A new Workopolis survey shows that half (53 per cent) of working Canadians love their current jobs. But nearly six in ten (58 per cent) cite better compensation and benefits as a means to increase the affection for their job. Better work/ life balance and more opportunities to learn/ develop rounded out the top three attraction drivers that Canadians were looking for in a potential employer.

Additional poll highlights include:

Reasons to stay: 16 per cent of Canadians continue to stay in their current position because it pays the bills, while 14 per cent are afraid to make a change

The older you get the more you love your job: Canadians aged 35-44 are more likely to love their job than those aged 25-34.

The laws of attraction: Quebeckers have the strongest feelings about compensation and benefits, while those in the Prairies would prefer a better work/ life balance.
 
The Workopolis for the Love of the Job Poll was conducted by Harris/Decima between January 21 and 24, 2010 via a national omnibus telephone survey among a representative sample of 577 working Canadians. The margin of error is +/-4.1% 19 times out of 20.

Some say that safety starts at home. Most agree that it continues at home, in the way that we take care of ourselves. But just how great is the connection between oh&s and off-the-job safety and general "wellness"? If I'm the type of person who rides a bike without a helmet, stays up late drinking on week nights and has a primarily popcorn diet, am I more prone to getting hurt at work? Researchers are still at work on this issue, but meanwhile we asked the COS Reader Panel some questions on work-life balance. Here's what our 127 panelists had to say:

I've been writing and speaking about work/life balance for over 18 years. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken workshops on work/life balance and tried to make changes in their lives. Senior leaders have supported wellness programs for their employees and lent words of encouragement at their kick-off. Yet, as much as I love speaking, writing and helping people in organizations with work/life balance, I see imbalance in the work/life balance discussion. And this imbalance stems from focusing only on the individual and not on the role the organization plays in helping its employees achieve true work/life balance.