Vacation, Interrupted: Nearly Half of Canadian Workers Have Changed Travel Plans Because of Work Pressures

New Employment Hero survey finds most workplaces encourage disconnection, yet workload pressures, vacation guilt and pre-vacation prep are still shaping how Canadians take time off, especially amid an uncertain labour market.

TORONTO, June 15, 2026 /CNW/ - As Canadians head into peak summer vacation season, new research from Employment Hero, the global AI-powered employment platform, suggests that while many employers are encouraging employees to disconnect, the practical pressures of work, especially in a challenging job market, are making it difficult for employees to unplug and recharge.

The Angus Reid survey conducted on behalf of Employment Hero 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, and 70% say there is little or no expectation to remain reachable while away.

At the same time, many employees continue to feel pressure around taking time off. In fact, the survey found that nearly half (45%) of full-time employed Canadians with access to paid time off have delayed, shortened or changed vacation plans because of workload or workplace pressures. Another 39% say they have at least occasionally avoided taking their full vacation entitlement because they worry about falling behind at work.

The findings also point to a "time off, but not logged off" reality for many Canadian workers. Nearly half (46%) say they check work communications such as email, Slack, Teams or texts at least sometimes while on vacation, while one-third (34%) say they work during their time off. In addition, 41% say they have felt some level of guilt taking PTO, and more than one-third (37%) say they 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. For businesses, the opportunity is to make disconnection possible in practice, not just in policy, by putting clear plans in place for workload, coverage and communication."

For SMBs, that planning can be especially important during the summer months, when PTO requests often overlap and smaller teams have less margin for coverage gaps. Without clear visibility into who is away and how work will be covered, time off can create last-minute pressure for both employees and the business.

"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."

Media Contact

Sean Benmor
NATIONAL Public Relations
[email protected]
416-676-6482

Megan Felsing
Communications Lead, Employment Hero
[email protected]
587-575-5273

About Employment Hero

Employment Hero is the global authority on employment, offering a world-leading Employment Operating System (eOS) that simplifies and optimizes every stage of the employment process. Its award-winning platform combines HR, payroll, recruitment, and employee engagement tools with the groundbreaking employment superapp, EH Work, which integrates career management and financial wellbeing. Serving over 350,000 businesses and managing more than 2.5 million employees worldwide, Employment Hero reduces administrative burdens by up to 80%, enabling organizations to focus on their goals and create more productive, engaged teams. By revolutionising the employment marketplace, Employment Hero is making employment easier, more valuable and rewarding for everyone.

About the survey

These are the findings of a survey conducted from May 29 to June 5, 2026 among a sample of 1,000 adults living in Canada who are employed full-time and have access to paid time off. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

SOURCE Employment Hero