under pressure 10-06

Implications of Work-Life Balance and Job Stress

Human Solutions™ Report | 2006–07

Under Pressure

Fall 2006

Dear Valued Customer:

Welcome to the first Human Solutions™ Report: Under Pressure. Implications of Work-Life Balance and Job

Stress. The report was written by Graham Lowe, PhD, a thought leader in the arena of workplace health and

productivity. This is the first of a series of empirical reports that we will publish for you on an annual

basis, each on a relevant and timely topic or theme.

The Human Solutions™ Report stems from our pledge to bring you relevant and practical recommendations

concerning your most significant human capital-related issues. And it reflects our attempt to counter the

wealth of unsubstantiated and potentially misleading information about workforce issues circulating in the

general media and other sources.

In this Human Solutions™ Report , we analyze two comprehensive Canadian workforce surveys using key

questions pertaining to work-life balance and job stress. We recognize that quality of work-life is a pressing

business issue for you and a necessary ingredient for a successful business strategy. Yet to craft effective

solutions to work-life issues, it is paramount that you have solid evidence on the scope and nature

of the problems that are faced. This is what the Report endeavours to provide.

As a customer whose opinions are important to us, we welcome your feedback. As well, we look forward to

hearing about topics and issues you would like to see expertly addressed with empirical data in future reports.

As always, if you have questions feel free to contact us.

Regards,

Craig Thompson, M.Ed., MBA

VP Customer Relations

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1.888.689.8604

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 Contents

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Contents

1 Introduction 4

2 21st Century Work 6

� Employers’ Challenges 8

4 Work-Life Balance 104.1 Changes in Work-Life Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104.2 Balance and Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124.3 Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

5 Job Stress 165.1 Job Stress and Life Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165.2 Key Stressors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.3 Impacts on Well-Being and Productivity . . . . . . . . . 195.4 Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6 The Future Workplace 24

7 References 26

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 Introduction

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1 Introduction

Justtenyearsago,Canadianswerecaughtupinapessimisticdebateaboutthefutureofwork.Grimscenariospredictedrisingjoblessnessandeconomicinsecurity.Commentatorspredictedthe‘endofwork’resultingfromorganizationaldownsizing,industrialrestructuring,andnewtechnology.Employeesweretreatedasdispensablecosts.Jobqualitywasnotontheagenda.

Now,however,thetableshaveturned180degrees.Employees’qualityofwork-lifeisbecomingabusinessissue.Foragrowingnumberofemployers,humanresourcechallengesaretheirbiggestconcern.Leadingemployersarerecognizingthatpositivework-lifeoutcomesforemployees—fromachievingwork-lifebalancetothesatisfactionsofchallengingworkandcareerdevelopment—arekeyingredientsofasuccessfulbusinessstrategy.

Inpractice,improvingthequalityofworkliferemainsatoughsell.Intuitively,manymanagersseetheimportantlinksbetweenthequalityofworklifeandorganizationalperformance.Yettheyfacebarrierstoprogress.Soitisnecessarytoupdatethecasefortakingactiontoimprovethequalityofjobsandworkenvironments.

Thisreportpresentsfindingsfromtwonationallyrepresentativesurveyswhichdocumentedtheviewsof600employersandover2000workersonkeyqualityofwork-lifetrendsintheearly21stcentury.Thesurveyfindingshaveactionimplicationsformanagers,HRandODpractitioners,healthandwellnessprofessionals,employeesandpolicymakers.

Whilework-lifeimbalanceandjobstressarenotnewproblems,theyhavereceivedmoreattentionthisdecadethaneverbefore.Together,thesetwoproblemsposeriskstoworkers’well-beingaswellastoorganizationalperformance.Incraftingeffectivesolutions,decision-makersneedsolidevidenceonthescopeandnatureoftheproblemstheyface.Equallyhelpfulisaclearunderstandingofwhatemployersandemployeesviewaspotentialsolutions.

Asthenextsectionshows,acombinationofpowerfultrendsarepressuringemployeesatwork—resultinginstressandimbalanceintheirlives—andalsopressuringemployerstorethinktheirhumanresourceprogramsandpractices.

Tohelpemployersandemployeesrespondeffectivelytothesepressures,thisreportusessurveyevidencetoansweraseriesofkeyquestionsandexaminethepracticalimplicationsforemployers.

Employees’ quality of work-life is becoming a business issue. Leading

employers are recognizing that positive work-life outcomes for

employees are key ingredients of a successful business strategy.

For those employers wanting to be proactive in designing

employee assistance programs, the findings of this report underscore the need for a

holistic approach — quality of work-life issues can’t effectively

be addressed piece-meal.

Equally crucial, the findings highlight the need to move

up-stream to address the root causes of stress and imbalance.

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 Introduction

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key questionsThis report uses survey evidence to answer the following questions.

Are work-life balance and job stress major business challenges?

Has work-life balance become harder or easier to achieve?

How are work-life balance difficulties and job stress related?

What management actions can help improve work-life balance?

What is the extent and level of job stress?

What are the major stressors that employers can do something about?

How does job stress affect the quality of life and job performance?

What management actions can help reduce job stress?

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To craft effective solutions to work-life imbalance and job stress, decision-makers need solid evidence on the scope and nature of the problems they face.

about the studyThis study was undertaken by Ekos Research Associates & Graham Lowe Group Inc. The study, called Rethinking Work, conducted two national surveys.

The Worker Survey used a random sample of 2002 individuals who were either employed, self-employed or unemployed (but who held a job at some point in the past 12 months), and is considered to be representative of the Canadian workforce. A sample of this size has a margin of error of up to +/-2.2 , 19 times out of 20. Telephone interviews were conducted during September and October of 2004, and the response rate was 27 per cent.

The Employer Survey includes 603 completed interviews drawn from a random sample, stratified by worksite size. The sample size has a margin of error of +/-04.0 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Telephone interviews were conducted in May 2005 and the response rate was 22 per cent.

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Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 21st Century Work

2 21st Century Work

Work intensification involves more than longer work hours, highlighting how performance pressures and work

effort affect workers. Thus, a 37.5-hour week may place different demands and expectations on workers today,

compared to 10 or 15 years ago.

Aconvergenceofpowerfultrendsintheearly21stcenturyispressuringemployerstore-thinktheirpeoplepractices.Indeed,thetimingseemsrighttomakethequalityofwork-lifeastrategicfocusforbusiness,aswellasapublicpolicypriority.Thesechallenges(workforceaging,increasinglycompetitivelabourmarket,informationtechnologyandrisingbenefitcosts)createnewpossibilitiesforemployerstoachieveorganizationalperformancegoalswhilesimultaneouslymeetingworkers’personalaspirations.

Atthesametime,numerousemployeesareexperiencingareducedqualityofwork-life.Thisisreflectedmostprominentlyinwork-lifeimbalanceandjobstress.Withmorewomenemployedthaneverbeforeanddual-earnerfamiliescommon,work-lifebalanceisanongoingquest.Furthermore,therearemanysignsthatjobperformanceexpectationshavebeenratchetedupsincethe1990s.Thus,withbothemployersandemployeesunderpressuretofindwaystoimprovethequalityofworklife—andthroughthis,enablingemployeestocontributetheirbestefforts—surelythereiscommongroundforaction.

