ADP Canada Happiness@Work Index: Canadian Workers Feel Happier in May

The ADP Canada monthly Happiness@Work Index (“Index”) for May 2023 reveals Gen Zs are bouncing back from their lowest score to date in April. Those located in Alberta, on the contrary, are showing the steepest month-over-month decrease in their Work Happiness Scores.

The National Work Happiness Score for May 2023 is 6.7/10, representing an increase of 0.1 points from April 2023.

“The data for May is showing – for the most part – an upward trend across the board, which is promising to see as we head into the summer months and the second half of the year,” says Heather Haslam, Vice President of Marketing, ADP Canada. “This time of year also presents an opportunity for employers to take a pulse on current employee satisfaction, which can be done through feedback surveys to better understand the needs of their employees and areas for improvement for the remainder of the year.”May 2023 Happiness@Work Index Highlights

  • National Work Happiness Score:                       6.7/10 (+0.1) *
  • Indicator Breakdown
    • Primary Indicator:                                     6.9/10 (+0.1) *
    • Secondary Indicators:
      • Work-Life Balance and Flexibility:    6.9/10
      • Compensation and Benefits:            6.3/10 (+0.1) *
      • Recognition and Support:                 6.7/10 (+0.2) *
      • Options for Career Advancement:    6.1/10 (+0.2) *

The May Index reveals that the primary indicator of worker happiness is at 6.9, an increase from April (6.8/10) and means that 44 per cent of workers in Canada say they feel satisfied with their current role and responsibilities. The top secondary indicators continue to be work-life balance and recognition. Despite compensation & benefits and options for career advancement showing the lowest levels of satisfaction across all secondary indicators, they have improved when compared to April.

The May Index also reveals positive changes for most Canadian workers across generations and regions around their feelings of happiness in the workplace:National Work Happiness Score: Generational Snapshot

  • Boomers (56-75):    7.2/10 (-0.1) *
  • Gen-Z (18-24):         6.9/10 (+0.5) *
  • Millennials (25-40): 6.8/10 (+0.2) *
  • Gen-X (41-55):         6.5/10

Regional Work Happiness Score Snapshot

  • Québec:                 7.0/10 (+0.4) *
  • Atlantic Canada:   7.0/10 (+0.4) *
  • British Columbia: 6.9/10
  • Ontario:                 6.6/10
  • Sask/Manitoba:     6.5/10 (+0.4) *
  • Alberta:                  6.5/10 (-0.4) *
*Variation against April 2023 scores

“While Boomers continue to be the happiest working generation, we are seeing significant improvements with Millennial and Gen Z workers this month. The positive shift is a result of an increase in reported satisfaction with work-life balance and flexibility, which is an area that we continue to see play a critical role for the younger workforce when it comes to workplace happiness and retention,” continues Haslam.About the Happiness@Work Index Methodology

The Happiness@Work Index is measured monthly through a survey fielded by Maru Public Opinion on behalf of ADP Canada and is undertaken by the sample and data collection experts at Maru/Blue. The survey is run in the first week of each reported month for consistency purposes and asks over 1,200 randomly selected employed Canadian adults (including both employees and self-employed individuals) who are Maru Voice Canada online panelists to rate workplace factors on a scale from 1 to 10. Discrepancies in or between totals when compared to the data tables are due to rounding. 

The results are weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Québec, language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/-2.8%, 19 times out of 20. 

The Index will continue to be published on the last Wednesday of the month, with the next scheduled findings due for publication on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. About ADP Canada

Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products, premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to reach their full potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people.

For more information about ADP Canada visit www.adp.ca or follow us on Twitter @ADP_CDA.