Work-Life Balance in Canadian Workplaces

This website has been created to help organizations design and implement supportive programs and policies facilitating work-life balance. By reducing work-life struggles, individuals can enjoy a healthier lifestyle while improving productivity at work. A first section allows employers, unions, managers and human resources practitioners to access the latest information and examples of best practices that enhance work-life balance for their employees.

Featuring

• Report on the costs and benefits of work-life balance workplace practices (PDF)
  

  The report, Cost-Benefit Review of Work-Life Balance Practices, made available in January 2009, synthesizes the major findings on the costs and benefits of work-life balance practices from the existing body of policy, business and academic literature. Key findings indicate that some benefits accrue to individual employees, while others are reflected in improved organizational performance (including cost savings, increased productivity, shareholder value, and increased customer satisfaction and retention). The report was completed on behalf of a subcommittee on work-life balance of the Canadian Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation (CAALL).

  Febraury 2009
• Workaholics and time perception
  One out of every three Canadians identifies themselves as a workaholic, and these individuals are much more likely to be dissatisfied with the balance between their work and family time than other workers, a new study has found. The study, published today in the May online edition of Canadian Social Trends, used data from the 2005 General Social Survey (GSS) to examine whether quality of life is different for workers who describe themselves as workaholics than for those who do not self-identify as workaholics.
  May 15 2007
• Work hours instability (PDF Version) 
  Discussions related to work hours are typically driven by cross-sectional studies. Much less is known about the longitudinal perspective and the persistence of long hours or periods of underemployment. The annual hours of employees are examined over a five-year period to determine what proportion experience variable work years and how their well-being is affected.
  Dec 16 2006
• Time with the family
  Spending more time at work and less time with the family? You're not alone, according to a new study that examines the time Canadian workers spend with family members during a typical workday. The study, published today in Canadian Social Trends, found that on average workers spent 45 minutes less with their family during workdays in 2005 than they did two decades earlier. Based on a 260-day work year, that amounts to 195 hours less, or the equivalent of about five 40-hour work weeks.
  Feb 13 2007

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