Peoplewantmeaningfulworkthatenhancestheiroverallwell-being.Yetforsomegroupsofworkers,achievingwell-beingthroughworkisnoteasy.Whiletheaveragelengthoftheworkweekhasbeenstablefordecades,moreCanadiansareworkinglongerhours(40hoursormoreweekly).

Managersandprofessionals,inparticular,haveexperiencedincreasingworkhourswhileless-skilledworkershavehadadecline1.Theparadoxisthatmanagersandprofessionalsinknowledge-intensiveindustries—whomAmericananalystRichardFloridacallsthe‘CreativeClass’—mayworkthelongesthoursandexperiencehighstresslevels,buttheyareamongthebestpaidandhavethemostjobautonomyofanyworkers2.Attemptstorecruitandretainknowledgeworkerswillincreasinglydependonfindingtherightqualityofwork-lifeequation.

Manypeopleassumethatjobstressrelatedtoworkhours,demands,paceandotherpressuresisontherise.While

thisviewmaybeoverstatedbythemedia,researchevidencedoessupporttheclaimthatvarioussourcesofworkpressureincreasedinthe1990sandtheearly2000s.Thisintensificationofworkhasbeenlinkedtorisingperformanceexpectationsandworkloads.Informationtechnologyis,forsome,thehiddenhandofworkintensification.StudiesinCanada,theUnitedStates,andBritainprovideevidencethatworkintensificationinvolvesmorethanlongerworkhours,highlightinghowperformancepressuresandworkeffortaffectworkers3.Soevena37.5-hourweekmayplacedifferentdemandsandexpectationsonworkerstoday,comparedto10or15yearsago.

Stressandwork-lifeconflictareintertwined,andthelatterhasbeendocumentedasbothacauseandanoutcomeofjobstress.Stressisoneofthemorecommonlydocumentedoutcomesofdemandingwork.Jobstressisincreasinglyrecognizedasadeterminantofemployeehealthandproductivity.Theexperienceofchronicstressors(orstrain)isusedintheoreticalmodelsasapredictorofincreasedriskofmentalandphysicalhealthproblems,includingchronicconditionssuchasheartdisease,diabetes,asthma,migraines,andulcers4.

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 21st Century Work

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21st century work challengesWorkforce aging. One-third of the workforce is between the ages of 45 and 64, and the choices these older workers make will redefine retirement. With fewer younger workers, many employers are facing a talent crunch.

Labour market. Workforce demographics have combined with a strong economy to create the most competitive labour market in a generation, adding to labour and skill shortages.

Technology. Workers and employers alike are coming to terms with the new possibilities information technology is opening up for how, where and when we work.

Benefit costs. Rising pension and health benefit costs are putting pressure on employers to find creative solutions — without jeopardizing employee recruitment, retention and engagement goals.

This snapshot of major work trends forms the backdrop to the survey findings presented in this report. This new evidence helps to illuminate the business implications of work-life imbalance and work stress — or stated positively, the benefits of a healthy work-life balance and a job that is personally fulfilling and engaging.

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Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 Employers’ Challenges

3 Employers’ Challenges

question

Are work-life balance and job stress major business challenges?

findingsTurningtothesurveyfindings,webeginwithhowemployersviewqualityofwork-lifeissuesashumanresourcechallenges.TheEmployerSurveyaskedrespondents(usuallyseniormanagers)iftheirorganizationhadexperienced15humanresourcechallengesinthe12monthspriortothesurvey.AsFigure 1shows,29percentofthe600employerssurveyedinthespringof2005hadexperiencednoneofthesedifficulties.Themostcommondifficultieswereworkload/work-lifebalanceandemployeestress,experiencedby36percentand33percentrespectively.Interestingly,recruitmentandretentioncamethird.Allotherdifficultieswereexperiencedbyaround20percentorlessofemployers.

Respondentswerealsoaskediftheyhadtakenactiontoaddressanyofthesechallenges.Lessthanone-thirdreportedanyactionstoaddressworkload/work-lifebalance,stress,oranyoftheotherissueslistedinFigure 1.Amongthemostcommonactions—citedby32percent—arefocusedonsafetyissues,anareathatveryfewemployersexperienceddifficulties.

The most common HR challenges experienced

by employers are workload/work-life

balance and employee stress. Yet fewer than 1/3

of employers surveyed took any action to

address these issues.

implications Despitequalityofworklifedifficultiesbeingthemostpervasivehumanresourcechallengesemployersface,aminorityofemployersaredoinganythingtofindsolutions.Still,closetooneinthreeistakingactioninthisarea.

Thisposesapotentialrisktohumanresources.Howseriousariskwillbeexaminedbelow,bydocumentingwork-lifebalance,workpressuresandjobstressfromtheperspectiveofworkers—buildingacaseforemployeraction.

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Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 Employers’ Challenges

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figure 1. employer responses to major workforce challenges

36% 30%Workload/work-life balance

33% 31%Employee stress

29% 32%Recruitment/retention

21% 32%Employee satisfaction/morale

20% 26%Employee engagement

19% 29%Pride and commitment

18% 27%Employee trust

18% 32%Training/career development

17% 28%Employee health

15% 18%Absenteeism

11% 26%Quality of supervision

11% 29%Respect and fairness

8% 19%Workplace diversity

5% 32%Safety

2% 13%Harassment/discrimination

None of the above29% 32%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

“In the past 12 months, has your location/organization experienced an increase in difficulties

in any of the following areas?”

“In which of these areas, if any, has your location/organization taken action to address

difficulties?”

Source: Rethinking Work, EKOSResearchAssociates&GrahamLoweGroupnationalemployersurvey,spring2005.©2006TheGrahamLoweGroupInc.

n=603

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Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 Work-Life Balance

4 Work-Life Balance

Thereisanenormousresearchliteratureonwork–lifeissues.Typically,researchershavefocusedonwork–familyconflictratherthanthebroader,positivelyframedconceptofwork–lifebalance.Work–familyconflictresearchinvestigateshowpeoplemeettheexpectationsofmultiplerolesandestablishboundariesbetweenrolesinlife5.Agoodexampleisthe2001National Work–Life Conflict StudyinCanada.ResearchersLindaDuxburyandChrisHigginsfoundthat58percentoftheirsamplereportedhighroleoverload—havingtoomuchtodoinasettime6.

4.1 Changes in Work-Life Balance

question

Has work-life balance become harder or easier to achieve?

findingsThisisnotaneasyquestiontoanswer,becausethekindofresearchneededtoprovidedefinitiveevidenceisrare.DuxburyandHiggins’report,Work–life Balance in the New Millennium,hasbeenwidelycitedasproofthatwork–lifeconflictandworkstressincreasedduringthe1990s7.Thestudycomparessurveydatafrom1991and2001,usingsamplesoflargeorganizationsthatvolunteeredtoparticipate(ratherthanrandomsamplesofthenationalworkforce).DuxburyandHigginsconcludethatroleoverloadincreasedsubstantiallyduetorisingworkdemands,althoughotherformsofwork-familyconflicthadsmallerincreases.

