are not struggling with the same work-related issues. While it seems simple enough to suggest providing better recognition and improving the work environment, ultimately the best way to tackle this issue is through teamwork and communication."
The survey of 1,769 Canadian employees was conducted by Ad Hoc Recherche in March.
From The Vancouver Sun published on 14 September 2010