Work environments play a major role in people’s health, safety, and overall well-being. A new release from Statistics Canada highlights early results from the Canadian Survey on Working Conditions (CSWC), 2024–2025, offering a clearer picture of physical and psychological risks in Canadian workplaces.

What the survey found: physical risks remain widespread

Many workers reported frequent exposure to risk factors that can affect their long-term health—especially in more physically demanding jobs.

In 2024–2025:

  • 54.3% of workers were frequently exposed to ergonomic risks, such as repetitive movements, heavy lifting, or working in painful positions.
  • 28.1% were frequently exposed to ambient physical risks, including loud noise and extreme temperatures.
  • 17.8% were frequently exposed to biological and chemical risks, such as smoke, fumes, solvents, or infectious materials.

Some occupations face much higher exposure

The survey shows that exposure to risks varies significantly by occupation.

Ergonomic risks were highest in:

  • Natural resources, agriculture, and related production (74.9%)
  • Trades, transport, and equipment operators (74.5%)
  • Manufacturing and utilities (73.2%)

Ambient risks were especially high in:

  • Manufacturing and utilities (65.0%)
  • Natural resources and agriculture (64.9%)
  • Trades and transport (64.7%)

Biological and chemical risks were most common in health occupations, where 46.6% of workers reported frequent exposure.

Education level impacts risk exposure

Working conditions also differ based on education.

Workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher had the lowest likelihood of frequent exposure to:

  • Ergonomic risks (41.9%)
  • Ambient risks (15.1%)
  • Biological and chemical risks (10.4%)

Meanwhile, those with a high school diploma or less were most likely to report frequent ergonomic (64.0%) and ambient (40.8%) risks.

Emotional demands are a growing concern

Physical hazards are only part of the picture. Emotional strain can also impact employee well-being.

  • 16.1% of workers frequently dealt with angry or dissatisfied clients, patients, or students.
  • In health occupations, this rose to 35.2%—more than double the national average.
  • Women (20.1%) were more likely than men (12.5%) to report this frequent exposure.
  • Workers aged 15 to 24 (22.1%) reported the highest exposure compared to older age groups.

Work-life balance pressures are still affecting Canadians

Time demands—especially long shifts and unpaid extra work—continue to affect workers’ ability to maintain balance.

  • 17.0% of workers reported doing unpaid work during their personal time several times a month.
  • Workers in natural resources and agriculture were most likely to report:
    • working over 10 hours a day at least once a month (66.4%)
    • having less than 11 hours of rest between workdays (33.5%)
  • Men were more likely than women to report:
    • working nights (22.3% vs. 14.5%)
    • working more than 10-hour days (43.3% vs. 25.1%)

Tight deadlines and unpaid “after-hours” work are common in leadership roles

Workers in management and professional roles often face time pressures that increase stress and reduce work-life balance.

  • 50.2% of managers frequently worked under tight deadlines
  • 34.6% of managers and 29.5% of workers in jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher reported doing unpaid work during their free time several times a month or more.

Flexibility is not equal across industries

Flexible scheduling can reduce burnout and help workers manage family and personal demands—but access varies widely.

Across Canada:

  • 58.9% of employees had schedules fully set by their employer
  • 26.2% could adapt their hours within limits
  • 6.3% fully determined their own schedules

The highest flexibility was reported in:

  • Professional, scientific and technical services (58.3%)

The lowest flexibility was in:

  • Business, building and other support services (24.2%)

Interestingly, core-aged parents with children under 6 were about as likely to have flexible schedules as those without children.

Support at work matters — but not everyone feels it equally

Most workers reported receiving support, which plays an important role in a healthy workplace culture.

  • 79.5% felt their colleagues were supportive
  • 73.6% felt supported by their manager

However, results varied:

  • Health care and social assistance had one of the lowest rates of manager support (66.2%)
  • Some racialized groups reported lower workplace support, including Black employees:
    • support from colleagues: 69.4% (vs. 81.6% among non-racialized, non-Indigenous employees)
    • support from managers: 66.2% (vs. 74.0%)

A positive takeaway: most workers feel their work is meaningful

Despite workplace challenges, many Canadians feel their work has purpose.

  • 81.9% of workers felt they were doing useful work most of the time or always
  • This was highest among:
    • Agriculture (92.3%)
    • Construction (88.5%)
    • Health care and social assistance (87.2%)

Why these findings matter

The Canadian Survey on Working Conditions is designed to measure key dimensions of employment quality—ranging from physical risks and psychosocial pressures to scheduling and support at work. Statistics Canada noted that more reports will be released in the coming months to explore these dimensions in greater detail.

As work continues to evolve, these insights help employers, policymakers, and workplace leaders better understand where improvements are needed to strengthen safety, prevention, and worker well-being across Canada.

Reference: Statistics Canada