Discussion #2: Statistics On Diversity In The Canadian Workforce

Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness

Humber College, North Campus

Changes in Organizations - BHSW 4502 - 0NA

Anita Nickerson

Tuesday, February 20th, 2024

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Chosen Demographic → Work from Home Trends

[ARTICLE] Working from home in Canada: What have we learned so far?

Summary & Key Trends:

● Estimate 39% of Canadian jobs can be done from home
● WFH feasibility varies according to education levels, industries, and regions
○ Roughly 6/10 workers with a bachelor’s degree can carry out their jobs from
home, while 10% of those with no high school diploma can work from home
○ WFH more possible for those working in finance, insurance, scientific and
technical services
○ WFH jobs concentrated in large cities like Toronto and Montreal
○ More telework could reduce greenhouse gas emission from commuting
○ Working from home might provide job security during future pandemics
○ Other countries also experienced increased telework during the pandemic
○ Surveys showed most workers and managers prefer more telework in the future

[ARTICLE] Working from Home Statistics in Canada

Summary & Key Trends:

● Pre-pandemic, 4% of Canadian workforce worked remotely, while during and post-
pandemic remote workers jumped to 20%
● April 2020: estimate of 40% of Canadian employees worked from home, most from
financial industry
● Estimate of 40% of all Canadian jobs can be effectively done at home
● Estimate of 90% of Canadians feel as productive or more productive working from home
compared to working in-office
○ 41.2% of these people claim to have been more productive working from home
○ Factors that reduce work-from-home (WFH) productivity are childcare, inadequate
working environments, not being able to access necessary work documents, weak
internet, and lack of social interaction
● 80% of new remote workers prefer to continue working remotely at least half of their
weekly hours
○ Reasons to continue working from home: higher job satisfaction, stronger autonomy,
money saved (gas and daycare)
● Estimate of 58% of workers with at least a bachelor’s degree reported having spent
majority of time WFH
● One survey revealed 40% of respondents felt WFH “impeded other areas of their lives:
○ hard to put boundaries on workloads
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Summary of Findings

The ability to work from home varied widely such as education level, job sector, and
location. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted over 40% of Canadian employees to perform
remotely (Morissette, 2021). During the pandemic, those with occupations allowing for remote
work worked more frequently. Surveys during this time revealed that most new teleworkers
could maintain or improve their productivity while working from home, with many expressing a
desire to continue working remotely post-pandemic. Furthermore, remote work might offer job
security during future pandemics. These patterns were not limited to Canada, as other countries
saw an increase in telework during the pandemic, with both employees and managers expressing
a desire for more opportunities to work from home in the future. In Canada, 90% found remote
work equally or more productive than in the office, with 41.2% reporting higher productivity at
home (Bush, 2024). 80% of new remote workers prefer maintaining remote work for at least half
their weekly hours, citing job satisfaction, autonomy, and savings. Challenges of working from
home include childcare, limited workspace, document access, weak internet, and social isolation.
Additionally, 40% feel remote work negatively affects other aspects of life, particularly
workload management. Addressing these is crucial for remote work success.

a) What stands out to you about the observed trend?

b)What did you find interesting about the observed trend?
c) What do you think are some of the challenges that faces your assigned demographic
currently, and in the near future?

After COVID, various countries including Canada saw a sharp increase in employees working
remotely compared to before the pandemic. For example before the pandemic “4% of the
Canadian workforce worked remotely, while during and post-pandemic remote workers jumped
to 20%” and today Approximately 39% of Canadian jobs can be done remotely. Although, it is
observed that even though many jobs can be done remotely, it largely depends on one's level of
education, where they work, and where their jobs are located. For instance, jobs that offer and
accommodate remote work positions are mostly found in large cities such as Toronto and
Montreal. Both articles also observed that there are 60% of remote work opportunities for people
who have a bachelor's degree compared to 6% of individuals who have not completed their
secondary education. Working remotely is also accessible to individuals in specific careers such
as finance, insurance, the sciences, and tech support. Furthermore, there has been an increase in
job satisfaction, with employees and managers preferring more remote work. This is because
after the pandemic many individuals (41.2% to be exact) stated that they were more productive
at home compared to working onsite due to more autonomy over their schedule and workload
and saving money on essentials such as gas, daycare, and other financial responsibilities. The
most interesting about the observed trend is how it has been a normal adaptation to work from
home over the years during and after covid. The time the pandemic hit, it slowly brought people
from regular work environments to mainly choosing remote work. The individuals who have
switched to remote work have also preferred to stay home and continue to work from home, we
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also have to realize that it’s more convenient for these individuals considering what sort of cost
goes into their daily budget going to work things such as transportation/lunch, also flexibility of
work schedules. When people are given cheaper and cost-effective ways to do their job, it’s a
guarantee that they’ll prefer it. With how sudden the change was, it was surprising and
interesting to see how popular and effective working from home has gotten. Overall adapting to
this new work environment has given people a sense of relaxation and adaptability, as going
forward the more people want to see remote working expands and stays as a way to benefit
people.

There are a number of issues with the work from home trend that may affect organisations and
employees. These obstacles include keeping a work-life balance while maintaining boundaries
between work and personal life when working from home. Another obstacle might be high
dependency on technology and internet connectivity, and having trouble collaborating and
communicating with coworkers. In addition, there are difficulties in keeping an eye on staff
performance and offering assistance and criticism when working remotely. Challenges faced in
the long run can be feelings of social isolation that can negatively affect employee mental health
and wellbeing.

References

Bush, O. (2024, January 16). Working from home statistics in Canada. Made in CA.
https://madeinca.ca/working-from-home-canada-statistics/

Morissette, R. (2021, October 27). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics
Canada has produced several studies on work from home. this article synthesizes the key
findings of these studies and identifies questions for future research. Working from home
in Canada: What have we learned so far? https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-
0001/2021010/article/00001-eng.htm#correction-notice