Whatever happened to work-life balance?
Posted August 17, 2010 11:25 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – Labour day is a few weeks away and it seems for many it’s a desperately needed break.
A new survey for Everest College in North York found more than a third of Canadians nation-wide spend 10 hours a day or more commuting to and from work and on the job.
North York campus president Carol Stanford suggested the work-life balance appears to be in jeopardy with 35 per cent of people logging 10-plus hours at work and getting to and from our jobs.
“We find (it) concerning. When more than a third of the workforce puts in these longer hours, it starts to become the new normal,” explained Stanford.
Albertans topped the list at 44 per cent, followed by Manitoba and Saskatchewan at 39 per cent, and 38 per cent for Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. British Columbians appear to live up to their laid back reputation with 28 per cent of respondents saying they spend more than 10 hours a day on the work/commute.
The survey also found that people who are married seem to spend more time at work than those who are single. Nationally, 40 per cent of married respondents work and commute more than 10 hours a day compared to 24 per cent of single Canadians.
Some said they’re feeling the pressure to put in longer hours to protect their paycheques and many also say they have to juggle more than one job to be able to pay the bills.Many people near Union Station Tuesday morning were not surprised by the survey’s results.
Ashley, an insurance adjuster in training, told 680News she accepts her current fate in hopes of a better one later on.
“I’m single and I don’t think work will control me, but right now I want to get ahead, so I’ll put in the time with my family later,” she said.
Dave, a self-employed management consultant who said he’s on call 24 hours a day, told 680News a job can take over a person’s life if he or she lets it.
“Balance is meaning that you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you and you’re getting the best of the time that you do have,” he said while rushing to a meeting downtown.
Drug-store manager Gretta has this simple advice for anyone feeling overwhelmed: “Work hard. Play hard.”
