Around half of workers in Canada feel appreciated by their managers or organizations, with bonuses, incentives, and rewards seen as the key to their heart.
ADP Canada Co. (“ADP Canada”)’s monthly Happiness@Work Index ("Index") for February remains steady as the new year gets fully underway.
The National Work Happiness Score for February 2026 is 6.9/10, unchanged from last month, but reflecting a 0.2-point increase from February last year (6.7/10).
The latest Index also highlights a perception gap when it comes to appreciation in the workplace. While half (52%) of workers in Canada say they feel appreciated by their direct managers, fewer (46%) feel appreciated by their company overall.
When it comes to actions their employers use to make them feel appreciated, a third (33%) of workers mention receiving personalized feedback or thank-you messages, along with financial rewards (32%). Meanwhile, a quarter (25%) cite office perks, such as free meals, events, or upgraded equipment, as well as paid training, courses, or certifications. When asked about what they would like to feel appreciated, they ranked things slightly differently. Close to half (47%) saying bonuses, incentives, or rewards would help them feel more valued, while 41 per cent see competitive pay and regular salary reviews as impactful, and 29 per cent mentioned additional personal time-off.
“The latest Index points to a noticeable gap in how appreciation is experienced in the workplace,” says Heather Haslam, vice president of marketing at ADP Canada. “While many workers in Canada feel valued by their direct managers and companies, the findings reinforce that meaningful recognition can take many forms, from personalized feedback and financial incentives to office perks and opportunities for professional development. When employers prioritize these efforts, they can strengthen engagement and help employees feel genuinely valued.”
February 2026 Happiness@Work Index Highlights
The February Index reports that almost half (48%) of workers in Canada are satisfied with their current role and responsibilities, and Work-Life Balance & Flexibility remains the top contributor to overall satisfaction.
Boomers (7.5/10) remain in the happiest generation, recording a 0.3-point increase, while Gen X (6.7/10) remains at the bottom. Regionally, Atlantic Canada (7.1/10) remains as the happiest generation this month, despite recording a 0.1-point decrease. After ranking second last month, Manitoba/Saskatchewan (6.6/10) is now the least happy region, recording a 0.4-point decrease compared to last month.
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 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 March 25, 2026.