Thebestavailabletrenddataonwork-lifeimbalancearefromStatisticsCanada’sGeneral Social Survey(GSS)in1991,1995and2001.TheGSSshowthattheproportionofworkersfeelingsomewhatorverydissatisfiedwithwork–lifebalancerosefrom16.7percentto20percentoverthisperiod8.The2001GSSalsoaskedworkerswhoreportedfeelingdissatisfiedwithwork–lifebalancethemainreasonwhythey

feltthisway.Themostfrequentreasonsgivenweretimerelated:notenoughtimeforfamily/spouse/partner/children(46percentcitedthisreason),andtoomuchtimespentonthejob(citedby42percent).

Roundingoutthispictureofwork-lifebalancetrends,ourworkersurveyfindsconsiderablevariationinworkers’personalexperienceofwork–lifebalance,offeringamoremutedinterpretationofchangesinwork–lifebalanceorconflictintheearly21stcentury(Figure 2).Oneinthree(34percent)ofthe2002workerssurveyedinlate2004reportedthatithadbecomeharderforthemtoachievework–lifebalanceoverthepastfewyears,while29percenthadfounditeasiertoachieve.Thelargestgroupofworkerssurveyed(37percent)experiencednochange.

Forthosewhofoundithardertobalancework–life,62percentattributedthistowork-relatedfactors.Farfewerattributedtheincreasedimbalancetofamilyorpersonalfactors(27percent)oracombinationoftheseandworkfactors(11percent).Workerswhodonotgetpaidforovertime,managers,thosewhobelongtoprofessionalassociations,andworkerswithhighannualincomesaresignificantlymoreinclinedthanotherstocitetheirworkasthemostsignificantcontributortotheirwork-lifeimbalance.

Ofallagegroups,workersaged35to44weremostlikelytoreportthatwork-lifebalancehadbecomemoredifficulttoachieve.Inotherrespects,workerswhohaveexperiencedmoredifficultyinthisregardfittheprofileoftheknowledgeworkers,morelikelytobemanagersorprofessionals,universitygraduates,andhighincomeearners.Workerswhoarenotcompensatedforovertimearemostlikelytosaythatthework-lifebalancehasbecomehardertoachieveoverthepastfewyears.Increasedwork-lifeimbalancealsoismorepronouncedamongworkersinlargeorganizations,comparedtomedium-sizedandsmallorganizations.Incontrast,thegroupsmostlikelytobefindingiteasiertobalanceworkandpersonallifeareolderworkers,theself-employed,thosewhoworklessthan25hoursweekly,andthoseworkingnoovertime.Interestingly,comparedtootherregions,workers

Of all age groups, workers aged 35 to 44 are most likely to report that work-life balance is difficult to achieve. In other respects, workers who have experienced more difficulty in this

regard fit the profile of the knowledge workers, more likely to be managers or professionals,

university graduates, and high income earners.

implications Overall,thereisasmallincreaseindifficultiesbalancingworkandfamilyorpersonallifeearlythisdecade.Theproblemmaynotbeatcrisislevel,butitisclearthatthisisadynamictrend,withpeopleexperiencingmoreorlessbalancedependingontheirfamily,personalandworkcircumstances.

Withthreein10workersexperiencingasignificantdiscrepancybetweentheirwork-lifebalanceneedsandactualexperiencesinthisregard,employersneedtoidentifywhothesepeopleareandendeavourtoclosethisgap.

Employersandpolicy-makersneedtothinkinlife-courseterms,recognizingthatanindividual’sneedschangeastheymovethroughdifferentphasesoflife.

Aflexibleor‘menu’approachtowork–lifepoliciesandprograms—includingEmployeeandFamilyAssistance—wouldallowworkerstochoosewhatbestsuitstheirimmediateneeds,comparedwitha‘onesizefitsall’approach.

Understandingthefitbetweenemployees’expectationsandneeds,ononehand,andtheiractualworkplaceexperiences,ontheotherhand,isakeypieceofinformationforeffectivehumanresourceplanning.

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inQuebecaremostlikelytoreportnochangeinwork-lifebalanceinrecentyears—raisinginterestingquestionsabouttheroleoftheprovincialgovernment’schildcaresupportprogram.

Wealsoexaminedthemagnitudeofwork–lifeconflict.Thesurveyaskedworkerstorate22specificjobandworkplacecharacteristicsintermsofhowimportanteachcharacteristicistothem—orinotherwords,howhighlyvaluedeachis.Laterinthesurvey,respondentswereaskedtoratetheircurrentjobonthesamecharacteristics,inordertodeterminetowhatextenttheyweremeetingtheirexpectations.Bycomparingthedifferencebetweenthesetwosetsofmeasures,wecancalculatean‘expectationsgap.’

Thereisagapof29percentagepointsbetweentheimportanceCanadianworkersplaceonwork–lifebalance,andtheextenttowhichtheyactuallyachievegoodbalanceintheircurrentjob.Thatis,while63percentofsurveyrespondentsplacedhighimportanceonbeingabletoachievework–lifebalance,only34percenthadachieved‘good’balanceintheirjob.Thegapsonfourothercharacteristicswereslightlylarger:pay,trustinmanagement,jobtraining,andahealthyandsafeworkplace.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

29% 62%

27%

11%

37%

34%

n=2002 n=665

Easier

Same

Harder Both

Family orpersonal life

Work life

figure 2. recent changes in work-life balance

“Do you find that balancing your work and family or personal life has been getting easier

or harder over the past few years?”

“Overall, which has contributed more to this imbalance (between work and family or

personal life) over the past few years?”

[Those who find balance harder to achieve]

Source:Rethinking Work,EKOSResearchAssociates&GrahamLoweGroupnationalworkersurvey,fall2004.©2006TheGrahamLoweGroupInc.

implications Stressfuljobconditionsandwork-lifeimbalancearepiecesofamorecomplexpuzzle.

Whilenotdefinitive,thisstudysuggeststhatemployeractionstoaddressworkloaddistributioncouldprovideemployeeswhoexperiencework-lifeconflictwithabetterbalance.

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4.2 Balance and Stress

question

How are work-life balance difficulties and job stress related?

findingsWhilework–familyconflictcanbethoughtofasaresultofworkstressors,italsohasbeenstudiedasastressorsincethe1970s.Theoreticalmodelsexaminehowthework–familyinterfaceaffectsindividualhealthandwell-being,andinturnhowthisaffectsaperson’sperformanceinworkandfamilyroles9.Thesimilaritytojobstressresearchisillustratedbytheemphasisinbothareasonhowroledemands,andcontroloverthesedemands,affectworkers’healthandproductivity.

Figure 3examinestherelationshipbetweenwork-lifebalanceandjobstress.Thepatternisclear:workerswhohaveexperienceddifficultiesbalancingworkandpersonallifealsoarelikelytoreportchronicjobstress,comparedwiththoseexperiencingnochangeorareductioninwork-lifebalancedifficulties.Indeed,the55percentofsurveyrespondentswhofoundithardertobalancework-lifereportedoftenoralwaysbeingunderstressintheirjob,comparedwith26percent

ofthosewhofoundwork-lifebalanceeasiertoachieve.Demographicfactorsalonedonothelpexplainwork-lifebalance.

