Shaping the Future of Work in Canada: Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

This report was published in May 2023 by the Future Skills Centre (fsc-ccf.ca). Here are links to the English and French versions:

Download English report here 

Download French report here 

Executive Summary

Nearly three years after the declaration of a global pandemic, there is a growing body of research on how the pandemic has affected work and workers in Canada. Yet, lacking is a finely grained analysis, based on representative data, of how working arrangements, job quality and well-being, and worker’s future expectations and aspirations are changing in Canada as a result of the pandemic shock.

The Shaping the Future of Work in Canada project was designed to fill this gap. It contributes rich data that can inform public debates about evolving work arrangements, worker’s aspirations, and how employers can design healthy, high-quality, and productive jobs as Canada moves into post-pandemic recovery in 2023 and beyond.

The centrepiece of the project is the Shaping the Future of Work in Canada Survey (FWCS), a representative adult population survey involving over 5,000 respondents in Canada. Carried out in the Fall of 2022, the FWCS gathered detailed information on worker’s socio-demographic status and their work experiences during the pandemic, including their labour force activity, experiences of remote work, job satisfaction, well-being, and future expectations and plans.

Amongst the FWCS key findings:

  • The pandemic has clearly reshaped established working patterns in Canada. Since the pandemic was declared in March 2020, over 40% of workers surveyed currently or until recently worked from home, and another 25% had worked from home for several months. Over one-third did not work from home at any point.
  • The pandemic shock and sudden shift to virtual, home-based, work has accentuated existing labour market and social inequalities. Most remote workers are well-educated knowledge workers with high household income, typically aged 35-54 years. Between 70% and 90% of workers in sciences, government services, business and finance, education, law, social services, management, and arts culture and recreation worked remotely during the pandemic. One exception was in healthcare, where many professionals continued to provide in-person services in an increasingly strained system.
  • Job quality and satisfaction differs significantly between remote workers and those who have continued working at an employer’s worksite. Across 14 distinct measures, remote workers report being far more satisfied with their work – often by more than 10 percentage points – than those working on-site. Between 70% and 83% of remote workers were satisfied or very satisfied with the respect they received from co-workers, independence, how they go about doing their work, job security, work-family balance, and doing meaningful work. 
  • Questions on well-being also find remote workers feeling more hopeful, having better self-rated mental health, and higher life satisfaction and well-being than non-remote workers. Remote workers also report a variety personal and family benefits flowing, including reduced commuting time and costs, and more positive financial expectations for the future.
  • Yet, while remote work has enhanced workers’ job quality and overall well-being, it appears to have weakened the employment relationship. Notably 42% of workers who had been able to work remotely at some point during the pandemic agreed that “Remote work has shown me that I can work anywhere and, as a result, I feel less attached to a specific organization or employer.” 
  • When asked about C, 76% of remote workers indicated that they would prefer to work remotely all or most of the time. Only 4% did not want to continue working from home.
  • Only half of remote workers in Canada have been consulted by their employer about their future work arrangements. And only 40% of this group were satisfied with their input into their employer’s post-pandemic work plans. Even fewer non-remote workers (35%) were satisfied with their input into their employer’s post-pandemic work plans.
  • But amongst those FWCS respondents who did have input, 86% reported being satisfied with their jobs, and 73% said they were unlikely to switch careers. Only about one third of those satisfied with input would seek another job if asked to return to the workplace. This compares to 58% of those dissatisfied with their planning input.

The FWCS findings have direct implications for employers’ recruitment and retention strategies, and for how they go about planning their post-pandemic work arrangements. They also highlight for employers the need to provide all employees with meaningful input into post-pandemic work plans. Employers who succeed in doing this are more likely to build a loyal and committed workforce.

Shaping the future of work in Canada

New Policy Options article on the future of work in Canada. Written by me, Merv Gilbert and Karen Hughes.

Canadians who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced considerable job satisfaction and positive well-being. Many remote workers realized they could work anywhere and as a result felt less of an attachment to their employer. Employers need to involve their workers in any return-to-work plans to create an environment they’ll want to return to.

The article is based on results from The Shaping the Future of Work in Canada Survey, conducted in the fall of 2022 by EKOS Research Associates and funded by the Future Skills Centre (https://fsc-ccf.ca/).

Webinar: Shaping the Future of Work in Canada: Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

November 30 Wellness Works webinar by Graham Lowe.
Shaping the Future of Work in Canada: Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

Much speculation swirls around the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers and the future of work in Canada. Lacking is a finely grained analysis of how job quality and worker well-being has changed during the pandemic. The Future of Work survey, conducted by EKOS Research Associates this fall, is designed to fill this knowledge gap. Prominent issues documented in the survey include how to promote workers’ mental and physical well-being, how work from home arrangements can evolve in sustainable ways, how the pandemic has impacted job quality, and to what extent workers’ experiences during the pandemic have prompted some to fundamentally rethink what they want out of a job.

I will present key findings from the Future of Work Survey and moderate a discussion about how the future of work can be shaped in ways that optimize benefits for workers, employers, and Canadian society.

The Future of Work project is being conducted by a Research Consortium and funded by the Future Skills Centre.

TO REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqc-morD8qEtSqeyfIrqS7AvXx60I8y5jx

I am pleased to be participating in this Webinar – Canadian Patient Safety Week 2022: Safety Conversations Start with a Safe Workplace and Workforce

11 Oct 2022

October 24 to October 28 is Canadian Patient Safety Week 2022, and the theme is “Press play on Safety Conversations,” focusing on safer care of older adults through safety conversations and actions.

