More than half of Canadians support the Federal Government’s decision to require employees to work 3 days in office.
June 27, 2024
Working from home emerged largely as a necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation built for work from home models during the pandemic triggered a longer-term shift from in-office to working from home and hybrid options for many organizations. While many praise it for its contribution to work-life balance, it has not been without its controversies as questions about productivity when working from home, as well as the loss of other in-office benefits, remain. Many employers have been attempting to shift back to an in-office model, and this has often been met with resistance from the workforce.
Survey results highlight conflicting opinions among employed Canadians regarding working from home. On the one hand, a majority (64%) agree that employers have the right to choose where employees should work, while on the other, a majority (57%) also agree that employees should have the right to work from home. These opinions truly reflect the complexity of navigating the work from home model. As would be expected, those currently working from home are more likely to support employees’ rights to work from home. There is also a notable difference across generations with Gen X and Millennials being almost twice as likely as Boomers to support employees’ rights to work from home. Across the country, those in Quebec are most likely, and those in Atlantic Canada least likely, to agree employees should have the right to work from home.
Currently, almost half of working Canadians work from home to some degree, with one in four (24%) working Canadians working from home full-time, and another one-quarter (24%) having a hybrid model. Canadians who currently work from home or worked from home since the pandemic generally feel they are as productive (43%) or more productive working from home (37%). That said, one in five (20%) feel they are less productive. Interestingly, women are notably more likely than men to feel they are more productive working from home (48% versus 28%).
A slim majority (53%) of Canadians believe working from home provides a better work life balance for employees. Agreement is elevated among those with work from home experience. Few think it is worse (13%), although a similar percentage are unsure.
Among employees who have worked from home in the past or currently do so, most feel that they are as productive (43%) or more productive (37%) while working from home, though two in ten believe they are less productive.
Both working from home and in-office are viewed as having benefits, albeit the benefits of working in-office are less widely touted. Interestingly, the primary benefits of working from home are benefits enjoyed by the employee, with less time commuting (79%) and cost savings (78%) selected as key benefits of working from home, followed by better mental health (50%) and increased productivity (36%). The latter two are more widely viewed as benefits by those who are or have worked from home than those without such experience. Moreover, Boomers are significantly less inclined to recognize these benefits than younger generations. Fostering better working relationships with colleagues (58%) and spontaneous conversations with colleagues (53%) are viewed as key benefits of working in-office, followed by a more productive working environment (42%) and better potential for career development and progression (42%).
As employers navigate the work-from home versus in-office balance, eyes have turned to the Federal Government’s recent decision to require all government employees to work in-office three days a week as opposed to two days. This decision is supported by a slight majority (55%) of Canadians, who believe that the Federal Government should be able to require employees in-office for 3 days a week. There is limited opposition to this decision with just one-fifth (21%) opposing the action. One-quarter (25%) neither support nor oppose the decision. Support is lowest among Gen Z and highest among Boomers.
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between June 11-13, 2024 with 1,232 Canadians, including 769 working Canadians, from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2016 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution, and data tables are available upon request.
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned, research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
Data tables are available upon request.
