Based on the COPSOQ II (Short) and COPSOQ III (Core) with additions from the Mental Injury Tool (MIT) Group (2017 Edition)
The StressAssess Workplace Survey was conducted across Canada by EKOS in March of 2019.
The following results show the current situation in Canada.
Results below are based on 3941 surveys completed.
Survey results should be used as a tool for dialogue and development – not as a “report card”.
Accesses: 9138 | Completed 3941 | Available: 52,547
Response Rate: 7.6%
A response rate of less than 50% means that either the administration of the survey was not done properly or that a large proportion of the group being surveyed did not have confidence in the process. Any results of the survey can only be considered as reflecting those who participated, not the group as a whole. This can present a serious problem in interpreting the results, however, solving the problems identified from an unrepresentative minority will probably also help those who didn't respond.
The comparison data used are based on a survey of a representative (weighted) sample of 4008 Canadian workers, conducted March 2019.
How long have you worked here?
Less than 6 months 0.8%
From 6 to 12 months 0.7%
From 1 to 3 years 0.8%
From 3 to 5 years 0.8%
From 5 to 10 years 1.0%
From 10 to 20 years 1.9%
From 20 to 30 years 0.8%
More than 30 years 0.8%
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
Some high school or vocational course 2.2%
High school graduate 11.2%
Trade certificate/diploma from a vocational school or apprenticeship training 12.4%
Community college graduate 17.6%
University certificate below bachelor’s level 5.3%
University bachelor’s degree 30.%%
University graduate Masters degree 15.3%
University graduate PhD degree 3.0%
Other 2.4%
Are you considered to be part of the management at your workplace?
Yes 27.8
No 72.2%
Other 0.0%
Do you work for another employer in addition to your job at this workplace?
Yes: 11.3%
No: 86.9%
Other: 0.0%
What best describes your position at work?
(check all that apply)
0.0% full time
0.0% part time
0.0% casual
0.0% contract
0.0% seasonal
0.0% work for a temp agency
0.0% other
Age Distribution:
Gender:
Work for Another Employer:
Yes 11%
No 86.9%
Other 1.8%
Work Hours:
Unpaid extra hours per week 3.7
[min 0 | max 75 | n=2642]
Average paid hours per week 36.8
[min 0 | max 0.0% | 100.0% | n=3977]
Percentage of time spent on paperwork 29.6%
[0.0% | 100% | 3977]
Seniority:
Less than 6 months 6.0%
6- 12 mos 5.9%
1- 3 yrs 17.0%
3-5 yrs 12.3%
5-10 yrs 19.1%
10-20 yrs 25.0%
20-30 yrs 10.4%
30+ yrs 4.3%
Work Arrangements:
Full time 79.2%
Part time 12.62%
Casual 1.9%
Contract 3.2%
Seasonal 1.4%
Temporary (Agency) 0.1%
Other 1.6%
Shift:
Regular daytime schedule or shift 69.2%
Regular evening shift 3.9%
Regular night shift 2.1%
Rotating Shift (from days to evening to nights) 6.8%
Split shift 1.9%
On call 1.8%
Irregular schedule 10.0%
Other 5.2%
Employer provides adequate accommodation for outside responsibilities
Employer provides adequate accommodation for need to be at work and at home
Job Security is Good
Employer provides adequate accommodation for need to be at work and at home
Adequate Staffing Levels
What percentage of your time do you spend on paperwork?
Average: 30% | Minimum: 0 | Maximum 100%
How many extra hours without pay do you work at this job per week?
Average: 3.7 | Minimum: 0 | Maximum 75
hours / week
n = 2642
How many minutes of your paid breaktime, per day, do you have to work through because of work demands?
Average: 3 | Minimum: 1 | Maximum 6
minutes / day
n = 2827
The following bar graphs and data show the working conditions in Canada as of 2019:
Job Security is Good
Organization Has Enough Resources
Adequate Staffing Levels
How often do you have to work through your break-time/lunch because of work demands?
