By ELIZABETH
CHURCH
Tuesday, October
23, 2001 – Print Edition, Page B6
A national study to be released today shows that Canadians are finding
it increasingly difficult to cope with the often conflicting demands of
their personal and professional lives.
That may sound like old news in an era when juggling birthday parties
and corporate deadlines is the norm. But the research shows things have
seriously deteriorated for Canadian workers over the past decade, leaving
them more stressed, more depressed and less satisfied with their jobs.
It also shows that while women with children still feel the greatest
pressure when it comes to balancing the demands of work and home, all
workers increasingly are facing the problem -- men and women, young and
old.
"This is definitely not good news," said Linda Duxbury, the Carleton
University professor who conducted the research with Chris Higgins from
the University of Western Ontario.
"We know that the nineties were hard," she said. "What this research
shows is that there is no group that escaped the decade unscathed."
That comes as no surprise to Karin Morris of Calgary, a supervisor in a
information technology department with two children, 7 and 4.
Keeping up with work and home takes constant planning, she said.
Backpacks have to be checked for homework, lunches packed, laundry
done.
"I am always pressed for time," said Ms. Morris, who works for a local
public-sector organization. "Sometimes I wish I could do more."
The research, based on responses from more than 6,000 workers, mirrors
similar work done by the two professors in 1991.
Taken together, Ms. Duxbury said, the studies provide a compelling
business case for employers to take action.
"This balance thing is part of a much bigger picture," she said.
"Corporations need to stay competitive. It is hard to be competitive if
you have a stressed-out work force."
The study, "Work-Life Balance in the New Millennium: Where are We?
Where Do We Need to Go?," is sponsored by the Canadian Policy Research
Networks and is the first in a series of reports by the two
researchers.
Among the report's findings:
Fifty-five per cent of the workers surveyed reported high levels of
stress, up from 47 per cent in 1991.
Thirty-eight per cent had a highly depressed mood, compared with 33 per
cent in 1991. Forty per cent were highly satisfied with their life, down
from 42 per cent.
The amount of time people spent at the office each week rose to a mean
of 43 hours from under 41. Still, the people taking work home jumped to 52
per cent from 31 per cent.
Forty-five per cent of the sample said they were highly satisfied with
their jobs, down from 62 per cent, and half said they where highly
committed to their organization, down from 66 per cent.
All workers at all levels reported an increase in conflict between work
and family compared with 10 years ago, although professional men and women
are less depressed about this outcome.
Ms. Duxbury said this could be a result of the greater flexibility they
have in their jobs.
As well, the study points to a looming issue -- elder care -- that Ms.
Duxbury predicts has the potential to be problematic for workers and
employers.
In this year's survey, one-quarter of respondents reported elder care
responsibilities, a huge jump from 6 per cent a decade ago.
This percentage is set to climb as the parents of the baby-boom
generation age, Ms. Duxbury said, and it will have huge implications for
employers.
On the positive side, the report finds that an understanding boss can
go a long way in reducing stress and increasing loyalty and job
satisfaction for workers.
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