Globally, Canadians are among the
happiest workers in the world.
According to a 2012 Randstad Workmonitor study, 76% of all Canadian workers are either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ at work, which ranks fifth in the world.
On a global level, Canadian companies are placing a greater emphasis on providing an equitable and happy workplace; but what actually makes a happy worker?
When looking to measure overall well-being, a
well-balanced life is often one of the most weighted metrics. Given that the
typical Canadian worker spends a favourably proportionate amount of time on
non-work activities – on average, Canadian employees worked 36.4 hours per week
in 2011, down 1.6 hours from the 1976 average of 38.0 hours per week – it
is understandable why Canadians are so happy.
According to a 2012 Randstad Workmonitor study, 76% of all Canadian workers are either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ at work, which ranks fifth in the world.
On a global level, Canadian companies are placing a greater emphasis on providing an equitable and happy workplace; but what actually makes a happy worker?
- · Job Security
According to another 2011 study, 53% of
surveyed Canadians rank job security as one of the most important factors when
evaluating an employer.
- · Work-life balance
When looking to measure overall well-being, a
well-balanced life is often one of the most weighted metrics. Given that the
typical Canadian worker spends a favourably proportionate amount of time on
non-work activities – on average, Canadian employees worked 36.4 hours per week
in 2011, down 1.6 hours from the 1976 average of 38.0 hours per week – it
is understandable why Canadians are so happy.- · Earnings
Given that the average Canadian spends 36+
hours per week at work, it is necessary that this time is well remunerated to
offset this investment.
- · Health factors
It may not seem like a very real concern for
most office workers, but many Canadians are employed in an industry where risk of injury at the workplace is
a very real possibility.
- · Employment Rate
On a national level, the employment rate is a
huge determining factor when it comes to measuring overall happiness. Since
1976, the overall employment rate has increased 4.7% despite the fact that
Canada has experiences three economic recessions.
- · Unemployment rate
Being unemployed can
be a very difficult experience for most of us. In addition to experiencing loss
of income, being unemployed can bring additional strains and hardships to other
aspects of our lives.
