As Canadians head into peak summer vacation season, new research from Employment Hero suggests that many workers are being encouraged to unplug, but still feel pressure to stay connected.
The global AI-powered employment platform says an Angus Reid survey conducted on its behalf found that 63% of full-time employed Canadians with access to paid time off say their workplace encourages employees to fully disconnect while on vacation. Another 70% say there is little or no expectation to remain reachable while away.
But the findings point to a gap between policy and practice.
Nearly half of respondents, 45%, said they have delayed, shortened, or changed vacation plans because of workload or workplace pressures. Another 39% said they have at least occasionally avoided taking their full vacation entitlement because they worry about falling behind at work.
For many Canadian workers, time off does not necessarily mean logging off. Employment Hero found that 46% of full-time employed Canadians with access to PTO check work communications such as email, Slack, Teams, or texts at least sometimes while on vacation, while 34% say they work during their time off.
The survey also found that 41% of respondents have felt some level of guilt taking PTO, and 37% often work extra hours before vacation to prepare for their absence.
“Employers are clearly making efforts to build workplace cultures where people can take real time away, and that matters,” said KJ Lee, CEO of Employment Hero Canada. “The challenge is that even when the policy and intent are there, employees may still feel pressure to stay visible, stay connected or work ahead before they take time off, particularly in an uncertain economic environment.”
Lee said businesses have an opportunity to make disconnection possible in practice, not just in policy, by putting clear plans in place for workload, coverage, and communication.
That challenge can be especially acute for small and medium-sized businesses during the summer months, when vacation requests often overlap and smaller teams have less room to absorb coverage gaps. Without clear visibility into who is away and how work will be handled, time off can create last-minute pressure for both employees and employers.
“For SMBs, enabling employees to properly disconnect starts with clear planning and visibility into how work will be covered while people are away,” added Lee. “When businesses have that visibility, they can plan ahead, reduce last-minute pressure during peak vacation periods, and help ensure time off does not come at the expense of employee wellbeing or business continuity.”
Employment Hero’s findings arrive as Canadian employers continue to navigate a labour market where retention, burnout, and employee wellbeing remain closely tied to workplace culture. For companies encouraging employees to take vacation, the next challenge may be ensuring that time away actually feels like time away.