Probingthismoredeeply,multivariatestatisticalanalysis(simultaneouslytestingtheinfluenceofrelevantjob,organizationalanddemographiccharacteristics)confirmsthatthelevelofjobstresshasanindependenteffectonwork-lifebalance.Highstressisequatedwithwork-lifebalancedifficulties.Workloadalsoappearstohaveanindependenteffectonwork-lifebalance,totheextentthatworkerswhoagreethat“workisassignedfairlyandequitablyinmyorganization”aremorelikelytoreportwork-lifebalancenotchangingorgettingeasier.Workhourspersedidnotinfluencework-lifebalance.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

35% 39%

44%24%

13% 33% 35%

34%37%29%

26%

32%

n=1979 Di�erences statistically signi�cant, p < .001

Easier

Same

Harder

TOTAL

Never/rarely Sometimes Often/always

figure 3. relationship between work-life balance and job stress

“In the past few months, how often did you experience stress in your job?”


“Do

you

find

that

bal

anci

ng yo

ur w

ork

and

fam

ily o

r per

sona

l life

has

bee

n ge

tting

easie

r or

har

der o

ver t

he p

ast f

ew ye

ars?

”

4.3 Solutions

question

What management actions can help improve work-life balance?

findingsTheworkersurveyaskedrespondentsfortheirviewsonvariousoptionstoreducework–lifeconflict(Figure 4).Amongthoseindividualsfindingithardertobalanceworkandfamily,thesinglemostimportantchangethatwouldhelpthemachieveabetterbalanceisamanageableworkload(citedby48percent),followedbyflexibleworkhours(46percent)andbeingabletochoosethedaystheywork(44percent).Again,theseareconsistentthemesinwork–lifebalanceresearch.

Preferredsolutionsvarybyspecificworkforcegroups.Forexample,women(comparedwithmen)aremoreinclinedtopreferchoosingtheirownworkhoursanddays,andworkingacompressedworkweek.Themosthighlyeducatedworkers,aswellasthosewhoarenotcompensatedforovertimehourstheywork,givehigherprioritytoamanageableworkload.Choosingone’sworkhoursisconsideredparticularly

helpfulbythose35to44yearsofage,comparedtootheragegroups.Workersreportingthelowestannualincomes,andpeoplewhodonotworkovertime,aremorelikelythanotherssurveyedtothinkthatbeingabletochoosethedayswhentheyworkwouldhelpthembalancetheirpersonalandprofessionallife.Individualsinhouseholdswherebothpeopleworkfull-timearemoreinclinedtosaythatacompressedworkweekwouldbebeneficial.Youngerworkers(underage35)viewhavinganunderstandingmanagerasespeciallyhelpfulinachievingwork-lifebalance.

However,employersandpolicy-makerswillneedtobecreativewhencraftingwork–lifebalancesolutions.Theworkersurveyfoundlittlesupport,evenamongthosewhosaiditwashardertobalanceworkandlife,tomaketrade-offstoachievejobflexibilitynow(Figure 5).Justover1in4were‘verywilling’tomakeuphoursoverthecourseoftheyearinreturnforgreaterflexibilitynow,17percentwere‘verywilling’tomakeupthetimeinfutureyears,15percentwere‘verywilling’ifitmeantlimitingtheircareeradvancement,and1in10werewillingtoforegoanequivalentportionoftheirwages.Surveyrespondentswhohavefoundithardertobalancetheirworkandpersonallivesareevenlesswillingtomakeupthehoursortakeacutinpaytogainflexibility.Infact,inthecaseofapaycut,itistherespondentswhoarefindingiteasiertobalancetheirliveswhoshowgreaterwillingnesstoreducetheirincomeinordertogainflexibility.


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0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

n=665 Multiple responses are reported in this graph

48%Manageable workload

46%Choose the work hours

44%Choose the work days

43%Compressed work week

40%Management understands

40%Short term leave

39%Part-time with bene�ts

34%Spread out work week

33%Long term leave

32%More work from home

28%Share job with someone

28%Less commuting time

24%Less job-related travel

20%Daycare close by

“

figure 4. achieving greater balance

“Which of the following would help you to achieve a good work-life balance?” [Those who find balance harder to achieve]


Accordingtotheworkersurvey,mostemployeesseetheirsupervisorsasmoderatelytoveryeffective.However,thelowestratingsareforwork-lifebalance.Specifically,closeto9in10respondentsratedtheirsupervisorsasmoderatelyorveryeffectiveoncreatingaworkenvironmentfreeofharassmentordiscriminationandencouragingteamwork.Over80percentratedtheirsupervisorsaseffectiveintermsofencouraginginnovation,sharinginformation,followingthroughoncommitments,andlisteningtoandactingonsuggestions.Morethanthree-quartersalsoratedtheirsupervisorsaseffectiveatprovidingfeedbackonjobperformanceandhelpingthemachievework-lifebalance.However,22percentofemployeesconsideredtheirsupervisortobeineffectiveinhelpingthemtoachievework-lifebalance—themostnegativeofanyoftheevaluationsinFigure 6.

Employeeswithhigherratingsofsupervisorsupportforcareerdevelopment,encouragementofinnovation,andlisteningtoandactingonideas,areconsiderablymorelikelythanemployeeswithlowerratingsforsupervisorsontheseissuestoreporthighlevelsofjobsatisfaction.Inotherwords,theseareasaremorestronglyassociatedwithjobsatisfactionthanotherareasofsupervisoreffectivenessmeasured.Womenratetheirsupervisorsmorehighlythanmenonmostaspects,includingtheprovisionoffeedback,


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supportforcareerdevelopment,helpingtoachievework-lifebalance,encouragingteamwork,listeningtosuggestionsandideas,andencouraginginnovation.Employeesinthesmallestworkplaces(with10employeesorless)aremorelikelythanthoseworkinginlargerorganizationstoratetheirsupervisorsasveryeffectiveathelpingthemachievework-lifebalance,encouragingteamwork,andcreatingaworkplacefreeofharassmentanddiscrimination.

Insummary,reducingwork–lifeconflictdependsonfosteringaworkplaceculturethatvaluesandsupportsbalance.Gettingtherightmixofpoliciesandprogramsthatmeettheneedsoftheworkforceispartofthis,withEmployeeandFamilyAssistanceProgramsplayingapivotalrole.Buttobefullyeffective,theseprogramsalsomustaddressthecloselyrelatedproblemofjobstress.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

27% 45%

36%46%

44% 40% 16%

10%27%63%

28%

18%

n=1992

Not willing Somewhat willing Very willing

figure 5. trade-offs to achieve work-life balance

“Would you be willing to make these trade-offs now in order to have greater flexibility in your current job?”


If you had to make up the hours over the course of the year

If you had to make up the time (e.g. hours/days/weeks/months) in future years later on (i.e. work more years)

If it limited your career development

If you lost an equivalent portion of your wages


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implicationsEvidencereinforcestheneedforemployerstoaddressworkloadandworkschedulesasrootcausesofwork–lifeimbalance.

Aholisticapproachtodesigninginterventionsisneeded,acknowledgingthatworkandfamilyarenotseparatespheres.

Corroboratingpreviousresearch,supervisorsplayacriticalroleinwork-lifebalance.ToechoDuxburyandHiggins’recommendation,mostimportantinthisregardisthedevelopmentof‘supportivemanagers’—whoaregoodcommunicators,focusonoutputratherthanhours,showrespectforemployees,andsupporttheircareerdevelopment.

