Overworked, under supported: survey says half of Canadians thinking of quitting their jobs

CALGARY – A new survey shows 49 per cent of Canadians are seriously considering leaving their job–in the middle of a pandemic.

The reasoning? Those polled say they feel isolated, overworked, and their employer has not done anything to support their declining well-being.

“When COVID first happened, layoffs were happening everywhere and people were just happy to have a job,” said Travis O’Rourke, President of Hays Canada.

The numbers from Hays are similar from province to province, but the biggest difference comes from whether people worked at the office 100 per cent of the time pre-pandemic.

“They’re the ones who are feeling isolated and they’re the ones who are sharing the greatest displeasure about their new situation.”

The solution isn’t just to throw more money at employees, which is good since only about a third of employers plan on increasing salaries in the next year.

The results show personal wellness is just as important, if not more important.

“So, you had a lot of employees who were working longer hours, doing more tasks, often tasks that they weren’t comfortable or weren’t used to previously doing and that was fine for a bit, but now they’re upset,” he said.

“[They’re saying], ‘Wait a minute–why am I doing this?’”

But while employees aren’t happy with what’s going on, 71 per cent of employers are at least somewhat optimistic about Canada’s future employment outlook.

“Take care of your staff and show an interest. Talk to them. Listen to their challenges. Get their feedback, to help reduce the feeling of isolation because that’s where the majority of the displeasure is coming from.”

The survey was conducted in July and August, when COVID-19 numbers were in a different place, but with cases steadily on the rise, you may get different answers if you were to ask the same questions today.

“But as we look to 2021, if we as Canadians follow the advice of medical leaders, I think it’s going to be moving season.”

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