StatCan Report shows Remote Workers Dedicate More Time to Housework, Child Care, and Leisure Activities
Statistics Canada reports that Canadians who work from home are dedicating more time to housework, leisure activities, and sleeping compared to those who work in traditional office settings.
In its latest study conducted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, StatCan discovered that remote workers express higher satisfaction levels with their work-life balance in comparison to on-site workers.
According to the research spanning from July 2022 to July 2023, the percentage of Canadians working from home rose to 24% in 2022, up from 7% in 2016, but then decreased to 21% in 2023.
The study was based on data collected from employees on a specific workday known as the “reference day.” The survey included 12,336 respondents from 10 provinces in Canada, aged 15 years and older.
The analysis categorized workers into three groups: remote teleworkers, on-site teleworkers who worked remotely in the week leading up to the reference day, and non-teleworkers who worked on-site on that particular day.
The report reveals that remote workers were 12% more likely to be content with their work-life balance compared to non-teleworkers, and 14% more satisfied than on-site teleworkers.
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The study indicated that employees working from home allocate approximately 23 extra minutes to sleeping in the mornings compared to non-teleworkers, and 19 additional minutes compared to on-site teleworkers.
Furthermore, remote teleworkers, having eliminated the need to commute, saved over an hour per day on average. Non-teleworkers spent roughly 63 minutes commuting, while on-site teleworkers spent approximately 74 minutes commuting in a typical day.
The survey also highlighted that those working from home invested more time in housework and childcare.
According to the study, “Working from home led to an increase of about 16 more minutes, or 21% more time spent on unpaid housework.”
Both fathers and mothers who worked from home dedicated around 1.2 hours or 71 more minutes to caring for, supervising, or being with their children compared to parents who did not work remotely.
Remote workers also enjoyed more leisure time engaging in activities like exercise, hobbies, or watching TV, spending approximately 30 more minutes on leisure activities than other groups.
Employees commuting to the office were observed to devote more time to personal care and grooming than those working from home. Non-teleworkers spent 24 more minutes on personal care, while on-site teleworkers spent 17 more minutes preparing each day compared to remote workers.
According to the report, public transportation services witnessed a 12.6% decline in commuter numbers from May 2016 to May 2023.
Statistics Canada noted that the shift to remote work resulted in a nationwide reduction of about 2.6 million commuters.
Andrew Chen contributed to this article.