Always 13.9%
Often 23.0%
Sometimes 25.6%
Seldom 16.6%
Never/hardly ever 19.5%
Not applicable 1.5%
Responses:
British Columbia [494] 12.3%
Alberta [471] 11.8%
Saskatchewan [127] 3.2%
Manitoba [167] 4.2%
Ontario [1580] 39.4%
Quebec [873] 21.8%
New Brunswick [79] 2.0%
Nova Scotia [124] 3.1%
Prince Edward Island [28] 0.7%
Newfoundland and Labrador [45] 1.1%
Yukon [11] 0.3%
Northwest Territories [7] 0.2%
Nunavut [2] 0.05%
Approach to Accident Investigation
The comparison data used are based on a survey of a representative (weighted) sample of 4008 Canadian workers, conducted February & March 2019.
Another word for quantitative demands is workload – how much work you have to do within the time that is allotted.
Excessive workloads are an obvious form of stress.
Survey Questions:
1. Do you get behind with your work?
2. How often do you not have time to complete all your work tasks?
Ideas for reducing workload demands:
• Set clear guidelines that balance the quantity and quality of work
• Distribute tasks in relation to their difficulty and time demands
• Clearly prioritize tasks, and include the possibility of postponing some tasks
• Get workers’ input on the planning, prioritization and performance of their work
• Co-ordinate between teams to increase effectiveness
• Reduce or eliminate unproductive tasks such as control operations, writing reports, filling in forms or administration
• Reduce interruptions that break worker concentration and interfere with tasks
Working at a high pace is a cause of stress. Think of the Charlie Chaplin movie, “Modern Times”, when the assembly line speeds up.
Survey Questions:
3. Do you have to work very fast?
4. Do you work at a high pace throughout the day?
Work for another employer:
Yes 11% | No 86.9% | Other 1.8%
Ideas for managing the pace of work:
• Jointly define reasonable workloads and set adequate staffing levels at all times
• Schedule work to avoid deadlines which are too short or grouped together
• Include a buffer of time between tasks in a fast-paced work environment
• Ensure breaks are taken, and encourage workers to leave the building at lunch
• Establish clear expectations for responsibilities and performance goals
Set clear guidelines that balance the quantity and quality of work
• Clearly prioritize tasks, and include the possibility of postponing some tasks
First responders, healthcare workers and those dealing with people bureaucratically can involve emotional demands, intense at times. However, supporting or commiserating with fellow workers can also be an emotional burden.
Survey Questions:
5. Does your work put you in emotionally disturbing situations?
6. Do you have to relate to other people’s personal problems as part of your work?
6b. Is your work emotionally demanding?
Do you feel comfortable going to your supervisor to discuss workload issues?
Ideas for managing emotionally challenging work:
• Set specific work objectives and outcome goals that defines success and when work is considered good enough
• Encourage feedback, discussions, and support from peers and supervisors
• Consider having a place for privacy and withdrawal after intense emotional encounters
• Provide education and training appropriate for servicing customers, patients, and clients with special needs
• Ensure breaks are taken, and encourage workers to leave the building at lunch
• Establish critical response and debriefing procedures
• Establish communication procedures between shifts and between persons with
Influence over working conditions or job latitude has been shown to reduce workplace stress.
Having control over the amount of work you have to do and the way it is to be done is a positive psychosocial work factor.
Survey Questions:
7. Do you have a large degree of influence concerning your work?
8. Can you influence the amount of work assigned to you?
Ideas for increasing worker influence (control):
• Ensure workers are able to have input in how the work gets done
• Gather and consider worker input prior to introducing new procedures and technologies
• Provide outcome goals and allow worker input on how to achieve them
• Support strong team interactions and problem-solving
• Avoid micro-management
• Provide and respect direct communication links between all levels of the organization
• Ensure worker representation on boards and committees responsible for making strategic decisions
The opportunities to learn new things and take initiative provides possibilities of developing new skills which makes work stimulating.
Survey Questions:
Ideas for improving development opportunities:
Seeing your work as an important contribution to society provides for work engagement and motivation.
Survey Questions:
11. Is your work meaningful?
12. Do you feel that the work you do is important?
Ideas for improving workers’ sense of meaning at work:
• Communicate how each person’s work fits into the overall purpose of the organization
• Respect and value everyone’s contributions, including those performing tasks considered administrative or routine
• Involve workers in teams and ensure teams maintain a positive working climate
• Foster an inclusive environment when it comes to decision making, problem solving and goal setting
• Choose workers with the appropriate interest and skill level for the job
• Avoid creating jobs dominated by simple, repetitive or monotonous tasks. • Divide those tasks among different jobs if they cannot be eliminated.
Commitment to the workplace is also referred to as engagement.