Flexibleoptionsthatreducetotaltakehomepayarenotlikelytofindwidesupport.Giventhetrade-offsthatemployeesareunwillingtomakeinordertoachievework-lifebalance,itisimportant

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foremployerstoconsultwithemployeestobetterunderstandtheirprioritiesandpreferences,andhowthesevarybydemographicgroups.

Thetangiblebenefitsofprovidinganenvironmentthatsupportswork–lifebalanceneedtobemoreeffectivelyandwidelycommunicated.

Fewstudiesdocumenttheprevalenceofemployerfamily-friendlypoliciesorpractices.Partlyfillingthisgap,theemployersurveyfoundthataboutoneinthreeemployersrecognizeworkloadandwork-lifebalanceasaproblemandaretakingaction.

Nextstepsmustincludehelpingotheremployersdiagnosetheextentoftheseproblemsanddesigninginterventionsthatareevaluatedfortheireffectiveness.

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0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

50%

51%

53%

49%

55%

57%

55% 24%

26%

28%

28%

30%

32%

38%

48%

23%54%22%

20%

16%

16%

21%

17%

17%

11%

11% 40%

n=1413

Creating a work environment freeof harassment & discrimination

Encouraging team work

Encouraging you to be innovative in how you do your job

Sharing information

Supporting your career development

Follows through on promisesand commitments

Listening to and acting upon your suggestions/ideas

Providing timely & constructive feedback on job performance

Helping you achieve work-life balance

Ine�ective Moderately e�ective Very e�ective

figure 6. employees’ evaluation of their supervisor

“How would you rate your supervisor on...?” [Those who have a supervisor]


16 |

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 Job Stress

5 Job Stress

Aprominentthemeinworkplaceresearchisthatworkers’perceptionsofthequalityoftheirworkenvironmentarecriticalforoutcomessuchasjobsatisfaction,commitment,absenteeismandperformance13.Anextensivebodyofresearchonwork-lifeconflictdocumentshowtherelationshipbetweenworkandnon-workaffectsanindividual’shealth,aswellastheirperformanceinworkandfamilyroles14.Thesestudiescorroborateoneofthekeyfindingsfromjobstressresearch:work-roledemands,andcontroloverthesedemands,affectworkers’healthandwell-being.

5.1 Job Stress and Life Stress

question

What is the extent and level of job stress?

findingsTurningnowtojobstressfindingsfromtheworkersurvey,Figure 7revealsthatastress-freeworkenvironmentisararethinginCanadianworkplaces,accordingtorespondentssurveyed.Indeed,thelargemajority(77percent)of

Work-life balance and stress go hand in hand. What seems to matter in this

regard is the importance workers place on balance in their lives and the effectiveness

of workplace policies and practices in supporting them to achieve this goal.

38%39%

23%

46%30%

24%

n=2002

Always

Rarely

Sometimes Large amount

Some

Little

figure 7. self-reported job stress

“In the past 12 months, how often did you experience stress in your

job?”


“Among all the sources of stress in your life, how much is caused

by your job?”


| 17

Canadianworkersreportedthattheyhadexperiencedstressintheirjobeither“always”or“sometimes”overthepast12months.Onlyaboutoneinfive(23percent)saidthey“rarely”experiencedstressintheirjob.

Thosemorelikelytohave“always”experiencedstressonthejoboverthepast12monthsinclude:workersreportingahigher(comparedwithlower)levelofeducationandincome;full-timeworkers;workersinpermanent(comparedwithtemporary)positions;individualsinhouseholdswherebothpeopleworkfull-time(comparedwithotherhouseholds);thoseinprofessionaloccupations(comparedwithnon-professionals);peoplewhoworkinhealth,educationandsocialservices(comparedwithotherindustries);workersinthelargestorganizations;andthosewhoworkunpaidovertime.

Furthermore,manyworkersfindthattheirjobisasignificantsourceoftheoverallstresstheyexperienceinlife.Whilethelargestgroupofworkers(46percent)saythattheirjobcausesonlya“little”ofthestresstheyexperienceintheirlife,24percentsaythatitcauses“some”stressandanadditional30percentsayitisthesourcefora“largeamount”ofthestresstheyexperience.

ConvincingevidenceoftheimpactofworkingconditionsonoveralllifestressispresentedinFigure 8.Inparticular,notethat73percentofsurveyrespondentswhoalwaysexperiencedjobstressreportedthattheirjobcausesmostorallofthestressintheirlife.Thiscontrastswith4percentofthosewhorarelyorneverexperiencejobstress.

implicationsTheprevalenceoffrequentjobstress,andthefactthatthissourceofstressisamajorcontributortooveralllifestress,makesthisaleading21stcenturyworkplaceandqualityoflifeissue.Employerscan’taffordtoignoreit.

•

30% of employees report that their job is the source of a “large amount” of the stress

they experience.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

32%

53%17%

85%11%4%

29%

51%

73%

17%

16% 11%

n=1980 Di�erences statistically signi�cant at p<.001

Always

Often

Sometimes

Never/rarely

Most/all About half None/some

figure 8. job stress as a source of overall stress in life

“Among all the sources of stress in your life, how much is caused by your job?”


“In

the p

ast 1

2 m

onth

s, ho

w of

ten

did

you

expe

rienc

e str

ess i

n yo

ur jo

b?”

5.2 Key Stressors

question

What are the major stressors that employers can do something about?

findingsThisstudywasnotintendedtotesttheoriesofthecauseofjobstress(or‘stressors’),butrathertooffernewinsightsthatcanleadtopositivechangesinworkplaces.Inthisregard,multivariatestatisticalanalysiswasusedtoexaminetheindependenteffectsofkeypotentialstressorsonself-perceivedstress.

Standarddemographic,organizationalandjobcharacteristicswereusedaspredictors.Demographicfactorsalonedonotexplainvariationsinjobstress.Whatisinterestingisthatlongworkhours(paidandunpaidcombined)isthestrongestindependent(i.e.,statisticallycontrollingfortheeffectsofotherfactors)predictoroffrequentjobstress.Therelationshipbetweentotalworkhoursandstress,portrayedinFigure 9,iswhatraisedourcuriosityabouttheeffectofworkhours,sothemultivariateanalysiswasdesignedtoseeiflongworkhourspredictedhigherlevelsofstresswhenotherrelevantfactorsweretakenintoaccount.

Whilethestudydidnotincludeadirectworkloadmeasure,itdidaskworkersif“workisassignedfairlyandequitably”intheirorganization.Workerswhoagreedwiththisstatementhadsignificantlylowerlevelsofjobstressthanthosewhodisagreed,takingotherfactorsintoaccount.Furthermore,workerswhoagreedthattheyhaveagoodbalancebetweentheirworkandpersonalorfamilylifeexperiencelessstressthanworkerswholackthisbalance,regardlessofotherfactors.Theimportanceaworkerplacesonachievingagoodwork-lifebalancealsoappearstoinfluencetheexperienceofjobstress:themorepersonalimportanceplacedonbalance,thehighertheperceivedlevelofjobstress,takingotherfactorsintoaccount.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

25% 40% 23% 12%

18% 31% 29% 22%

24% 38% 24% 14%

26% 40% 24% 10%

27% 45% 17% 10%

n=1711 Di�erences statistically signi�cant at p<.001

< 30 hours

30-39 hours

40-49 hours

50+ hours

TOTAL

Never/rarely Sometimes Often Always

figure 9. relationship between weekly work hours and job stress

“In the past 12 months, how often did you experience stress in your job?”


