While many employees in Canada say they value flexibility when it comes to working in a full-time job, over half say they prefer a traditional 9-to-5 workday.
A Softchoice study released November 17 found 52% of Canadians prefer to work in a single eight-hour block from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as opposed to working a flexible eight-hours broken up over a longer day.
American workers, however, value flexibility more than their Canadian counterparts, with only 37% saying they prefer a solid eight-hour day.
That’s not to say Canadians aren’t interested in flexibility; the survey found 79% of Canadian respondents feel it is important, and 51% would switch jobs for ones that are more flexible. By comparison, 70% of American workers said they would quit to pursue more flexible work.
“Technology has made it easier than ever for employees to stay connected to the workplace anytime, anywhere, and, as a result, employees increasingly enjoy more flexibility over their schedules,” said Softchoice president and CEO David MacDonald.
Across both Canada and the United States, many workers say they would choose a more flexible workday to be able to schedule appointments, pick up their kids from school or run errands.
Perhaps surprisingly, fewer millennials than baby boomers say they value flexibility. The survey found 58% of millennials would prefer to work a standard eight-hour block workday, compared with 31% of boomers.
Most employees—62%—say they work better outside of the office, and 59% say they have been given devices such as laptops, mobile phones, tablets and even wearables from their workplaces to conduct work remotely.
