Helping employees juggle work and family along with other busy parts of their lives is rapidly shaping up to be one of the biggest issues facing employers this year, according to experts.
An estimated half a million Canadian workers experience at least some form of depression, often affecting their ability to think, concentrate and function properly in their jobs, a Statistics Canada survey released earlier this month shows.
"Nearly eight out of 10 workers who had experienced depression in the year before they were interviewed reported that the symptoms had interfered with their ability to work, at least to some extent," Statistics Canada researcher Heather Gilmour and University of Calgary professor Scott Patterson wrote in the report.
The study showed depressed workers reported an average of 32 days of the past year where their symptoms left them either unable to carry out normal activities or totally unable to work.
Data obtained during the report showed employers are increasingly offering employee-assistance programs and other supports as stress and depression are quickly becoming the leading cause of disability claims in Canada.
The issue has caught the attention of Canada's labour minister in Ottawa, who is scheduled to travel to Vancouver and Toronto later this month for roundtable discussions.
The minister has asked for advice on mandatory provisions in the Canada Labour Code for employers to create some sort of work-life program, says Nora Spinks, director of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises Inc., a Toronto-based international research and consulting firm.
"Once companies begin to realize people have a life outside of work and embrace that, then the entire dynamic begins to change and it becomes a win-win situation," she explains.
"A lot of companies will run into difficulty when they leave it to the discretion of managers, rather than having a formal policy and process. It's one thing when you have someone come to their manager and say they want the afternoon off to stay home with their sick toddler. Most managers will be understanding and say, 'No problem,' " says Spinks.
"What happens if you have someone else who tells their manager it's such a beautiful spring day and they want to go golfing? That's what's important to that particular employee.
You need to create a culture of trust, honesty and, most of all, flexibility."
Spinks adds that most work-life programs don't have to be expensive for the employer.
An employee might have problems commuting to work during rush hour, for example. Having them work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or similar flexible hours might make a big difference.
"Sometimes, all it requires is a little bit of flexibility. Even in retail, where you are bound by set hours for opening and closing, the same person doesn't have to open the business every single day. You can vary it or try to share the responsibilities some other way," says Spinks.
Managing work and lifestyle is already on the agenda as about 4,000 members of the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO) prepare for their annual conference, to be held Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in Toronto.
"The benefits to an employer are huge," says Rosie Parnass, director of staff and organizational development at the University of Toronto. "It's not just lost productivity and employee turnover at stake, either. A happier workplace has benefits for everyone all around."
Parnass says while one of the biggest indicators of work-life problems in an organization can be absenteeism, another problem now facing employers is "presenteeism" - employees who show up for work, but aren't really engaged in what they are doing.
Parnass is scheduled to present a workshop on the opening day of the HRPAO conference about the link between work-life strategies, staff recruitment and retention.
"So far as I know, the University of Toronto is unique among Canadian universities because they have someone like me setting up these programs and making sure they are well run," she says.
The university closes down for between 10 and 12 days at the end of each year to "give all of its employees a break," says Parnass.
Everyone from maintenance workers to office staff locks their doors and leaves the campus behind.
She admits the closure encompasses the Christian holiday of Christmas and the university has a multicultural staff.
A Toronto judge came under harsh criticism last month for ordering an evergreen Christmas tree moved to the back hallway outside her courtroom, saying it was discriminatory to other religions.
"But so far, nobody has objected. We live in a western culture that creates breaks around these statutory holidays like Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Everyone comes back much more refreshed and productive."
Parnass says the U of T has a family care office that looks after employees, students and even their families' needs. One of those services for employees is emergency backup child care, offered through Toronto-based Kids & Co.
Company president Victoria Sopik, a mother of eight, says companies have contracts that subsidize regular or emergency child care for their employees. In most cases, the child-care centres are close to where employees work, like London House in Calgary or the Ford auto plant in Oakville.
Her client list includes some of the country's top law firms, banks and telecommunications firms.
During the upcoming tax season, she says the company can even arrange for the centres to stay open extra hours for staff of one national accounting firm.
Kids and Co. made headlines last year when it launched the country's first 24-hour day-care centre in downtown Toronto.
Surprisingly enough, however, it wasn't just shift workers who took advantage of the child-care offer.
"There are all sorts of possibilities like date night for Mom and Dad, or even a date lunch. Moms can go grocery shopping, run errands, do all kinds of things," says Sopik.
"Teenagers nowadays don't want to babysit their younger brothers or sisters. But parents still need a break from their busy lives."
Earlier this month, Kids & Co. began a test program in Calgary, aimed at helping corporate employees with aging parents.
Enbridge Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Nexen Inc., BP Canada and Deloitte Inc. have already signed on to participate in the six-month pilot project, based out of a south Calgary retirement home.
Sopik declined to say where or when the program would be expanded in Canada if the pilot proves successful. "I tell our clients that if there is a demand, we will be there for them," she said.
Canadian Press reports that, according to Statistics Canada, 70 per cent of caregivers were also trying to hold down a job at the same time, with six in 10 people providing "high-intensity" elder care saying occasional relief would be important to them.
In some of the groups surveyed, up to 21 per cent reported that the demands of caring for aging parents might be enough to force them to retire earlier than they had originally planned.
Sopik, who was in Calgary for the first few days of the pilot project, says she received all kinds of positive feedback.
"One woman said the last five years she's wanted to take her kids to Disney World, but was worried about her elderly mom at the same time and didn't want to leave her behind while the family went on vacation," says Sopik.
"Now she can take her kids to Disney World and not have the stress of worrying about her mother. That sends a huge message for companies who provide the service for their employees."
Sopik adds that when it comes to home life, she tries to create balance by delegating and not requiring perfection in everything.
As a golfer, she says she might go out for a warm summer afternoon on the course.
But if she doesn't end up with a perfect score, that's not the "end of the world" to her.
"I think too many women feel guilty they can't be the best at everything. It's all about taking time to relax and keeping things in perspective," she explains.
Web Watch: www.kidsandcompany.ca
www.utoronto.ca (David Hatton can be reached at hatton@businessedge.ca)
