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Workers’ happiness creeps up as summer sets in: ADP

Canadian workers are feeling slightly happier at work this month thanks in part to upcoming vacation plans this summer, according to the latest survey from ADP.

The national work happiness score for June is 6.7/10, representing a 0.1-point increase since May.

More than three in five respondents (63 per cent) surveyed for ADP Canada’s monthly Happiness@Work Index reported they’re planning to take a vacation this summer. However, one-third of respondents (34 per cent) report scaling back their plans to more cost-sensitive options. Younger generations are even considering postponing their summer vacations amid rising living costs.

“While summer may look different from one worker to another across various industries in Canada, it tends to bear shared growth in happiness reflecting on similar scores recorded last summer,” says Heather Haslam, vice-president of marketing at ADP Canada. “With most workers planning to take vacation this summer, it’s important for employers to ensure those who are taking time off can completely step away while those working aren’t burdened with filling the gap.”

She notes that beyond ensuring teams are properly resourced during vacation times, employers can consider implementing summer hours, offering more flexible schedules, setting and planning realistic goals directly with employees, or organizing team-building social events. These efforts can encourage employee engagement, collaboration and support.

What else is driving happiness scores?

Of the more than 1,200 Canadian workers surveyed in June, respondents remain least satisfied with their options for career advancement (6/10, unchanged since May). They report feeling more optimistic about their compensation and benefits (6.2/10, up 0.1 points since May), recognition and support (6.6/10, up 0.1 points since May) and work-life balance and flexibility (6.9/10, up 0.1 points since May).

ADP’s monthly survey is fielded by Maru Public Opinion. It runs in the first week of each reported month for consistency purposes and asks over 1,200 randomly selected employed Canadian adults (including both employees and self-employed individuals) who are Maru Voice Canada online panellists to rate workplace factors on a scale from one to 10. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/-2.8%, 19 times out of 20.