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Only a quarter of employers in Canada offer seasonal employee perks during the summer.
TORONTO, July 31, 2024 – The July edition of the ADP Canada monthly Happiness@Work Index ("Index") reveals that workers in Canada feel happier this month and are in better spirits than last year. While the summer season looks different for each workplace, and some companies introduce summer perks, for a majority (68%) of employees in Canada, summertime is business as usual.
The National Work Happiness Score for July 2024 is 6.8/10, a 0.1-point increase from June.
"The summer can be a great time for employers to reflect and compare current internal practices with those trending throughout their industry and beyond," says Heather Haslam, vice president of marketing at ADP Canada. "Even though universally applying perks and benefits isn't feasible, top employers stay current with trends in the labour market and evolve employee programs over time."
July 2024 Happiness@Work Index Highlights
- National Work Happiness Score: 6.8/10 (+0.1) *
- Indicator Breakdown
- Primary Indicator: 7.0/10 (NC) *
- Secondary Indicators:
- Work-Life Balance & Flexibility: 6.9/10 (NC) *
- Recognition & Support: 6.6/10 (NC) *
- Compensation & Benefits: 6.3/10 (+0.1) *
- Options for Career Advancement: 6.1/10 (+0.1) *
Almost half (48%) of workers in Canada surveyed feel satisfied with their current roles and responsibilities, with increases across most secondary indicators.
Boomers (7.3/10) remain the happiest generation for the 18th consecutive month, while Gen-Z's (7.0/10) sentiment score remains unchanged at second place. Regionally, Atlantic Canada (7.3/10) reclaims first place from Québec (7.2/10) as the happiest region in July. Manitoba and Saskatchewan (6.7/10) recorded remarkable growth in sentiment this month.
National Work Happiness Score: Generational Snapshot
- Boomers (59+): 7.3/10 (+0.2) *
- Gen-Z (18-26): 7.0/10 (NC) *
- Millennials (27-42): 6.8/10 (+0.1) *
- Gen-X (43-58): 6.5/10 (-0.1) *
Regional Work Happiness Score Snapshot
- Atlantic Canada: 7.3/10 (+0.3) *
- Québec: 7.2/10 (+0.1) *
- British Columbia: 6.8/10 (+0.1) *
- Alberta: 6.7/10 (NC) *
- Sask/Manitoba: 6.7/10 (+0.4) *
- Ontario: 6.5/10 (-0.1) *
Only a quarter (24%) of workers in Canada say their employers offer seasonal benefits, including flexible summer hours (48%), reduced work hours (39%), casual dress days (34%), work-from-anywhere policies and more team-bonding events (22%).
"Summer perks such as flexible hours and work-from-anywhere policies can significantly enhance employee engagement, promote work-life balance, and boost overall happiness during the summer season. The fall traditionally sees workers' stress levels rise as the pace of life accelerates with back-to-school and work activities, making summer a necessary time to unwind," concludes Haslam.
About the Happiness@Work Index Methodology
The Happiness@Work Index is measured monthly through a survey fielded by Maru Public Opinion on behalf of ADP Canada and is undertaken by the sample and data collection experts at Maru/Blue. The survey is run in the first week of each reported month for consistency purposes and asks over 1,200 randomly selected employed Canadian adults (including both employees and self-employed individuals) who are Maru Voice Canada online panelists to rate workplace factors on a scale from 1 to 10. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding.
The results are weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Québec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/-2.8%, 19 times out of 20.
The Index will continue to be published on the last Wednesday of the month, with the next scheduled findings due for publication on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
*Variation against June 2024 scores