TORONTO, Ont. — Just slightly more than half of Canadians surveyed are happy with their current work schedule. This puts the nation in the tenth spot out of 25 countries surveyed and slightly above the global average of 50 per cent, according to a June 21 statement announcing the new research findings from global recruitment company Randstad, headquartered in Amsterdam. Out of 15 job functions polled, Canadians classified as economist or consulting are the most satisfied (77.7 per cent) with their current schedules, while those working in education (45 per cent) are the least satisfied. Against their global counterparts, human-resources and recruitment officers and information-technology specialists rank fifth and sixth most satisfied respectively, at 61.3 per cent. “The work environment in Canada, like workplaces globally, is changing rapidly,” Marc-Étienne Julien, chief executive officer of Randstad Canada, said in the statement. “Employers looking to remain attractive in the eyes of today’s workforce need to evolve, align with changing attitudes and offer flexible workplace solutions that work for the business and its employees.” The data revealed that Canadians work 36 hours per week on average, with 30 per cent currently work more than 40 hours per week. Of the 7,041 Canadian employees polled, 30 per cent indicate that they would prefer variable hours, while nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) say they would like to work remotely at least occasionally, just above the global average of 64 per cent. Results indicate that even the older generation is seeing the benefits of flexibility, with 21 per cent of employees aged 45 to 65 expressing their preference to work remotely every day. This compares with 13 per cent for workers aged 18 to 24 and 16 per cent for those aged 25 to 44. The survey also reveals that nearly half (48 per cent) of those polled prefer flexible over standard hours, even though this might involve working longer days and shorter weeks or flexible work days every week. “The data demonstrates that, like their peers around the world, Canadians are expecting more and more flexibility from their employer, which should drive HR managers to engage with individual employees to identify their specific needs and drivers,” Julien suggested. He added that when employees feel that they can fit their work schedules into their life, rather than the other way around, they tend to be more engaged, happy and willing to contribute. “It is just good business.”