Introduction
This research paper is related to the “Issues related to Work and Occupations in Canada” as part of the Sociology subject. Several problems and their solutions would be presented along with the social aspect of living standards of the individuals who live and work in Canada. Apart from that, huge forces which actually affect the social factor of professionals and individuals would also be discussed, such as; terms of technology, impact of economy, bureaucracy and globalization which have affected the organizational environment of all the industries very much.
It has been observed that the citizens of Canada are spending their time on work more than before and for them, over-time has caused more troubles than it’s actual worth. Apart from that, civil employees are busy in building firewalls to prevent themselves from the home invasions. This essay would discuss the worth of working and its issues in Canada and the impact of these issues on the Canadian organizations.
Issues Related to Work and Occupations in Canada
Issues are basically the problems and hindrances which could occur while carrying out a task and while living a professional or normal life. Issues are the normal problems which anyone can face in daily life or work routine (Adams, Bell, Griffin; 2007, p42).
Sociology of work revolves around the collaboration, interaction and cooperation of people as teamwork or organization within the industry or organizational environment. In general, the term refers to the paid employment of individuals and professionals. (Grint, 2005, p6). On the other hand, sociology of occupations involves the behaviors and attitudes of individuals and professional towards work as they have altered and changed traditionally, and also varies between the cooperative members of different occupational groups, communities and people of diverse political orientation (Dunkerley, 1975, p7).
Canada is a fascinating homeland with enormous working and occupational vacancies and opportunities, which is also known for providing many working chances for the job seeking or business oriented companies to set up their operations. This is because the resources available in Canada are many, and it needs people to work and polish their working capabilities and skills.
The professional working environment in Canada has given rise to many workaholics which show statistically that workaholics and their fundamental devotion are losing the office freedom very swiftly to an entirely new strain dedicated to the principle of work-life stability. According to the Canadian statistics, the average period of working recorded was 36.5 hours per week in 2006, which declined from 38.6 hours per week thirty years back. These statistics are recorded from the full time and part time employment oriented workers (Duffy, 2008).
Blackberry, the technical Trojan horse has faced immense negative reaction from the employees’ family members as it has badly invaded the family quality time. Therefore, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has incorporated a blackout of BlackBerry use from 7am to 7pm daily for implementing balanced Work-Life living of the Canadian citizens. The repercussion beside the use of BlackBerry and long working hours is component of multifarious move in the working behavior encouraged by demographic and community services.
(Duffy, 2008) The workforce in Canada is older and has seen huge swank in the ratio of female workers. Not only this, but the female working mothers’ ratio has grown in the past thirty years from 39.1 percent in 1976 to 72.9 percent in 2006. The ratio of working men has also increased. According to Canadian statistics, 13.8 percent of men work long hours per week for more than 49 hours per week. Male workers of 55 ages and more have registered main noteworthy shift away from the long hour working week.
Even the Canadian nurses’ fillers, Baby Boomers are now dropping into the age of late 50s and also working short-time hours for retirement conversion. This statistics just not go for the older aged men, but it has been observed that all job-oriented males have draw backed from the long working hours during last 10 years in Canada.
Females have improved very much in the professional working field and have increasingly working long hours as compared to male workers. Previously, the ratio between male and female were that male workers used to work 39.6 hours and females worked till 33.1 hours. But since now, men have withdraw to work hard for long hours, their gap is demolishing with the passage of time and women are becoming competent workers for men. Especially in the law and medicine professions, women have made their dominated place. However, very few numbers of women prefer to work for long hectic hours continuously.
It eventually concludes to the fact that employer organizations would have to deal with the reality that very less number of employees (including both men and women) would be willing to work for long hours and not all the employees would really want to give away their personal life and family quality time for the company’s benefits. this is reason why the field of medicine has been affected badly because of the less long hour working interested workers which has gave rise to the shortage of doctors in Canada. Previously, the doctors used to work for 70 hours maximum, which has reduce to 50 working hours at present.
(Duffy, 2008) According to National Physics Survey, in Ontario, there are approximately 34 percent of the doctors who have decided to reduce their working hours in the next two years. Even 43.8 percent of the elder surgeons with 55+ ages have come up with the decision to reduce their working hours and to have balanced lives with their families. On the other hand, many young doctors, especially female doctors have entered in the professional working field to make a better and balanced life as compared to their ancestors. In order to overcome the shortage of doctors and surgeons, the province government has come up with the new strategy and a better practice model.
According to this model, the doctors do not own their own separate working space, rather, they work in team projects or family health teams so that doctors are not burdened anymore. Now, the doctors use the facilities owned by the municipality with the help of family health team. The family health team involves doctors, nurses and several other health professionals, who help and ease the work of the senior doctor with his work and work for fewer hours weekly.
Even law firms are trying to come up with a similar approach which could lessen down the burden on the lawyers and law professionals. Many professionals related to the law business are leaving the occupation because there are no satisfactory stipends available for the childbirth or parenting conscientiousness. This is the reason only 28 percent of the female workers could make it up to the law profession, even though majority of female students graduates the law schools every year.
Unlike the medicine field, the law firms and law culture have failed to modify its working environment for better work-family balanced life with incentives like, part-time jobs, job sharing, flexible working hours, and predictable hours. To overcome this problem, the Law Society has come up with a plan to develop three-year pilot project which would provide all the necessary facilities, such as parental leaves, mentoring programs and arrangements for flexible working hours(Duffy, 2008).
The elder and aged employees have seemed to grab the employers’ attention as well. According to the recently held federal budget, the Conservative government agreed to provide stipends to those who are willing to work for fewer hours weekly. The budget package also stresses on the employer firms to provide pension allowance to employees of ages 60 and more. This has lightened the burden of work on the old aged employees by providing them with flexible and financial help to make their lives easier and comfortable as much as possible. Some of the employers believe that policies should be made according to which, the old aged employees should be provided with the chance to work for part-time or to work only 6 months a year so that hey could maintain good health, balanced lifestyle, experience and dignity as the same time.
With the policy of retirement by the Baby Boomers, and the move of the young workers to work less hours for well-balanced work-lives, has created complications for the employer firms, many business oriented companies would not be able to get indulge with work often as compared to the past working schedules of employees. Many of the Baby Boomers have blazed out and indispensably retired on work.
Conclusion
The new trend of working for less hectic hours has affected the Canadian business. But this change was needed by the Canadian citizens badly because they ere unable to live a work-balanced life with their families. Apart from that, the elder aged employees have also decided to come up with the decision to avail their quality time and to work less. The government has appreciated this concern by the citizens and employer firms have come up with several compensating allowances which could support the employees’ idea of living well balanced work-lives.
References
Andrew Duffy, 2008, The Lonely Grindstone, Published: Sunday. Web.
Johann Graaff, 2002, What is Sociology? Published by Oxford University Press, p37.
Maurianne Adams, Lee Anne Bell, Pat Griffin; 2007, Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook, Published by CRC Press, p42.
Keith Grint, 2005, The Sociology of Work: Introduction, Published by Polity, p6.
David Dunkerley, 1975, Occupations and Society, Published by Routledge & K. Paul, p7.
William J. McIver, Ahmed K. Elmagarmid; 2002, Advances in Digital Government: Technology, Human Factors, and Policy, Published by Springer, p275.
Richard G. Lipsey, Alice Nakamura, Canada Industry Canada; 2006, Services Industries and the Knowledge-Based Economy, Published by University of Calgary Press, p608.
Rudi Volti, 2007, An Introduction to the Sociology of Work and Occupations: Globalization and Technological Change Into the 21st Century, Published by Pine Forge Press, p25-177.