A majority of North American employees don’t accept being transferred
Despite an unfavourable labour market, only 14% of laid-off workers accepted a transfer this year, according to a survey conducted among 7,000 employees across Canada and the United States. There are many factors for resistance: growing popularity of telecommuting, establishment of more flexible working conditions by companies or even physical reticence (difficulties in selling a home in time or at the right price, for example). Indeed, workers only tend to accept a new position if it is particularly attractive or the offer is financially advantageous. The trend is even more pronounced among professionals or intermediate level team leaders.
Depression and stress: major sources of concern in North America
19.4% of Canadian workers who sought an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in the last twelve months sought help for depression. This figure is similar to that for the United States and twice as high as in the United Kingdom. The study conducted by ComPsych, supplier of employee assistance programs, shows that Canadian employees primarily seek information on child care (30.6%), then death (22.2%), depression, anger (16.7%) and taxes (11.1%). In the United States, the workers’ primary concern is stress, for 46.1% of them, and in the United Kingdom it’s smoking, for 33.3% of employees.
Small business, on the cutting edge for teleworking
According to a study conducted by BMO, 31% of Canadian companies are setting up teleworking solutions for their employees. Small scale companies are the most successful in the field. Indeed, 11% of employees in organizations with less than fifty employees work remotely compared to 6% in those with more than fifty people. Half of teleworkers in small companies spend at least 80% of their time outside the office. There are many advantages, such as contributing to maintaining a balance between personal and professional life, improving productivity or even strengthening customer relationships with employees who spend more time at appointments.