Almost half of Canadian managers let workers have flexible hours

Nearly half of managers in Canada (48%) allow their employees to choose when they work, according to a Robert Half survey conducted in June of 800 senior executives in finance, technology, marketing, legal, administration and HR. The staffing and human resources company also surveyed 500 workers in August.

The shift to remote work has made the concept of flexible hours more tenable, as the 9-5 hard line in a physical office has been eliminated for many office workers. In a remote working environment with task-based goals, the idea of ​​working 7-3 or completing a missed half-day on a Saturday morning is less of a problem – provided employees still attend mandatory meetings. .

Thus, managers with remote teams (56%) are more likely to offer their direct reports flexible hours. Executives in large companies with 1,000 or more employees (56%) are also more likely to allow flexible working.

Thirty-one percent of managers also told Robert Half that they don’t mind having their direct reports dedicate less than 40 hours per week as long as they’re doing their jobs.

This flexibility, however, did not lead to slackening of employees. Sixty-one percent of workers said they needed at least eight hours a day to complete their jobs, and half (52%) are seeing more video calls than six months ago. Many workers also believe that video meetings are an inefficient waste of time, with an average of a third of meetings seen as a waste of time.

Perhaps motivated by a desire to keep up appearances, 52% of workers never completely disconnect from work during working hours – even during breaks – and feel pressured to respond to messages and requests immediately, according to the investigation.

“An employee with a long to-do list may feel pressured to work nonstop, which is why organizations should exercise due diligence before introducing flexible hours,” said David King, Canadian Senior District President of Robert Half. “Auditing processes, projects and deadlines, as well as regular audits will help employers determine the work arrangements that work best for their staff.

“Employer support is key to alleviating burnout, including bringing in outside help, but employees are also responsible for building a healthy relationship with the job,” King added.

Robert Half has some tips to help employees protect their time in a remote work environment. First, they should speak up if they are feeling overwhelmed and discuss options to alleviate burnout. Employees should also plan and attend virtual meetings wisely, and use call recordings to catch up at their convenience. Finally, workers must communicate their hours of availability to their colleagues and schedule breaks.