Angus Reid Poll: Adjust labour laws to give workers more time off, say Canadians

[VANCOUVER – Sept. 26, 2007] – Three-in-four Canadians want a longer minimum vacation time, and though most return from holidays feeling recharged, many struggle with getting away from work in the first place, a new Angus Reid Strategies poll has found.

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 75 per cent of Canadians say they think federal and provincial labour laws should change to give Canadians a longer minimum vacation time.

Under current labour laws, full-time employees in most provinces are entitled to two weeks of vacation time after twelve months of work, plus an average of eight statutory holidays. The exception is Saskatchewan, where employees get three weeks vacation after working for a year, plus 10 statutory holidays.

And while the majority (69%) say they return from vacation relaxed and recharged, there are still many who find it a challenge to get into vacation mode in the first place. Half of Canadians (50%) say that they find it hard to take time off from work, and 42 per cent say they usually end up working at least a little during their vacations.

But it is clear that Canadians value the vacation time they do get. Forty-six per cent of respondents say they would not prefer to get a raise instead of getting more vacation time, an indication that money is not necessarily considered a credible replacement for time off.

Quebec respondents seem to highly value their vacation time and have the least trouble leaving work behind to go on holiday. Four-in-five Quebeckers (83%) say they want labour laws to be changed to provide more minimum vacation time to Canadians, and 53 per cent would not prefer a raise to more vacation time. As well, over half of Quebeckers (51%) say they find it hard to take time off work, and 56 per cent say they do not end up doing work during their vacation time.

And possibly due to their longer minimum vacation times, Manitoba and Saskatchewan has the lowest proportion of support (56%) for extending the minimum holiday period through labour law changes. As well, over half from this region (55%) finds it hard to leave work and go on vacation, and they are also evenly split over whether they do some work while on holiday (47% do and 47% do not).

Canadians aged 18-34 and those in households earning less than $50,000 a year are more likely to want labour laws to change to provide more vacation time. Canadians aged 55 or older are less likely to find it hard to take time off work.

Canadians aged 18-34 are also more likely to prefer getting a raise instead of more vacation time, while those in households earning $100,000 or more are much less likely to want this. Those in this earning bracket and the university educated are also much more likely to work at least a little bit while they are on holiday.

By political affiliation, Conservative voters are less likely to support changing labour laws to provide workers with longer minimum vacation time. Liberals are more likely to find it hard to take time off work, and NDP supporters are much more likely to not prefer to get a raise instead of more vacation time.

As well, women (39%) are less likely than men (46%) to say they do at least a little work while they are on vacation.

More information and detailed breakdown tables on attached PDF.

Contact:  Craig Worden, Vice President, Public Affairs
416-644-4038 or craig.worden@angus-reid.com