Usu

al w

eekl

y wor

k ho

urs i

nclu

ding

pai

d an

d un

paid

ove

rtim

e


1� |

Workers who report they have a good

balance between work and personal/family life

experience less stress than workers who lack this

balance.

5.3 Impacts on Well-Being and Productivity

question

How does job stress affect the quality of life and job performance?

findingsNotonlyhavemanyworkersexperiencedstressonthejoboverthepastyear,butlargenumbersalsoreportedthattheirhealthwasaffectedoverthisperiodasaresultofstressintheworkplace(Figure 10).Indeed,jobstresshasseriousconsequences,withmorethan52percentofthosewhoreportedexperiencingjobstress“sometimes”or“always”inthepast12monthssayingthatthishascausedthemphysicalhealthproblemsand42percentreportingsufferingfrommentalhealthproblemsasaresultofthestress.Theperceivedeffectsofjobstressonhealthseemtobegreaterforwomenthanformen.Forexample:47percentofwomensaythatstresshasaffectedtheirmentalhealthatleasttosomeextentcomparedto37percentofmen;and57percentofwomensaythattheirphysicalhealthhasbeenaffectedbystressatleasttosomeextentcomparedto49percentofmen.

Therearebroaderhealthimpacts,too.Morethanoneinfiverespondentsintheworkersurveyhadconsultedahealthprofessionalforphysicalormentalhealthproblemscausedbyjobstressatsomepointinthepast.

60%80%100% 40% 20% 0% 40%20%0% 60% 80% 100%

Not at all

n=1535

57% 47%

34% 38%

8% 14%Large extent

Some extent

“

figure 10. health problems related to job stress

“In the past 12 months, to what extent has your level of job stress caused...for you?” [Those who reported being stressed at work at least sometimes]


Mental Health Problems Physical Health Problems

implicationsThisin-depthanalysishelpstoidentifythefactorsthatmanagersmustaddresstoreducestress.Consistentwithmuchpreviousresearch,workdemands—measuredherebyhoursworkedandthedistributionofwork—isapotentialsourceofstressthatemployers(andemployees)canactupon.

Thehighincidenceofjobstressamongknowledgeworkersraisesconcernsaboutthesustainabilityandcostsofthejobandcareerpressurestheseworkersface.Employersneedtoassessthebusinessandpersonalrisksofjobstress,focusingspecificallyonknowledgeworkerswhoputinexcessivehours.

Work-lifebalanceandstressgohandinhand.Whatseemstomatterinthisregardistheimportanceworkersplaceonbalanceintheirlivesandtheeffectivenessofworkplacepoliciesandpracticesinsupportingthemtoachievethisgoal.

•

•

•


| 1�

Jobstresscanalsohavedirectconsequencesforemployersintermsofemployeeabsenteeism.Onlyaboutoneinthreeworkerssurveyedsaidthattheyhadnotmissedasingleday’sworkinthepast12monthsbecauseofillnessorinjury.Justunderhalf(44percent)saidthattheymissedbetweenonetofivedays,however,20percentofworkersindicatedthattheyhadbeenabsentmorethansixdaysinthepastyear.Lookingatthe12monthspriortothesurvey,respondentsreportingjobstress‘often’or‘always’weresignificantlymorelikelytobeabsentfromworkthanco-workerswithlessfrequentjobstress.

AsshowninFigure 11,theimpactsofjob-relatedstresscanbefoundinotherareasaswell.Forexample,aboutoneinfiveworkerswhohaveexperiencedjobstress“sometimes”or“always”overthepast12monthssaidthatthey“frequently”thinkaboutleavingtheirjobbecauseofthisstress.Anadditionaloneinthreesaidthatthisthought“sometimes”crossestheirmind.Asizableportionofthosereportingjobstress(16percent),alsosaidthatthequalityoftheirpersonalorfamilylife“frequently”sufferedoverthepastyearbecauseofworkstress,and59percentsaidthatit“sometimes”suffered.Intermsoftheirjobperformance,65percentofthisgroupindicatedthatjobstress“sometimes”

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

44% 35% 21%

25% 59% 16%

34% 57% 7%

52% 41% 7%

n=1534

Never Sometimes Frequently

figure 11. consequences of job stress

“In the past 12 months, how often...?” [Those who reported being stressed at work at least sometimes]


Has the quality of your personal/family life suffered because of stress you experienced at work?

Has the quality of your work suffered because of stress you experienced at work?

Has the amount of work that you get done been reduced because of stress you experienced at work?

Have you thought about leaving your job because of the stress you experienced at work?

or“frequently”reducesthequalityoftheirwork,whileabouthalf(48percent)saidthattheamountofworktheyaccomplishhasbeenreducedbecauseofstresstheyexperienceatwork.

Employees who reported job stress ‘often’ or ‘always’

were significantly more likely to be absent from

work than co-workers with less frequent job stress.


20 |

Less work load

A better supervisor/management

Better pay/bene�ts/vacation

Nothing will work/quitting

More �exibility in hours worked

Fewer hours/more time o�

Better communication with management

No changes needed

Better relationships with co-workers/less con�ict

Less demanding customers/clients

More job security

More resources/budget

More time to complete work/longer deadlines

More control/decision-making

Co-workers work harder and more competently

Improved/more training

Clearer priorities set by employer

Less work load

Better working conditions

Less red tape, rules, bureaucracy

Other

n=1565

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

17.9%

11.6%

8.4%

7.7%

6.8%

6.3%

5%

4.5%

4.2%

3.6%

3%

2.9%

2.8%

2.1%

1.9%

1.9%

1.5%

1.5%

1.4%

1.2%

2.5%

figure 12. actions to reduce job stress

“If you could make one change that would reduce the level of stress in your job, what would that be?” [Asked only of respondents who experienced job stress often or always]


implications Self-reportedjobstressimposesrealcostsforworkersandemployers,rangingfromreducedqualityoflifeandhealthproblems,toreducedqualityandquantityofwork.

ThelinkbetweenjobstressandhealthhasimplicationsforCanada’sover-burdenedhealthcaresystem.Highlevelsofself-reportedjobstressarerelatedtohigherhealthsystemutilization,imposingpubliccostsaswellasanyresultinglostproductivityforemployers.Notonlydothesecostsneedtobequantified,butthereneedstobeapublicdiscussionabouttheroleandresponsibilitiesofemployersforaddressingtherootcausesoftheproblem.

Thisstudyraisesquestions,whichrequiremoreresearch,abouthowtheunderlyingcausesofworkstressareassociatedwithrisingabsenteeism,risingemployerhealthbenefitcosts,individualjobperformance,overallqualityofworklife,andtheoverallburdenimposedonthehealthcaresystem.

•

•

•


| 21

Recruitment, retention, succession planning

No signi�cant issues anticipated

Don’t know/no response

Employee training and skill development

Employee work ethic, pride, commitment

Better work relations, communication, teamwork

Employee satisfaction, stress

Workplace and employee health and safety

Government support policies

Strong management and leadership

Macroeconomic environment

Providing quality customer service

Employee compensation and bene�ts

n=603

5.7%

6.9%

7.6%

12.6%

20.3%

25.8%

2.2%

2.2%

2.5%

2.5%

3%

3.2%

4.3%

1.1%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 35% 50%

figure 13. employers’ perspectives on human resource challenges

“In the next five years, which human resource management or workplace issue will have the greatest impact on the success of your organization?”