An engaged workforce is a valuable asset to an organization.
Survey Questions:
13. Do you feel that your place of work is of great importance to you?
14. Would you recommend a good friend to apply for a position at your workplace?
Ideas for fostering commitment to the workplace:
• Communicate the overall purpose of the organization simply and effectively
• Ensure that every worker knows their contributions are valued and appreciated
• Involve workers in teams and ensure teams maintain a positive working climate
• Foster an inclusive environment when it comes to decision making, problem solving and goal setting
• Choose workers with the appropriate interest and skill level for the job
• Avoid creating jobs dominated by simple, repetitive or monotonous tasks. • Divide those tasks among different jobs if they cannot be eliminated.
Predictability is all about being "in the loop", having the information you need to do your work and feeling "included" in the running of the organization.
Survey Questions:
15. At your place of work, are you informed well in advance about important decisions, changes, or plans for the future?
16. Do you receive all the information you need in order to do your work well?
Frequency
Ideas to improve the effective transfer of information (predictability):
• Choose a form of communication that suits the information and the audience
• When communicating essential information, speak face-to-face and use written documents to reinforce the message. Provide opportunities for questions and further explanation
• When communicating important information, use written documents, along with signboards and posters for reinforcement
• When communicating optional information, use electronic formats, handbooks, and pamphlets
• Reduce uncertainty and speculation by keeping workers updated on when decisions will be made
Rewards are often not only about wages, being appropriately recognized for doing a good job and having honest constructive feed-back improves work performance and satisfaction.
Survey Questions:
Ideas for improving recognition and respect:
• Encourage a workplace climate of appreciation, respect and inclusivity
• Celebrate successes. Acknowledge all contributions and share rewards equitably
• Treat failures as opportunities to learn and improve rather than focusing on blame
• Reward innovation and creativity even if ideas don't get fully developed or implemented
• Ensure workers are informed regularly of the value of their efforts
•Clearly communicate expectations and deadlines
• Balance team and individual recognition to encourage top performers to build team capacities
Seeing your work as an important contribution to society provides for work engagement and motivation.
Survey Questions:
Ideas for improving role clarity (expectations):
• Make sure that work descriptions clearly define tasks, responsibilities, effort required and goals to be achieved. They should also specify the immediate supervisor, supports available to the worker, and working conditions (schedule , travel, etc.).
• Pay particular attention to task conflicts (e.g. quality vs. quantity).
• Review task descriptions and responsibilities regularly, especially when working conditions change
• Customize workers' training to support their specific tasks and responsibilities
• Ensure that work descriptions also deal with the relationships with co-workers and encourage teamwork
• Allow for some flexibility in work descriptions to accommodate for changes in work
Sometimes you may be asked to do things which conflict with other work priorities, or, things are done inefficiently/incorrectly causing frustration - this is what we mean by role conflicts.
Survey Questions:
20a. Are contradictory demands placed on you at work?
20b. Do you sometimes have to do things which ought to have been done in a different way?
20c. Do you sometimes have to do things which seem to be unnecessary?
Frequency
Ideas for avoiding role conflicts:
• Encourage a collaborative, accountable and open work environment as opposed to a competitive workplace climate
• Emphasize management's commitment to promptly resolving role conflicts
• Avoid complexity when possible
• Regularly review task descriptions and responsibilities to identify possible conflicts
• Ensure workers have sufficient resources to do their work in compliance with professional, ethical, and quality standards
• Identify and eliminate inefficient and redundant tasks
• Ask workers for their input on how to make their tasks more efficient and productive
Able support from a competent supervisor is strongly related to positive social capital (having workers engaged and wanting to make a productive contribution to the organization).
Survey Questions:
Frequency
Ideas for avoiding role conflicts:
• Make it clear that management is committed to improving workplace conditions and reducing unnecessary stress
• Listen to worker concerns and always make the effort to take the necessary measures to resolve issues. Workers are often in the best position to suggest possible solutions.
• Encourage workers to cooperate with managers in identifying and solving workplace issues
• Remove communication barriers in the workplace. Set up an open-door policy that allows for workers and management to talk to each other.
• Encourage workers, supervisors and managers to regularly check in on each other,
Supervisors with strong emotional intelligence can support workers going through challenges both outside and inside the workplace.
