It appears that many Canadians prefer a hybrid work from home model, a new report suggests.
A new research report from Accenture that surveyed 9,326 workers from around the globe over a one-month period this past March found that 83 per cent of workers, including 61 per cent of Canadians, prefer a hybrid work model — a combination of working remotely or from home and onsite or at the office.
“People who have the option to work in a hybrid model are better able to manage mental health challenges, have stronger work relationships and plan to stay with their companies a long time,” Janet Krstevski, managing director and Canada Talent, Organization and Human Potential practice lead at Accenture, said in a press release
According to the report, 37 per cent of Canadians felt they could be productive and healthy primarily while working remotely, while another 41 per cent feel they can be productive and healthy working from anywhere.
However, it also said that only 26 per cent of Canadians said they felt they were thriving while working remotely, compared to 42 per cent globally. Additionally, 28 per cent of Canadians feel their employer is meeting their emotional health needs — compared to 36% globally — while only 26 per cent said they felt their employer is meeting their physical health needs, compared to 34 per cent globally.
“The state of Canadians’ mental health is concerning and as responsible leaders, we need to advance the future of work dialogue to be not just about location, but to also address what drives the productivity, health and resilience of Canadian workers,” added Krstevski.
Curiously, the report also suggests that younger workers are yearning for more face-to-face interaction compared to older colleagues.
Of those surveyed globally, 74 per cent of those who fall in the Generation Z demographic want more opportunities to collaborate with colleagues face-to-face, compared to just 66 per cent of Generation Xers and 68 per cent of Baby Boomers.
Furthermore, 85 per cent of workers worldwide who indicated that they can remain productive and healthy working from anywhere also said they plan to stay with their company for a long time, the report noted.
“As future of work discussions continue to be top of mind for businesses, understanding how leaders can maximize people’s potential regardless of their location is imperative,” said Krstevski.
Accenture says their research team interviewed workers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
CHEK News
