Canadian HR Reporter

NEWS BRIEFS Women in dual-career couples with children are three times more likely than the men in those couples to be mostly or completely responsible for household labour, according to a study. Nearly three-quarters of fathers said they share responsibilities with their partner, but only 44 per cent of mothers said the same in McKinsey & Company's Women in the Workplace 2020 report, which is based on research from 317 companies across the U.S. and Canada and more than 40,000 people surveyed. The extra demands translate into greater work-life balance pressure — working mothers are 1.5 times more likely than working fathers to feel discomfort sharing work-life challenges since the start of the pandemic (29 per cent compared to 19 per cent) and 2.6 times more likely to feel discomfort sharing their status as a parent (13 per cent and five per cent, respectively). Asked about what measures they have considered to ease their situation during the COVID-19 crisis, seven per cent of mothers said they considered leaving their job altogether compared to four per cent of fathers. Nearly eight out of 10 Australian employers say that they are developing plans for returning employees to the office with input from staff, a survey has found. And just over half of employees say they have discussed their own arrangements and preferences with their managers, found the survey of 1,000 workers and 300 employers by Bastion Insights. More than half (57 per cent) of employers said that they are likely or very likely to implement a hybrid work plan, with larger companies even more likely to do so — 81 per cent of employers with more than 100 employees. WORKERS KEEN ON REMOTE SUPPORTS COVID PUTS PRESSURE ON WORKING MOMS 65% More than three-quarters of workers believe it's important that their employer provides learning opportunities. However, only one-third see their employer as a main source to further their skills over the next five years, according to Ceridian's 2021 Pulse of Talent report, which surveyed 5,010 adults across Canada, the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand. More than eight in 10 managers feel at least somewhat equipped to support the emotional needs of their teams, a U.S. survey has found. However, their teams aren't quite as positive, according to the survey of 1,000 employees in companies with 500 or more employees — half in managerial roles and half non- managerial — by Limeade. More than two-thirds of employees indicated that they want to work remotely at least one day a week and three-quarters said that they already have appropriate equipment to work remotely — 23 per cent said employers can help with that to support their remote work — while a similar amount still need fast and reliable internet access. Two-thirds said they needed a quiet space to work undisturbed and just over one-half listed the importance of an ergonomic home office setup. One in 10 employees mentioned that a pay increase or allowances would help support them working remotely. 77% of managers feel their employer genuinely cares about their well-being 55% of non-managerial workers feel their employer cares about their well-being 71% of managers agree that one-on-one meetings are focusing more on well-being 33% of non-managerial workers feel one- on-ones are focusing more on well-being Employees not feeling the love Workers looking for professional development WORKERS' PRIMARY LEARNING SOURCES HOW IMPORTANT IS WELL-BEING? JOB CHANGE OPTIONS FOR MOTHERS 17% Reduce work hours (9% of fathers) 16% Switch to a less demanding job (11% of fathers) 15% Take a leave of absence (9% of fathers) 8% Move from full-time to part-time (2% of fathers) • 34% programs offered by employer • 34% independent learning • 15% professional associations • 13% formal education • 4% trade school 17% 16% 15% 8% 14 www.hrreporter.com M A R K E T N E W S

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