Survey Questions:
Frequency
Ideas for avoiding role conflicts:
• Make it clear that management is committed to improving workplace conditions and reducing unnecessary stress
• Listen to worker concerns and always make the effort to take the necessary measures to resolve issues. Workers are often in the best position to suggest possible solutions.
• Encourage workers to cooperate with managers in identifying and solving workplace issues
• Remove communication barriers in the workplace. Set up an open-door policy that allows for workers and management to talk to each other.
• Encourage workers, supervisors and managers to regularly check in on each other,
Research has shown that workers are more resilient to workplace stress if they receive support from their coworkers.
Survey Questions:
Frequency
Ideas for avoiding role conflicts:
• Encourage collaboration and team work instead of rewarding competitive behaviours
• Assign advisors or mentors for workers with new responsibilities
• Encourage workers to take breaks and meals together rather than working through them
• Recognize special days and events in the lives of colleagues, celebrate diversity
• Address anti-social and negative behaviour promptly and effectively
• Organize group activities and special events outside working hours
Job insecurity is know to be a major life stressor - while some may be due to the organization's external context, there are many things that can be done internally to alleviate job insecurity.
Survey Questions:
Ideas for increasing job security:
• Increase the possibility of stable employment with adequate wages and benefits
• Emphasize and demonstrate the partnership and commitment between workers and the organization
• Reduce or eliminate temporary employment positions
• Provide flexibility and accommodations for workers to deal with outside responsibilities
• Ensure workers are aware of their legal rights and protections and that these are respected
• Provide a fair and transparent procedure for dealing with workload changes
"Vertical trust" is the basis for relationships within the workplace - without trust, communications fail and the efforts of the organization can be frustrated.
Survey Questions:
Frequency
Ideas to improving trust of management:
• Practice accountability and transparency
• Be honest and ethical in principle and in actions
• Admit mistakes quickly and accept responsibility
• Listen actively and communicate clearly and succinctly
• Demonstrate a high regard for ethical behaviour
• Depersonalize problems and focus on solutions
Procedural and relational justice has been shown to be directly associated with workplace well-being
Survey Questions:
Ideas for improving justice and respect:
• Establish policies that prohibit discrimination in the workplace, and promote workplace equity and fair treatment in the allocation of jobs, duties, promotion, benefits and other terms or conditions of employment. In particular, employment-related distinctions on the basis of age, race, sex, disability, national origin or religion must be prohibited. Actions in breach of the equity policy should be reported as soon as they are discovered and addressed promptly.
• Communicate these policies and procedures to all managers, supervisors and workers
• Incorporate procedures for maintaining privacy and trust during cases of discrimination without hampering or delaying corrective actions being undertaken
Job Satisfaction is measured on a simple scale of very satisfied, satisfied, neither/nor, unsatisfied and very unsatisfied.
Job satisfaction is strongly related to the success of the whole organization.
Survey Questions:
Work demands which interfere with the amount of time and energy you have left for social interactions outside the workplace are strongly related to workplace burnout.
Survey Questions:
26. Do you feel that your work drains so much of your energy that it has a negative effect on your private life?
27. Do you feel that your work takes so much of your time that it has a negative effect on your private life?
27b. Are there times when you need to be at work and at home at the same time?
The comparison data used are based on a survey of a representative (weighted) sample of 4008 Canadian workers, conducted March 2019.
Burnout is often related to excessive work demands, but can be aggravated by poor relationships within an organization.
Survey Questions:
Stress is a vague term which is difficult to define formally, but everyone seems to understand what it means and the symptoms that go with it.
Survey Questions:
35. How often have you been stressed?
36. How often have you been irritable?
45. How often have you had problems relaxing?
48. How often have you been tense?
Frequency
The effects of stress are often described as "the things that keep you awake at night", however, age also plays a part.
Survey Questions:
37. How often have you slept badly and restlessly?
38. How often have you found it hard to go to sleep?
40. How often have you woken up too early and not been able to get back to sleep?
42. How often have you woken up several times and found it difficult to get back to sleep?
Frequency
Somatic symptoms are also called psychosomatic symptoms and include typical body reactions to stress and anxiety.
Survey Questions:
43. How often have you had a headache?
44. How often have you had a stomach ache?
50. How often have you had palpitations?
52. How often have you had tension in various muscles?
Frequency
A stressed mind does not function as efficiently as a positively engaged mind - resulting in the "bogging down" of thinking tasks.
