Abstract
Objectives: To examine changes in work hours, work schedules, the psychosocial work environment and job satisfaction in three Canadian provinces between 1994 and 2003–05.
Methods: The study sample consisted of 46,998 respondents over four cross-sectional surveys: 1994, 2000 and 2003/05 in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Using regression models, we examined trends in work conditions across survey cycles both unadjusted, and after adjustment for differences in age, education, gender, immigration, and method of interview.
Results: Crude models observed increases in rotating shifts, long work hours and job security between 1994 and 2003–05, and decreases in physical demands and job satisfaction. When models were adjusted for changes in labour market demographics and educational capacity, we further observed decreases in skill discretion, decision authority, co-worker support and in regular scheduled work across survey cycles. We also noted differences in trends for two outcomes (decision authority and co-worker support) depending on interview method.
Conclusions: Employees in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan were more likely to be working longer hours, at non-standard time during the week, and to be less satisfied with their jobs between 1994 and 2003/05. In addition, it appears the labour market in these provinces has not adjusted sufficiently to accommodate the increasing number of workers with high levels of education and increasing age, with declines observed in decision authority, skill discretion and co-worker support once these changes were taken into account.
Key Words: Job satisfaction, psychosocial factors, trends, Canada
Résumé
Objectifs: Examiner l’évolution des heures de travail, des horaires de travail, de l’environnement psychosocial de travail et de la satisfaction professionnelle dans trois provinces canadiennes entre 1994 et 2003–2005.
Méthode: L’échantillon de l’étude incluait 46 998 répondants répartis entre quatre enquêtes transversales menées en 1994, 2000 et 2003–2005 au Québec, en Ontario et en Saskatchewan. À l’aide de modèles de régression, nous avons examiné les tendances dans les conditions de travail d’un cycle d’enquête à l’autre, en ne tenant pas compte, puis en tenant compte des différences d’âge, de niveau d’instruction, de sexe, de statut d’immigration et de méthode d’entrevue.
Résultats: Les modèles bruts ont permis d’observer une évolution à la hausse des équipes rotatives, des longues heures de travail et de la sécurité d’emploi entre 1994 et 2003–2005, et une évolution à la baisse des exigences physiques et de la satisfaction professionnelle. Les modèles rajustés selon les changements dans le profil démographique de la population active et le niveau d’instruction ont en outre permis d’observer, d’un cycle d’enquête à l’autre, des baisses dans la distinction des compétences, le pouvoir de décision, le soutien des collègues et les horaires de travail fixes. Nous avons par ailleurs noté des différences dans les tendances pour deux résultats (pouvoir de décision et soutien des collègues) selon la méthode d’entrevue.
Conclusion: Les employés du Québec, de l’Ontario et de la Saskatchewan étaient plus susceptibles de travailler de longues heures, d’avoir des horaires hebdomadaires atypiques et d’être moins satisfaits de leur emploi en 2003–2005 qu’ils ne l’étaient en 1994. De plus, il semble que le marché du travail dans ces provinces ne s’est pas suffisamment adapté au nombre croissant de travailleurs très scolarisés et plus âgés; quand on tient compte de ces changements, on s’aperçoit que le pouvoir de décision, la distinction des compétences et le soutien des collègues ont diminué.
Mots Clés: satisfaction professionnelle, facteurs psychosociaux, tendances, Canada
Footnotes
Acknowledgements: Peter Smith is supported by a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Approval for the secondary data analyses was obtained through the University of c]Toronto, Health Sciences I Ethics committee.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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