Victoria Alarcon
Features & Opinions Editor
As Canadians, we’re seen as happy and relaxed people. From our friendly accents to our multicultural background, we’re known for the good things. But according to a recent survey by Workforce Institute that surveyed 1,006 Canadians, 52 per cent of the population lies to get out of work.
An international survey was conducted online in July which surveyed 9,400 people in total around the world (two-thirds of which were full and part-timers). Canada ranked fourth for playing hooky. China ranked highest with 71 per cent of employees lying about being sick, whereas France had the lowest percentage at 16 per cent. The United States tied with Canada at 52 per cent.
Joyce Maroney, director of the Workforce Institute at Kronos Inc., says that the high results have a huge correlation with the number of days Canadians and Americans get in paid leave.
“I think it has to do with Canada and the US having, relatively speaking, less paid time off for the average employee than some of these other countries,” explains Maroney. “The US has about 20 days off per year, between public holidays and paid vacation, [whereas] Canada is more like 24 on average. That’s low compared to other parts of the world.”
It’s the reason China had the highest tendency to play hooky—since China on average has only around 10 days of paid time off and it is not mandated by the government.
Though Canada may not have taken the top spot in playing hooky, Canada did surpass all other countries when it came to the number of respondents citing stress as the number one reason why they skip work—71 per cent.
York psychology professor Esther Greenglass is currently researching the relationship between the aftermath of the 2008 economic recession and its effects on workplaces. She believes that Canadian employees are being stressed by uncertain economic times.
“Even though most of the world is suffering more than Canada, these are very uncertain economic times,” says Greenglass. “There’s a very high unemployment rate. For those people who are employed, many of them are fearing for their jobs and their job security.”
This kind of fear runs through many Canadian lives. It’s why many of us stay with the jobs we have regardless of whether we’re happy. And it’s that sort of reality that will raise stress levels and raise the tendency to play hooky.
“The problem with being stuck in your job is that it may not be providing you with the stimulation you need,” says Greenglass. “It may be actually generating a lot of stress that you may have to endure because you know there aren’t any other jobs.”
Currently, Canada’s unemployment rate stands at 7.3 per cent while the US is stuck at nine per cent. And for students who are also dealing with high debts and high tuition fees, the thought of leaving a meaningless job is just not an option anymore.
Kyle Killian, an associate professor at York, believes that increased connectivity may also be a reason Canadians are experiencing increased work stress.
“It is easier for employers to get a hold of employees at all hours of the day (and night),” he writes in an email. “It’s not just our bosses doing this to us, we are doing it to ourselves—how many of us reach for our smartphone first thing in the morning before our beverage of choice, feverishly click on it all day, and then check it again as our last waking moment? That’s often labour that is ‘off the clock’ and may not be compensated.”
Though increased technology does weigh heavily in the reason why Canadians feel they deserve a day off, a different national philosophy may be the culprit.
“In North America, we live to work. In Europe, they work to live, and proceed to do so, with six weeks vacation per year plus holidays,” writes Killian. “It’s nice to work in Europe and banking and government jobs are fabulous. […] Many Canadians may feel they deserve a day off now and again [with that in mind].”
Stress in the workplace doesn’t look like it will go away. As a result, Canada’s hooky problem may never be solved. Greenglass notes that at the end of the day, we as individuals have to learn to cope with our stressful situations at work.
“If the job is stressful, but you need it, find other ways to make it pleasurable; for example, are there people who you work with who are very nice and you could socialize with and exchange information with?” recommends Greenglass. “Socialize and have some social interaction on the job that makes it more tolerable.”
“It’s really up to the individual to find ways to make the day to day life more pleasurable and more optimistic.”