Survey Questions:
46. How often have you had problems concentrating?
47. How often have you found it difficult to think clearly?
49. How often have you had difficulty in making decisions?
51. How often have you had difficulty with remembering?
Frequency
Have you been exposed to [offensive behaviour] at your workplace during the last 12 months? If yes, from whom?
Have you witnessed any of these offensive behaviours (undesired sexual attention, threats of violence, physical violence, bullying and/or discrimination) aimed at others than yourself at your workplace during the last 12 months?
Bullying means that a person repeatedly is exposed to unpleasant or degrading treatment, and that the person finds it difficult to defend himself or herself against it.
Types of discrimination:
• any offensive behaviour: 49%
Types of vicarious offensive behaviours
• undesired sexual attention 22.9%
• threats of violence 31.3%
• physical violence 20.5%
• bullying 69.6%
• discrimination 41.4%
The following table provides the total symptoms scores for those respondents who experience offensive behaviours from a specified source in the past year.
These are presented in contrast with the total symptoms scores for those who did NOT experience such offensive behaviours.
The higher the number in the cell the higher the symptoms score.
Does your workplace have a violence and harassment policy?
Yes: 84%
No: 5.5%
Not sure: 9.8%
Violence and Harassment Policy is Effective
Violence and Harassment Rating by Offensive Behaviour Experience
The following table shows the strength of association between the psychosocial risk factor dimensions and the responses to the symptom questions.
The darker the colour the stronger the association.
Also the more positive ("+") signs the stronger the association.
If there is a reverse association, the strength of association is displayed by negative ("-") signs.
It should be noted that these association are evaluated in pairs (one psychosocial risk factor with one symptom variable) in isolation from the influence of all the other variables.
This may skew the results since some combinations of multiple variables are undoubtedly subject to interactions.
Furthermore there is the problem of samples size - making multiple comparisons in a small group size may lead to "spurious" association due to chance alone.
Thus one needs to look at the overall pattern rather than focus on a single associated pair of variables.
The sum of symptoms is the sum of the scores of each of the five symptoms combined.
Since all the symptoms seem to "hang together" statistically, this may be the best variable to look at when judging the overall pattern of the responses.
Note: It is important to realize that associations do not necessarily imply causes.
Also, there may be interactions between risk factors that this correlation matrix cannot take into account.
RESULTS SUMMARY
For less than 15 responses the results are very uncertain – this number of responses is really too small to analyze for correlations.
Between 16-30 responses we can calculate correlations but a fair number of these correlations may be the result of random effects, thus we need to observe the overall patterns rather than the individual associations.
Between 31-50 responses, we still have some random “statistical noise” but the individual associations are approaching a significant degree of confidence.
With more than 50 responses we can be confident that each association is statistically significant, although even in these circumstances one in 20 associations could be due to chance.
Major Correlations with Commitment to the Workplace (Engagement)
meaning of work
predictability
rewards (recognition)
possibilities for development
trust of management
Major Correlations with Rating of Psychological Health and Safety
justice & respect
rewards (recognition)
violence and harassment policy effectiveness
trust of management
predictability
Major Correlations with Job Satisfaction Score
rewards (recognition)
meaning of work
predictability
justice and respect
quality of leadership
Major Correlations with Burnout
role conflicts
emotional demands
work pace
rewards (recognition)
justice and respect
Major Correlations with Stress
role conflicts
emotional demands
work pace
job insecurity
justice and respect
Major Correlations with Sleep Troubles
role conflicts
emotional demands
job insecurity
bullying
rewards (recognition)
Major Correlations with Somatic Symptoms
role conflicts
emotional demands
job insecurity
bullying
undesired sexual attention
Major Correlations with Cognitive Symptoms
role conflicts
job insecurity
emotional demands
role clarity
rewards (recognition)
Major Correlations with total Symptom Score
role conflicts
emotional demands
job insecurity
rewards (recognition)
justice and respect
Ideas for avoiding role conflicts:
Ideas for managing emotionally challenging work:
Ideas for increasing job security:
StressAssess is available for both workplaces or individuals.
If you would like to conduct the StressAssess Survey in your workplace visit the StressAsses website or Contact us.
Stay up-to-date with happenings at OHCOW and in the occupational health and safety field by subscribing to our various news services:
95% Confidence Interval (CI) is a range of values (upper and lower) that you can be 95% certain contains the true mean of the population.
Test, test, test
