Canadian employees say they’re being pushed to breaking point at work, with a quarter quitting a job due to stress, and others considering it.
Lower-income earners most likely to blame overwork for their resignation, including 38 percent of those earning under $40,000, and 27 percent of those earning $40,000-$59,000 – above the national average of 25 percent, according to a survey for jobs website Monster Canada.
Of those earning at the upper end, 19 percent of workers earning more than $100,000 had quit due to stress, along with 23 percent earning $80,000 to $90,000, and 18 percent earning $60,000 to $79,000.
A further 17 percent of all workers said they had considered quitting due to stress.
Overall, 58 percent of Canadians say they’re overworked, led by employees in Quebec (64 per cent) and Ontario (61 percent). Workers in British Columbia were the least likely to say they're overworked (41 per cent), yet 27 percent had left a job due to stress.
"Working Canadians are under a lot of pressure on the job – this, coupled with personal commitments and a desire to advance professionally, may be creating a heightened sense of stress at work," says Monster’s general manager Angela Payne.
"For employers, this can lead to a worrying combination of decreased productivity and reduced staff retention."
Payne says those starting out in their careers may find it hard to say no to extra work and opportunities, which can then add to their stress levels.
She says employers should focus more of their retention efforts on employees earning under $40,000, as they appeared to be more affected by stress.
Nearly a third of respondents said their workload or being overworked was the most stressful part of the job, with a further 20 percent blaming office politics.
Although many employees feel overworked, 65 percent said their employer supports work-life balance, rising to 71 percent among those who have children aged under 18.
However, those who quit due to stress were much more likely to say their employer did not support work-life balance.
Payne suggests employers should take a look at staff workloads, as well as doing more to encourage workers to take advantage of work-life balance initiatives, and establishing employee engagement programs to raise motivation at work.
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