More than a third of employed residents of the province (35%, -7 since 2019) say work has put a strain on their relationships.
Vancouver, BC [April 16, 2021] – The number of employed British Columbians who feel they are doing a good job managing their jobs and their leisure time has increased over the past two years, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 41% of employed British Columbians claim to have achieved a perfect balance between work and lifestyle, up eight points since a similar Research Co. survey conducted in April 2019.
Conversely, 45% of employed British Columbians (-8) think work has become more important than lifestyle, while only 10% (-2) believe lifestyle is taking precedence over work.
“While the province-wide numbers may point to an improvement for the workforce of British Columbia, some generational differences prevail,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Only 32% of those aged 55 and over are putting their careers ahead of everything else, compared to 47% among those aged 35-to-54 and 50% among those aged 18-to-34.”
Almost two-in-five employed British Columbians (39%, -2) believe it is harder for them to achieve a work-life balance than it was for their parents, while 16% (-3) think this task is now easier.
More than a third of employed British Columbians (35%, -12) say they had to stay late after work in the past six months, while just under three-in-ten (28%, +3) had to take a work-related call on their mobile phone while they were with family or friends.
One in four employed British Columbians were compelled to reply to a work-related e-mail while they were with family or friends (24%, -4) or had to work from home on a weekend (24%, =).
Slightly fewer employed British Columbians had to work from home at night (22%, +1) or missed a “lifestyle” engagement (like a virtual or live family gathering or leisure activity) because they had to work (17%, -12).
Across the province, 35% of British Columbians acknowledge that their work has put a strain on their relationships with family and friends, down seven points since April 2019.
Employed British Columbians aged 18-to-34 are significantly more likely to admit that their relationships are suffering because of their jobs (48%) than their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (37%) and aged 55 and over (15%).
Methodology:
Results are based on an online study conducted from April 3 to April 6, 2021, among 650 adults in British Columbia who are employed full time or part time. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.9 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca