Sep 15, 2021
Work-life balance boots salary as top perk for employees: Survey
BNN Bloomberg
,How labour issues are shaping up in the federal election
Any Canadian employers struggling with the labour shortage might be best served to tout the ability to achieve a healthy work-life balance on their job postings, according to a new poll.
A survey released by ADP Canada and Maru Public Opinion on Wednesday found that work-life balance has ousted salary and benefits as a top employment perk for many Canadian workers.
Nearly one-third (31 per cent) of respondents said their work-life balance is more important to them compared to pre-pandemic times, with that number rising to 39 per cent of people surveyed who work remotely.
Workers' salary was the second-most sought after perk with 25 per cent of respondents ranking it as their top priority when looking for a job.
It “appears to be the first time ever” that salary and benefits have not been ranked as a number one employment perk, according to Heather Haslam, vice president of marketing at ADP Canada.
“The data shows there has been a significant shift in what working Canadians value within their current workplace,” she said in a release.
The survey also found 15 per cent of workers voluntarily changed jobs or left the workforce altogether during the pandemic – a number that rises to 22 per cent among remote workers.
Respondents said some of their reasons for leaving their job were personal life changes, wanting a reduced workload and stress, and more flexible hours.
Haslam noted those three reasons underscored a desire for a better work-life balance and said employers will have to consider these changing priorities if they hope to attract and retain top talent.
“This data draws a clear picture of what working Canadians are looking for, and what workplaces should be prioritizing as we move forward,” she said.
“Work and life are not independent entities fighting for a 50/50 balance,” she said. “Companies need to acknowledge work and life are intertwined with one affecting the other.”
The online survey was conducted from Sept. 1 to Sept. 3, and polled 3,032 Canadian adults with a +/- 2.2 per cent margin of error.