Six-in-ten workers in Canada report being satisfied with the employee benefits they currently receive from their employer.
ADP Canada Co. (“ADP Canada”)’s monthly Happiness@Work Index ("Index") for May holds steady as spring progresses.
The National Work Happiness Score for May 2026 is 6.9/10, unchanged from last month and up 0.1-point compared to May last year.
The latest Index suggests that workers in Canada continue to place strong importance on supplementary employee benefits that support both their immediate well-being and long-term financial security. When asked which benefits matter most to them, workers ranked extended health coverage (53%), paid time off beyond the statutory minimum (49%) and retirement savings plans (48%) as their top priorities.
The findings point to a workforce that is increasingly prioritizing stability, flexibility, and overall quality of life. While extended health coverage remains the leading priority, the strong emphasis on additional paid time off highlights the growing importance of work-life balance in today’s workplace. Although six-in-ten (60%) workers in Canada report being very or somewhat satisfied with their current employee benefits, one-in-six (16%) remain neutral, while 13 per cent report being somewhat or very dissatisfied, suggesting there is still room for employers to better align their benefits offerings with evolving employee expectations.
“The latest Index highlights the important role employee benefits continue to play in shaping workplace satisfaction,” says Heather Haslam, vice president of marketing at ADP Canada. “Workers are clearly prioritizing benefits that support their health, financial well-being and overall work-life balance. For employers, these findings reinforce the value of offering benefits packages that align with employees’ evolving needs and expectations, particularly at a time when organizations continue to focus on attraction and retention.”
May 2026 Happiness@Work Index Highlights
The May 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 (7.6/10) remain the happiest generation this month, while Gen X worker happiness (6.8/10) increases for the first time since November 2025. Québec (7.1/10) ranks as the happiest region in Canada this month, while Atlantic Canada (6.8/10) records a 0.4-point drop after ranking first in April 2026. Ontario (6.7/10) becomes the lowest-ranking region this 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. This month 1,894 randomly selected employed Canadian adults (including both employees and self-employed individuals) who are online panelists participated 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 +/-2.3%, 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 June 24, 2026.