Source:Rethinking Work,EKOSResearchAssociates&GrahamLoweGroupnationalemployersurvey,spring2005.©2006TheGrahamLoweGroupInc.

in the next five years

5.4 Solutions

question

What management actions can help reduce job stress?

findingsWhengiventheopportunitytomakesuggestionsaboutchangesthatcouldreducethelevelofstressintheirjob,surveyrespondentsprovidedalonglistofpotentialchanges(Figure 12).Atthetopofthislistwasareducedworkload,

suggestedby18percentofthosewhoexperiencedjobstressoftenoralways.Thesecondmostcommonsuggestionhadtodowithimprovedsupervisionormanagement,suggestedby12percent.Betterpay/benefits/vacationtimewasthethirdmostfrequentanswer,mentionedby8percent,followedcloselybyresponsesfromworkerswhohadgivenuphopeofimprovementsandwerereadytoquit(about8percent).Fewerworkinghoursandgreaterflexibilityinhoursworkedwereeachcitedby6percentofworkersexperiencingjobstress.

Probingthesuggestiontoreduceworkloadsasawaytoreducejobstress,specificgroupsofworkersweremorelikelytomentionthisaction:workersbetweentheagesof45and


22 |

implications Reducingworkloadsandimprovingthequalityofsupervisionareprioritymanagementactionsthathavegoodpotentialtoaddressthecausesofjobstress.

Interventionsdesignedtosupportemployeequalityofwork-lifegoals—includingEmployeeandFamilyAssistancePrograms—needtobeexpandedaccordingly.

•

•

Employerswillbebetterabletomeettheirfuturerecruitment,retentionandsuccessionplanningneedsbyincludingqualityofworklifegoalsincomprehensiveworkforcestrategies.

•

54,workersreportingahigherlevelofeducationandincome,thoseinfull-timeandpermanentpositions,individualsinhouseholdswherebothpeopleworkfull-time,professionals,technicians,individualsworkinginsocialservices(health,educationandsocialassistance),thoseinthelargestorganizationsandpeoplewhoworkunpaidovertime.

Whatisthelikelihoodofemployersactingonthesesuggestions?Wealreadyestablishedthataboutoneinthreeemployersareaddressingjobstress,althoughthestudydoesnotdocumenttheactionsbeingtaken.However,theemployersurveydidaskrespondentstoindicatethehumanresourcemanagementorworkplaceissuestheyexpectedtohavethegreatestimpactonthesuccessoftheirorganizationinthenextfiveyears.TheanswerstothisquestionarepresentedinFigure 13.

Perhapsnotsurprisingly,recruitmentandretentionisatthetopofthelistoffuturechallenges.Interestingly,oneinfiveemployerssurveyeddonotanticipateanysignificanthumanresourceorworkplaceissues—suggestingperhapsthateverythingisundercontrolorthattheyhavenotplannedforthefuture.Another13percentdidnotknowordidnotrespondtothequestion.Only4percentexpectedqualityofworklifeissues,suchasstressoremployeesatisfaction,toaffectorganizationalsuccess.

Job stress has serious consequences — including physical and mental health

problems. As a consequence, more than 1 in 5 respondents

had consulted a health professional for these issues.

Despite this, only 4% of employers expect quality of work-

life issues (including stress) to affect organizational success.


| 2�

24 |

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 The Future Workplace

6 The Future Workplace

ThebroadcontoursofthefutureCanadianworkplacecanbesketchedoutusingtheabovefindings.Whilethe1990swasmarkedbypessimismaboutthefutureofwork,therearesignsintheearly21stcenturythatgivecauseforoptimism.Creatingtheidealfutureworkplacerequires,aboveall,positiveandproactiveresponsestotheworkpressuresworkersexperience,andthehostofhumanresourcepressuresemployersface.Theseareoneandthesame:whatworkersexperienceasworkpressure—mostlyaswork-lifeimbalanceorjobstress—aretheearlywarningsignalsoffuturehumanresourceproblemsforemployers.That’swhyalong-term,proactiveapproachtopeopleissuesissoessential.

Recognitionofaproblemisapre-requisitefortakingaction.Sothefactthatapproximatelyoneinthreeemployersreportedwork-lifebalanceandworkloadtobetheareawheretheyareseeingincreasingdifficultiesintherecentpast—andaredoingsomethingaboutit—isgroundsforoptimism.Weneedtoknowmoreaboutwhatexactlytheyaredoing,andhoweffectiveitis,butatleastforthisgroupofemployersthe‘businesscase’foractionnolongerneedstobemade.

Fromtheperspectiveofworkerswhoarefindingitmoredifficulttobalanceworkandnon-work,amanageableworkloadandflexibilityinworkhoursandschedulesarethemostsought-afterchanges.Someworkersalreadyhavetheseandareabletobalanceworkandlifetotheiradvantage.Andforotherworkers,changesintheirpersonalandfamilylifemaybemakingiteasier,orharder,toachievethisgoalincomingyears.Soinfuture,employersneedtoopenupemployeecommunicationchannels,includingregularsurveys,inordertofullyunderstandthechangingneedsofdifferentgroupsintheirworkforce.

Addressingthesourcesofheavyworkloadsiscriticaltofindingasolutiontowork-lifebalance,yetthisiscomplicatedbytheengrainedpatternsoflongworkhoursdocumentedintheworkersurvey.Imaginingafuturehigh-qualityworkplace,itwouldbeoneinwhichallworkershavemorepersonalcontrolovertheirworkdemandsandinwhichworkloadsaremoreefficientlyandequitablydistributed.This

couldbethekeytounlockinggreaterproductivity,givendiminishingreturnsoftenassociatedwithlongworkhoursandheavyworkloads.Oneofthemosthelpfultoolsinthisregardismorerigorousplanning,schedulingandprioritizingofwork.Usingthisbasicapproach,itwillbepossibletogetattherootcausesofthestressandimbalanceexperiencedbysizeablenumbersofworkerstoday.Thisisthedirectionthatanyqualityofwork-lifeinterventionsandprogramsmusttake.

A defining feature of the ideal future workplace is excellent people skills among all levels

of management. This is not unrealistic. A starting point is to

identify, train, and reward the competencies of “understanding

management” as this is most often cited by those workers

surveyed who are finding a better work-life balance.

Thisdirectionisreinforcedbytheemployersurveyfindings.Employersseemtobeawareoftheimportanceofhiring¸trainingandevaluatingmanagersandsupervisorsaccordingtothepeopleskillstheypossess,includingtheirabilitytodealwithwork-lifebalancefortheiremployees.However,therearemanywhohaveinvestedlittleornothingindevelopingpeopleskills.Inthelastfiscalyearpriortothe

The ideal future workplace is within reach— it is a workplace that supports workers to achieve personal wellness and career goals and taps their

full potential for the benefit of the organization and its customers, clients and shareholders.

