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Only 57% of Canadian employees feel loyal to their employer, a new ADP survey finds, substantially below the 70% global average, and Canadians are generally less optimistic about the future of the workplace compared to American workers. A fifth of Canadian employees are actively looking for a new job, while another 43% say they’re open to the idea but not actively looking.
The survey results highlight some stark disconnects between how employers and their employees see things. “Many employees are not convinced that their companies will adapt to new trends,” the report finds, “and they tend to blame leadership for being too fearful of taking risks and making changes.”
Both companies and workers agree that there are big changes underway in the corporate landscape: automation, mobile technology adoption, remote work, more flexible schedules and flatter organizational hierarchies. Yet Canadian employees are notably less likely to report being excited about these innovations:
MORE: Nearly half the jobs in Canada are at “high risk” of automation
It’s not immediately clear whether this comparative lack of enthusiasm is because Canadians don’t believe their employers will implement such changes—or whether they believe this evolution will occur in their workplaces but reduce their job satisfaction. Another measurement, however, suggests it’s the latter: when it comes to their feelings about workplace automation, for instance, Canadians are far more likely to downplay the benefits and emphasize the costs:
“It’s clear there’s a substantial disconnect between the employee experience and expectations, and the employer’s perception,” Virginia Brailey, ADP Canada’s vice president of marketing and strategy, said in a press release. This situation “poses a risk for employers in losing talent and leads employees to look for other job opportunities.”
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