Burnout continues to affect a significant portion of the Canadian workforce, with little progress made since 2023 when between one-quarter and one-third of Canadians reported experiencing it.
Recent research in various areas, including public health and health care, shows that burnout often stems from organizational practices and the pressures they impose, rather than individual failings. Factors like high job demands and emotional exhaustion are key contributors.
According to a June 2024 report from Boston Consulting Group, 52 per cent of Canadians are struggling with burnout. A separate report from Mental Health Research Canada provides further light on the matter, revealing that 24 per cent of Canadians feel burned out at work “most of the time” or “always” and 42 per cent “sometimes.” Only nine per cent report “never” feeling burned out.
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The employment platform Glassdoor has also seen a significant rise in discussions about burnout. Until recently, employees writing reviews about employers rarely mentioned burnout. Now, there has been a 44 per cent increase in reviews mentioning burnout compared to 2020.
In the face of this ongoing issue, Canadians have been increasingly advocating for remote work to alleviate some causes of burnout. In August 2023, one in four employees wished they could work from home more often than they did.
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Work-life balance benefits
Research indicates that remote work provides employees with greater autonomy, time savings and flexibility, enabling better work-life balance and contributing to addressing burnout.
One of the biggest advantages of working remotely is the time saved by avoiding commutes. Teleworkers save more than an hour per day on average, with specific savings of about 72 minutes per day in Toronto, 64 minutes in Montréal and 60 minutes in Vancouver.
Remote work also reduces time spent on getting ready for work, especially for women, who spend 24 minutes less on these activities compared to onsite workers.
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The extra time gained through remote work allows employees to focus on other activities that improve their overall well-being, such as self-care, reading, playing sports or catching up on sleep. Compared to in-person workers, teleworkers sleep 23 minutes longer and spend 30 minutes more on leisure activities than those who work in-person.
Working remotely makes it easier for workers to care for themselves and others, which, in turn, improves health and reduces burnout. Employees who work remotely are 12 percentage points more satisfied than non-teleworkers.
Conversely, in-person employees experience more pressure, reporting less time spent with family and friends, reduced sleep and higher stress levels. Remote work helps alleviate these challenges, creating a more balanced and fulfilling work experience for many employees.
Easing caregiving responsibilities
For parents and caregivers, remote work provides the flexibility needed to better balance family responsibilities and reduce stress levels, which helps address burnout. On days when people work remotely, they spend 1.2 hours more caring for their children compared to in-person workdays.
One of remote work’s greatest strengths is the autonomy it offers. Parents can structure their days to accommodate other responsibilities, such as picking kids up from school or other family needs, while completing work at times that best suit their personal schedules.
This flexibility is especially critical for women, who continue to bear a disproportionate share of caregiving duties and are nearly twice as likely as men to work part-time. Women are also more likely to work hybrid; as of February 2024, 27.8 per cent of women worked hybrid compared to 22.4 per cent of men.
In-person work, by contrast, often complicates caregiving by forcing parents to co-ordinate schedules and juggle responsibilities.
Improving equity
Flexible work arrangements also significantly benefit employees with disabilities. In 2022, 35.4 per cent of employed Canadians with disabilities required at least one workplace accommodation. However, a substantial portion of these needs remained unmet.
The top unmet accommodations included working from home (10.9 per cent) and modified working hours (16.3 per cent). Among those needing accommodations, about one in five employees with disabilities did not receive the necessary adjustments for working from home or modified working hours.
This lack of support has serious consequences. Many employees with disabilities experience burnout from the emotional exhaustion and cynicism as they navigate workplaces that fail to meet their needs. Addressing accommodations like flexible work hours and remote work is a necessary step to remedy this burnout.
Workplaces owned by individuals with disabilities are more likely to provide accommodations, including remote work, to employees, meaning inclusive leadership plays a key role in addressing these gaps.
A win-win solution
Remote work, especially in hybrid work arrangements, can be a win-win for both employees and employers by promoting employee health and preventing burnout while maintaining employers’ bottom lines.
A study published in Nature found that hybrid work is just as productive as in-person work, while also improving employees’ job satisfaction and contributing to them not quitting. These benefits were especially pronounced for women and those with long commutes.
Employers have responded — albeit gradually — to the growing demand for flexibility. The percentage of employees working hybrid more than tripled from 3.6 per cent in January 2022 to 11.4 per cent in February 2024, while an additional 13.5 per cent worked exclusively from home.
Workers are increasingly prioritizing jobs that offer autonomy and balance, and companies that are unwilling to adapt risk losing out on employees. As burnout continues to plague the workforce, remote and hybrid work arrangements represent a promising avenue for creating a healthier, more balanced future for Canadian employees.
Claudine Mangen receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
