Two In Ten (21%) Canadians Say They're
`Always Connected' To Their Work

Toronto, ON - It appears that Canadians are more closely tied to their work than one might have thought. A new poll of full-time working Canadians, conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of TripHarbour, found that two in ten (21%) Canadians are never electronically inaccessible to their work. An additional 15% only power down after after 10 p.m., and 13% are unavailable after 7 p.m.

• Men (24%) are more likely than women (16%) to never disconnect.
• Women (51%) are more likely than men (37%) to `power down' right at 5 p.m.

As well, it seems that a sizeable contingent of Canadians has trouble balancing their personal and work lives. But while only one in four (24%) say that the difficulty comes at the expense of their career, one in three (36%) say that their personal life suffers. Canadians living in Alberta (44%) are most likely to say their personal life suffers, followed by Ontario (37%), British Columbia (36%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (34%), Quebec (34%), and Atlantic Canada (30%).

On the other hand, men (28%) are more likely than women (19%) to say that their career suffers as a result of the difficulty in achieving balance. As well, Canadians aged 18 to 34 (27%) are more likely than those aged 35 to 54 (24%), or above 54 (20%) to say their career suffers.

Interestingly, while eight in ten (81%) say that they only work to live, and prefer to leave work at work, four in ten (42%) say that they live to work, and that it's more than just paying the bills.

• Older Canadians (52%) are more likely than middle-aged (40%) or young (41%) Canadians to say they live to work.
• Canadians with high school education (85%) or less (87%) are more likely than those with a university degree (74%) or some post-secondary work (79%) to say they work to live.
• Residents of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba (47%) are most likely to agree that they live to work, followed by Alberta (45%), Ontario (42%), Quebec (39%), and Atlantic Canada (38%).

Eight in ten (82%) Canadians believe that work-related stress is impacting (18% `constantly', 64% `sometimes') their health. Regarding the 18% who say their health is not affected by work-related stress, men (20%) are more likely than women (15%) to feel this way.

Despite this, men (23%) are more likely than women (17%) to keep their cell phone or mobile device turned on and with them during a vacation. On the other hand, women (70%) are more likely than men (65%) to unplug completely while away from the office. Residents of Quebec (74%) are most likely to unplug, followed by Saskatchewan and Manitoba (70%), Ontario and British Columbia (66%), Atlantic Canada (63%), and Alberta (55%).

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of TripHarbour from 03/10 to 03/13, 2008. This online survey of 1,514 adult Canadians who work full-time was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2007, Ipsos generated global revenues of e927.2 million ($1.27 billion U.S.).

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