In partnership with Healthcare Excellence Canada, we are hosting a joint webinar on Thursday, October 27, from 12 -1 pm ET. This interactive webinar will convene a panel of senior leaders to share their experience designing and implementing the new Health Standards Organization (HSO) Workforce Survey on Well-Being, Quality and Safety (WSWQS). Participants will hear about the survey methodology, validation process, and learnings from early adopter health care organizations.

The HSO Workforce Survey on Well-Being, Quality and Safety reinforces the value of asking the right questions about safety, listening, and acting on the results. This webinar is for health care providers, administrators, researchers, patients, family members and policymakers.

REGISTER HERE

Psychological Health & Safety Pulse Check©

Dr. Merv Gilbert and I are pleased to announce our new collaboration with Excellence Canada to offer organizations the Psychological Health & Safety Pulse Check.© Merv Gilbert is Director of Vancouver Psych Safety Consulting and one of Canada’s leading experts on healthy workplaces. The Psychological Health & Safety Pulse Check© (PH&S Pulse Check) is an employee survey that provides a quick assessment of the key workplace factors that strengthen psychological health and safety in organizations today.

About the PH&S Pulse Check
The Psychological Health & Safety Pulse Check© is an online diagnostic tool that asks employees about their perceptions of their work responsibilities, work relationships, and management support over the previous four weeks. The PH&S Pulse Check assesses key workplace factors identified in the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. In addition, there are five demographic questions that enable comparison across groups or departments, and one open-ended question asking for suggestions to improve psychological health and safety in the respondent’s workplace.

All items in the PH&S Pulse Check are actionable, designed to facilitate evidence-based action-planning. PH&S Pulse Check items were selected based on statistical analysis of a stratified sample of 5,010 working Canadians who completed the 2016 Guarding Minds@Work Employee Survey. Guarding Minds@Work is a widely used resource that has helped organizations to assess and enhance workplace psychological health and safety. PH&S Pulse Check items are highly correlated with trust, making the tool a good predictor of an organization’s underlying culture.

Using the PH&S Pulse Check
The PH&S Pulse Check will be administered by Excellence Canada. It takes about 10 minutes to complete. No personal information is collected; all responses are anonymous and confidential. This brief survey can be repeated to capture employees’ evolving experiences of the recovery phase of the pandemic and beyond. It can be used by any type, sector, or size of organization. In larger organizations, the PH&S Pulse Check can be used to compare differences between specific departments, work sites, occupational groups, or work situations (e.g., working from home vs on-site). It is available in English and French.

Clients will receive the following: On-line administration of the survey, ongoing response rate monitoring, secure data storage, and analysis of the results. A concise report of organizational-level results, highlighting strengths and opportunities for improvement. The report also includes practical recommendations, and suggestions for communicating results to employees and using results for action planning. Customization options (separately priced) include: Organization-specific language, format or demographics. A module (6 items) assessing employees’ preferences and concerns regarding post-pandemic work arrangements. Individualized reports for multiple departments or sites. Expert consultation on the action planning process.

Contact Russ Gahan at Excellence Canada for more information: russ@excellence.ca

Wellness Works Canada’s Health and Performance Self-Assessment

Wellness Works Canada has just launched its Health and Performance Self-Assessment Questionnaire. After signing the Wellness Works Health and Performance Charter (https://wellnessworkscanada.ca/charter/), organizations can access this free self-assessment tool.  

It is a short, nine-question assessment that addresses the following topics: change management, strategic planning, psychological health and safety, collaboration and commitment, resources, and partnerships.

The assessment helps organizational leaders review their current strategies, practices, and resources to identify future opportunities that can sustain employee well-being and organizational performance. 

After completing the self-assessment, organizations can access an accompanying resource guide that offers practical suggestions for taking action on their assessment results.

For non-members, the Health and Performance Self-Assessment Questionnaire is available through donation, which supports Wellness Works Canada’s on-going development of tools, resources and professional development opportunities.

Global Workplace Wellness Summit

JOIN ME AT THE GLOBAL WORKPLACE WELLNESS SUMMIT

NOV 8-10, 2021

Join us to rebuild, rethink and revive your workplace at the Global Workplace Wellness Summit from Nov 8 to 10. The two days are jam packed with sessions and over 40 expert speakers. On Nov 8, I will be joining Victoria Grainger to moderate a panel discussion with leaders from Covenant Health, Beamdog and Nose Creek Sport Physiotherapy as they discuss healthy responses to pandemic challenges. Leaders will have the opportunity to meet each other, share successful practices, and have a practical discussion on how we can expand the movement and advocate for employee well-being through the Workplace Health and Performance Charter and other programs.   Register HERE or, if you have a pass already, you can UPGRADE HEREto get a VIP pass for $199.

Mon, Nov 8, 12:15 PM – 2:00 PM PST Global Workplace Wellness Summit (VIP Session co-hosted by Wellness Works) Private Event by Wellness Works Canada. To register for this session: https://lnkd.in/g5q7i2Hj

The Global Workplace Wellness Summit offers an easy way to build an effective workplace well-being strategy. Join us now show your commitment to wellness at work globally. For more information:
https://lnkd.in/g_KuWdP2

Trust & Teams: Creating Sustainability for Healthy and Safe Workplaces

Are you an #HRProfessional#leader or #manager looking to build more trust on your team? Join me and Dr. Merv Gilbert for the next MindWell-U webinar.
We’ll discuss:
– Why trust matters in the workplace and how we can measure it.
– The implications of COVID-19 on trust in organizations
– How we can build trust in teams.
– Strategies for recovery and sustaining psychologically healthy and safe organizations post-pandemic
VIEW THE LIVE WEBINAR: https://www.mindwellu.com/trust-and-teams