In what is a loud and clear message to Canadian employers, new research by global recruitment company, Randstad, shows that just 55.6 per cent of Canadians are happy with their current work schedule – ranking the nation 10^th amongst 25 countries surveyed and slightly above the global average of 50 per cent.

Out of 15 job functions polled, Canadians classified as Economist or Consulting are the most satisfied (77.7 per cent) with their current schedules, while those working in Education (45 per cent) are the country’s least satisfied. Against their global counterparts, Canadian HR and Recruitment Officers and IT Specialists rank fifth and sixth most satisfied, respectively, at 61.3 per cent.

“The work environment in Canada, like workplaces globally, is changing rapidly,” said Marc-Étienne Julien, CEO of Randstad Canada. “Employers looking to remain attractive in the eyes of today’s workforce need to evolve, align with changing attitudes and offer flexible workplace solutions that work for the business and its employees.”

The data reveals that Canadians work 36 hours per week on average, with 30 per cent of Canadians currently working more than 40 hours per week. Of the 7,041 Canadian employees polled, 30 per cent said they would prefer variable hours, while nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) said they would like to work remotely at least occasionally – just above the global average of 64 per cent.

Further proving that the traditional office-based work culture is losing its appeal, even the older generation is seeing the benefits of flexibility, with 21 per cent of employees aged 45-65 stating they would prefer to work remotely every day (13 per cent for workers aged 18-24, 16 per cent for workers aged 25-44). The Randstad survey also revealed that nearly half (48 per cent) of Canadians would like to work flexible, rather than standard hours. This might involve working longer days and shorter weeks or flexible work days every week.

“The data demonstrates that, like their peers around the world, Canadians are expecting more and more flexibility from their employer, which should drive HR managers to engage with individual employees to identify their specific needs and drivers,” said Julien. “When employees feel like they can fit their work schedules into their life, rather than scheduling their life around their work schedule, they tend to be more engaged, happy and willing to contribute; it’s just good business.”