Workers in Canada are clocking in more than two extra days in overtime to prepare and catch up from a one-week vacation – up from last year.
ADP Canada Co. (“ADP Canada”)’s monthly Happiness@Work Index ("Index") for December shows a decrease in worker happiness. It also finds that on average, workers in Canada who took vacation this year claim to have paid 16.9 extra hours in "time-off tax" – the additional time worked before and after a one-week vacation – to prepare and catch up on top of regular work hours.
The National Work Happiness Score for December 2025 is 6.8/10, representing a 0.2-point decrease from the previous month, although a notable improvement from December 2024 (6.6/10).
The Index also reveals that just under a third (32%) of workers in Canada say they took all their allotted vacation time this year, similar to the previous year, yet still well below pre-pandemic figures (48%). In addition, a third (33%) say that they took at least half – but not all - of their vacation time in 2025, while a quarter took less than half, or no vacations.
“These insights highlight that, even when workers in Canada make an effort to take meaningful time off, many still find themselves putting in extra hours to prepare for, or catch up from their vacations,” says Heather Haslam, vice-president of marketing at ADP Canada. “It’s a clear reminder that while resting is essential, the process of taking time away can still feel demanding. As we wrap up the year, employers have an opportunity to ease that transition by fostering supportive policies and workloads that allow people to truly disconnect and return feeling refreshed and ready to perform at their best heading into the new year.”
December 2025 Happiness@Work Index Highlights
The December Index reports that nearly half (46%) of workers in Canada are satisfied with their current role and responsibilities, and Work-Life Balance & Flexibility remains the top contributor to overall satisfaction.
While baby boomers (7.4/10) remain the happiest generation this month with a steady score from November, all the other generations are seeing a decrease, with millennials (6.7/10) remaining the least happy generation in December. Regionally, British Columbia (7.0/10) takes the first spot this month, recording a 0.1-point increase. Manitoba/Saskatchewan (6.8/10) remains the least happy region for workers in Canada this month, a trend observed four times in the past five months.
National Work Happiness Score: Generational Snapshot
Regional Work Happiness Score Snapshot
About the Happiness@Work Index Methodology
The Happiness@Work Index is measured monthly through a survey fielded by Harris Poll Canada on behalf of ADP Canada Co. 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 Harris Poll 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 January 28, 2026.
