Amid the elevated anxiety, stress, and exhaustion during COVID-19, the pandemic has also resulted in improved loyalty to employers and a stronger sense of purpose in the workforce, finds a new poll by KPMG in Canada. The biggest workplace challenges, say full-time Canadian employees, include work/life balance, isolation, COVID-19 exposure, and a heavy workload.
Four in five (80 per cent) say their employer has treated them fairly during the pandemic, of which 18 per cent described the first few months of the pandemic as “rocky” but their employer pivoted, making “positive adjustments along the way.” But, nearly half say their workload is heavier than it was pre-pandemic.
Key Findings:
- Nearly half (49 per cent) of full-time employees in Canada say their workload is “much or somewhat more” today than pre-pandemic
- 36 per cent say their workload is about the same, and only 15 per cent say they have less or much less work today
- 31 per cent say they’re so overworked that they’re on the verge of burnout, or are burnt out
- Nearly three in five (59 per cent) find more purpose in their jobs today, saying they feel more motivated and engaged, and that they are making more of an impact compared to before the pandemic
- 80 per cent say their employer has treated them fairly since the pandemic started, including 18 per cent who said that although first few months of the pandemic were “rocky”, their employer “made positive adjustments along the way.”
- 29 per cent are more committed or loyal to their employer than they were pre-pandemic; 18 per cent were either less committed or actively seeking other employment, while commitment/loyalty of the remaining 53 per cent had not changed.
- 62 per cent say the pandemic has proven that they can work independently
