3 in 5 Canadian employees are more stressed about work this year

According to a fresh survey, 3 in 5 Canadian employees are experiencing more work-related stress compared to last year. This is due to heavy workloads and a lack of job stability. Many also note that they don't feel supported by their employer.

Robert Walters, an international recruitment firm, surveyed more than 2,500 employees at various companies in Canada. The survey investigated working conditions in Canada. In summarizing the results, Robert Walters found a disconnect between how much money companies spend on wellness initiatives and how employees feel at work.

According to the survey, 60% of respondents experience stress at work, and more than a third of them (34%) said they experience this very stress "very often." Only 10% of respondents said they had not experienced "recurring stress" at work this year.

Martin Fox, managing director of Robert Walters Canada, says that since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, employers in Canada have spent an average of approximately CAD 400 to 600 per employee on wellness initiatives.

"There’s this dichotomy of employers thinking they are doing enough and employees thinking they are not," Fox shared with CTVNews.

According to 62% of Canadian workers surveyed, employers are not doing enough to combat stress in the workplace. Only 14% said they believe management's efforts in this area are sufficient.

Respondents were also asked who should be responsible for reducing stress at work. Almost half (45%) responded that this should be the responsibility of senior managers and HR departments. 19% of respondents believe it should be the responsibility of line managers.

What causes workplace stress in 2023? The survey shows that lines between a person’s work and personal life that are increasingly blurred, increasing workloads, and tight deadlines can all cause workers to become stressed. Research also shows that the number one cause of stress among office workers is concerns about job stability. This is not surprising given the massive layoffs in Canada and the U.S. this year at corporations like Meta, Amazon, Google, Lyft, and Bell.

Other reasons for stress cited by surveyed employees at Canadian companies include pressure from management, which 23% of respondents cited as the top cause of workplace nerves for themselves, and lack of pay raises, which nearly one in five respondents said.

“Feeling underpaid is a fast track to demotivation,” said Fox. “Unfortunately, the rising cost of living and inflation is making any sort of pay rise or proposed pay rise feel insignificant.”

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The last factor identified in the survey was increased workload. 13% of respondents reported that this is the main cause of work stress, noting that their workload has increased due to staff shortages in the company and because they need to constantly switch between tasks.

According to Martin Fox, the new wave of stress among workers is due to the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and a return to the office after a long period of telecommuting, as well as rising inflation. The combination of these factors is creating a "perfect storm."