>From: "e-network" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: e-network <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: New Data Show Increasing Conflict Between Work and Rest of Life / >De nouvelles donnÈes font Ètat dune accentuation du conflit entre les >responsabilitÈs professionnelles et la vie personnelle >Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 12:41:27 -0400 >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Originator: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >X-UnityUser: Unregistered User >Status: > >le français suit. > >New Data Show Increasing Conflict Between Work and Rest of Life > >Ottawa, October 23, 2001 – Work/life conflict has increased markedly among >Canadian workers over the past ten years. > >That conflict shows up as, > >increased workload and hours of work – the average employee surveyed spent 42 >hours a week in paid employment in 1991, 45 hours in 2001 >more stress – high stress on the job is twice as prevalent today as ten years >ago >declining physical and mental health – more visits to the doctor, more >cases of >depression >increased absenteeism – employees experiencing high work/life conflict have >absenteeism rates three times those of employees with low work/life conflict >lower job satisfaction – 62% were highly satisfied with their jobs in 1991, >compared to only 45% in 2001 >lower commitment to employers – 66% highly committed to their organization in >1991, only 50% in 2001 > >These are findings of a new CPRN study by Linda Duxbury of Carleton >University’s >School of Business and Chris Higgins of the Richard Ivey School of Business at >the University of Western Ontario. Work-Life Balance in the New Millennium: >Where Are We? Where Do We Need to Go? is based on data from two major national >surveys, one in 1990-92 and the other in 2000-01. Health Canada funded both >surveys and will publish full details of the most recent later this year. > >The study shows a growing proportion of the workforce is having difficulty >balancing the competing roles of employee, parent, spouse and eldercare >giver. > >Why should we care? > >“Our data demonstrate that the inability to balance work and family life is >everyone’s problem,” says Duxbury. “It hurts the employer, the employee, the >employee’s colleagues, the employee’s family and Canadian society as a whole.” > > > >Reduced productivity, absenteeism, turnover, lower commitment and lower morale >all affect the employer’s bottom line. As for the employee, work/life conflict >can lead to marital strife, reduced family and life satisfaction and a host of >physical and mental problems. > >The economic costs are significant. For example, the authors estimate >absenteeism resulting from work/life conflict costs Canadian firms almost $3 >billion a year. Such conflict also results in extra visits to the doctor, >adding >$425 million annually to the cost of health care, not to mention more hospital >stays, more medical tests, more demands on other practitioners and more >prescription drugs. > >There are signs that demographic change, a more competitive labour market and >the changing expectations of workers themselves are motivating some >employers to >take work/life balance seriously. But not enough. > >“While the number of employers who talk about work/life balance has increased, >concrete changes have been slow to materialize,” says Duxbury. “And employers >are the key to change.” > >The paper recommends that employers, > >be more flexible on work hours and work location, >increase employees’ sense of control over their work, >increase the number of supportive managers, and >focus on creating more family-friendly work environments. > >Among their recommendations to government, the authors argue for legislation >protecting an employee’s right to refuse overtime, take time off in lieu of >overtime pay and entitling employees to up to five days paid personal >leave per >year. They also suggest that the federal government become a model employer in >this area, take the lead in establishing national childcare and eldercare >programs in conjunction with the provinces, and strive to find ways to “make >work pay”. > > - 30 - > >To download a free copy of the report visit our home page: >http://lists.magma.ca:8080/T/A17.44.214.1.760 > > >
