April 28, 2023

According to a study by Montreal-based job search platform Talent.com, 95% of Quebecers are interested in the four-day week. An idea against the labor shortage?

This survey, conducted online in early April by YouGov for Talent.com of 1,003 active Canadian adults, representative of Canada’s national active population, provides rich insight into this emerging trend, which is the 4-day week.

The 4-day week is undoubtedly one of the most requested benefits by workers in Quebec (60%), along with flexibility in working hours (60%) and insurance benefits (50%).

For a third (36%) of Quebecers, the four-day week could be a logical follow-up after the introduction of hybrid work, while for 29% of them it is an inevitable transition. Only 10% believe this is a temporary trend. Employers, you have been warned!

The salary, a non-negotiable lever

However, there is one important nuance in this referendum: 7 out of 10 respondents (72%) expressed at least one concern regarding the implementation of the four-day week. In fact, among respondents, nearly 4 in 10 (39%) fear being paid less, 29% work longer hours and 23% work unpaid overtime.

Nationally, more women than men worry about being paid less (52% versus 45%) and working longer hours (40% versus 33%), and these concerns appear to increase with educational attainment.

This salary issue is also central: half of Quebecers would not be willing to accept a salary reduction in exchange for a 4-day work week, 40% would accept a reduction of up to 10%.

However, according to Talent.com, Quebec is the province where respondents are most willing to take a pay cut compared to the rest of Canada. Indeed, in Canada as a whole, 18-34 year olds (44%) are more willing to take a pay cut than 35-54 year olds and over 55 year olds (30%), and this sentiment remains in place largely the same for all income categories [moins de 10 000 $ à 29 999 $ (40%), 30 000 $ à 59 999 $ (35%), 60 000 $ à 99 999 $ (32%), 100 000 $ ou plus (37%)].

For them, it’s more about the different distribution of hours during the week. Almost half of Quebecers (49%) say they are not as productive every workday, and 67% of them believe a four-day workweek should be 36 hours or less per week.

However, Québecians do value work-life balance. Only 33% believe a four-day workweek can be 36 hours a week or more (36-40 hours a week – 26%, more than 40 hours a week – 8%). At national level, working between 32 and 36 hours is more popular among young people (41% – 18-34 years) than among the over 55s (29%).

A four-day week, why?

Improved work-life balance (48%), improved mental health and burnout prevention (19%), and reduced stress from overwhelming work conditions (8%) are the top motives of Quebec workers who want a four-day work week. Nationwide, women (24%) are more likely than men (16%) to cite improving mental health and avoiding burnout as the top reasons.

71% of Quebecers rank hobbies and free time as their top 3 leisure pursuits, followed by personal appointments (69%) and housework (57%). At national level, more women (64%) than men (56%) included housework among their top three jobs, while developing a parallel job and professional development are of greater interest to men (42% and 34% respectively). than women (34% and 26% respectively).

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