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 The Future Workplace

| 25

survey,40percentofemployershadnotprovidedmanagersandsupervisorswithtraininginpeopleskills.Only26percentoftheorganizationssurveyedhadofferedthistrainingformorethanthree-quartersoftheirmanagersandsupervisors.Organizationsthatsucceedinprovidingtherightincentivesandresourcesformanagersatalllevelstobecomemoresupportiveofemployeeneeds,especiallywork-lifebalance,willbebetterpositionedinwhatisshapinguptobeahighlycompetitivemarketfortalent.Inshort,thisisoneofthebuildingblocksofasuccessfulstrategyforrecruiting,developing,retainingandengagingtheworkforceofthefuture.

Work-relatedstressispervasiveinCanadianworkplaces,basedonself-reportsofworkersurveyrespondents.Skepticsmaydismissthisevidenceas‘subjective’,butthefactisthatifpeopleperceiveajobproblemtoberealforthem,itwillhaverealconsequences.Furthermore,self-reportsarethemostcommonformofdatausedinepidemiologicalstudies

40% of employers had not provided managers and supervisors with training in people skills.

Only 26% of the organizations surveyed offered this training for more than three-quarters of their managers and supervisors.

ofthecausesandconsequenceofworkstress.Sotheabovefindingsmustbetakenseriously.Andindeed,agoodnumberofemployersaredoingjustthis.One-thirdofemployersreportedthatjobstresshadbecomeamorepervasiveproblemintherecentpast.

Withasizeablenumberofemployersawareoftheproblemscreatedbystressandwork-lifeimbalance,whyistherenotmoreactiontoaddressqualityofworklifeissues?Partoftheansweristhatfewemployersknowthecostsoftheseproblems.Forexample,theemployersurveyfoundthatonly13percentofallemployerssaythattheyareactivelymeasuringthecostofemployeestress.Butperhapsamuchlargerbarriertoprogressiswhoisunderthemostpressureatworkthesedays.Howcananorganizationtacklestresswhenthemoststressed—andmosttime-deprived—aretheverymanagersandprofessionalswhoshouldbeleadingthewaytosolutions?

Surelythisshouldbethefirstitemontheagendaofthenextseniormanagementmeetinginanyorganizationthattakesseriouslyitsemployees’qualityofworklife.Inmanyways,ahigh-qualityworkplacedependsondecision-makerstakingthetimetodaytolookintothefutureandaskwhattheywanttoenabletheiremployees—andthemselves—toachieve.Animportantpartofthatdiscussionishowimprovingthequalityofwork-lifeisameanstoincreasingshareholdervalueandorganizationalperformance.Companiesthatgetthiscrucialpointwillbethefirsttocreatethekindofworkplaceemployeeswant.

How can an organization tackle stress when the most stressed—and most time-deprived —are the very managers and professionals who should be leading the way to solutions?

26 |

Human Solutions Report 2006 – 07 References

7 References

1 Basedon1999datafromtheWorkplaceandEmployeeSurvey.M.DroletandR.Morissette.Betterjobsintheneweconomy?Perspectives on Labour and Income.14(3):47–55,2002.2 R.Florida.The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life.NewYork:BasicBooks,2002.3 L.DuxburyandC.Higgins.Work–life Balance in the New Millennium: Where Are We? Where Do We Need To Go?Ottawa:CanadianPolicyResearchNetworks,DiscussionPaperNo.W-12,2001.B.Burchell,D.LadipoandF.Wilkinson,eds.Job Insecurity and Work Intensification.Routledge,2002.F.Green,Demanding Work: The Paradox of Job Quality in the Affluent Economy.PrincetonUniversityPress,2006.J.Barling,E.K.KellowayandM.R.Frone,eds.HandbookofWorkStress.Sage,2005.4 Seeforexample:Handbook of Work Stress.Barling,KellowayandFrone,eds.,2005.M.Shields.Stress,healthandthebenefitsofsocialsupport.Health Reports.15(1):9–38,2004.C.L.Cooper,P.J.DeweandM.P.O’Driscoll.Organizational Stress: A Review and Critique of Theory, Research, and Applications.Sage,2001.J.E.Ferrie,etal.Work,StressandHealth:TheWhitehallIIStudy.CivilServiceUnions&UKCabinetOffice,2004(www.ucl.ac.uk/whitehallII/).5 G.M.BellaviaandM.R.Frone.Work-familyconflict.In:Handbook of Work Stress.J.Barling,E.K.KellowayandM.R.Frone,eds.Sage,2005.6 L.DuxburyandC.Higgins.Work–life Conflict in Canada in the New Millennium.AStatusReport.Ottawa:HealthCanada,2003.7 DuxburyandHiggins.Work–life Balance in the New Millennium: Where Are We? Where Do We Need to Go?8 TheGeneralSocialSurveyisadministeredbyStatisticsCanadaandsamplesaresufficientlylargetoenablereliablepopulationestimates.UnpublisheddataprovidedbyStatisticsCanada.9 SeeL.T.Eby,W.J.Casper,A.Lockwood,etal.WorkandfamilyresearchinIO/OB:Contentanalysisandreviewoftheliterature(1980–2002).Journal of Vocational Behavior.66(1):124–97,2005.10 DuxburyandHiggins,Work–life Conflict in Canada in the New Millennium,2003.Alsosee:L.DuxburyandC.Higgins.Supportivemanagers:Whatarethey?Whydotheymatter?HRM Research Quarterly.1(Winter),1997:1–4.11 E.Appelbaum,T.Bailey,P.BergandA.Kalleberg.Organizationsandtheintersectionofworkandfamily.Acomparativeperspective.In:S.Ackroyd,R.Batt,P.ThompsonandP.S.Tolbert,eds.The Oxford Handbook of Work & Organization. Oxford University Press,2005.12 BellaviaandFrone.Work-familyconflict.In:Handbook of Work Stress,2005.13 G.S.Lowe.The Quality of Work: A People Centered Agenda.OxfordUniversityPress,2000.G.LoweandG.Schellenberg,What’s a Good Job? The Importance of Employment Relationships,CanadianPolicyResearchNetworks,2001.14 BellaviaandFrone.Work-familyconflict.In:Handbook of Work Stress,2005.

©2006WilsonBanwellPROACTHumanSolutions™.Allrightsreserved.

about the author

Graham Lowe, Ph.D., is the president and founder of The Graham Lowe Group, a workplace

consulting and research firm (www.grahamlowe.ca). Graham is Professor Emeritus at the

University of Alberta and a Research Associate at Canadian Policy Research Networks. He frequently

contributes articles to Canadian HR Reporter and other practitioner publications, served on

Statistics Canada’s Advisory Committee for the Workplace and Employee Survey, and is a member of

the Institute for Work and Health’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Graham’s numerous publications

include the acclaimed book, The Quality of Work: A People-Centered Agenda (Oxford University

Press, 2000), and he was the recipient of the 2004 Canadian Workplace Wellness Pioneer Award.

The goal and objective of the Innovations group is to synthesize and provide empirically valid,

reliable and relevant recommendations using new and existing knowledge in the area of

workplace health and productivity.

Graham Lowe Group Inc. and Wilson Banwell PROACT Human Solutions Inc. have established a

joint venture known as the Graham Lowe Human Solutions: Innovations group.

For additional information on this report or our servicesplease feel free to contact us.

1.888.689.8604

[email protected]

www.humansolutions.ca

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