Do you properly balance your professional and personal lives? If so, then you are part of the minority. According to recent statistics, it would seem that more than half of Canadians have more work to do than they can possibly accomplish on any given work day. Struggling to keep up on the job has some serious health and productivity consequences on employees and corporations.
Overloaded, overwhelmed and underperforming. That is how 54 percent of Canadian employees feel today, states the Conference Board of Canada. That may be because almost two-thirds of us work over 45 hours a week, more than twice as much as in 1991. With such staggering statistics, it is no wonder Canadians are struggling to keep up with growing work demands while juggling with family life.
Harsh economic climates have caused many positions to be slashed, which in turn adds a heavy burden on those individuals who must now take on new roles and responsibilities, in addition to working on their regular tasks. These employees often feel unable to properly perform because they lack the knowledge or skills needed.
Current technologies are also partially to blame. More individuals are today interrupted by employer calls, texts and constant emails than ever before. However, work interruptions require employees to make extra efforts in order to avoid deteriorating performances, which in turn have negative impacts on workers’ well-beings.
Overloading employees can lead to some dangerous mental health issues, such as depression, absenteeism and its more recent counterpart, presenteeism. Presenteeism occurs when employees are physically present but cannot properly perform their tasks due to physical or emotional concerns.
Statistics Canada estimates these types of issues in the workplace cost Canadian businesses between $15 and $25 billion per year in productivity loses.