As Canadians head into peak summer vacation season, new research from Employment Hero, the global AI-powered employment platform, suggests that while many employers are encouraging employees to disconnect, the practical pressures of work, especially in a challenging job market, are making it difficult for employees to unplug and recharge.
The Angus Reid survey conducted on behalf of Employment Hero found that 63% of full-time employed Canadians with access to paid time off say their workplace encourages employees to fully disconnect while on vacation, and 70% say there is little or no expectation to remain reachable while away.
At the same time, many employees continue to feel pressure around taking time off. In fact, the survey found that nearly half (45%) of full-time employed Canadians with access to paid time off have delayed, shortened or changed vacation plans because of workload or workplace pressures. Another 39% say they have at least occasionally avoided taking their full vacation entitlement because they worry about falling behind at work, said the report.
The findings also point to a “time off, but not logged off” reality for many Canadian workers. Nearly half (46%) say they check work communications such as email, Slack, Teams or texts at least sometimes while on vacation, while one-third (34%) say they work during their time off. In addition, 41% say they have felt some level of guilt taking PTO, and more than one-third (37%) say they often work extra hours before vacation to prepare for their absence, it added.
“Employers are clearly making efforts to build workplace cultures where people can take real time away, and that matters,” said KJ Lee, CEO of Employment Hero Canada. “The challenge is that even when the policy and intent are there, employees may still feel pressure to stay visible, stay connected or work ahead before they take time off, particularly in an uncertain economic environment. For businesses, the opportunity is to make disconnection possible in practice, not just in policy, by putting clear plans in place for workload, coverage and communication.”
For SMBs, that planning can be especially important during the summer months, when PTO requests often overlap and smaller teams have less margin for coverage gaps. Without clear visibility into who is away and how work will be covered, time off can create last-minute pressure for both employees and the business, said the report.
“For SMBs, enabling employees to properly disconnect starts with clear planning and visibility into how work will be covered while people are away,” added Lee. “When businesses have that visibility, they can plan ahead, reduce last-minute pressure during peak vacation periods, and help ensure time off does not come at the expense of employee wellbeing or business continuity.”