Would you turn down a promotion that includes more time at work? A majority of Canadians would

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Canadians aren’t so sure they want that next promotion.

According to a recent survey from U.S.-based wellness app Hint, 59 per cent of Canadians would turn down a promotion that required after-hours availability, even if it came with a higher salary. In fact, 41 per cent have avoided applying for a promotion because of concerns about increased hours and availability expectations.

Nearly two-thirds of Canadians also fear that promotions come with unspoken expectations – and more than half have seen colleagues become noticeably less happy after moving into management.

“Salary has traditionally been one of the strongest incentives attached to career progression, but the finding suggests that there is a point at which additional income no longer compensates for losing control over personal time,” says Hint App’s public relations manager, Leigh Roberts.

When asked what would make the step to management more attractive, Canadians ranked clear boundaries and no expectations for after-hours availability above a higher salary. The majority also wanted greater autonomy and flexibility.

“The career ladder is becoming less one-dimensional,” Ms. Roberts says. “Workers increasingly see several possible versions of career success; it’s not just your position, it’s, ‘am I earning more money?’ ‘Do I have more expertise?’ ‘Have I learned more?’ ‘Do I have more autonomy?’ rather than just more people to manage.”

Canadians aren’t rejecting career advancement outright. Instead, 59 per cent would prefer career progression that doesn’t require management responsibilities, which they fear will add significant time commitments outside of working hours.

“If something happens past working hours, the silent expectation [of managers] is that you’re going to manage that,” says Nancy D’Onofrio, vice-president of strategic accounts and social selling for Randstad Canada. “The higher you climb the ranks in your organization, the more that expectation is there.”

Workers have historically accepted those added expectations in exchange for the perks that come with a promotion, such as greater responsibility, a more prestigious job title and greater compensation. But D’Onofrio says different generations are making different calculations based on new variables such as flexibility, work-life balance and well-being.

According to the Hint survey, 68 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 would turn down a promotion that required them to sacrifice work-life boundaries and 63 per cent would prefer a promotion that doesn’t come with management responsibilities.

“If you look at Gen Z, there’s a massive gig economy and a lot are questioning whether that increase in pay and increase in stress is worth it when maybe they have a side gig that might be more profitable,” Ms. D’Onofrio says. “Investing my time in a side hustle could bring me more money than taking on more stress [in my day job], so they’ve got options.”

Some millennials and Gen Xers, meanwhile, often have personal commitments that make it more difficult to dedicate extra hours to the job.

“When you have to care for parents that are elderly or children, you don’t want that additional stress of climbing the corporate ladder,” Ms. D’Onofrio says. “It’s really dependent on the seasons of your life.”

Workers weighing a promotion should consider what they want to get out of the opportunity and whether the added time commitment will be worth it in the long run, Ms. D’Onofrio says.

“You’ve got to ask the question, ‘is it working for me, from a career growth perspective?’” she says. “If the extra investment is going to get you where you want to go a lot faster, maybe it’s worth taking that extra responsibility.”

Employers, meanwhile, are advised to be transparent about the expectations that come with pay and title increases and invest more in their leaders.

“If employers take care of their middle managers – if they put time and energy into helping them lead people efficiently – more people are going to want to move to that level,” Ms. D’Onofrio says. “Employers also need to realize that not everyone views climbing the corporate ladder as becoming a people leader and maybe offer a different scope of work that still drives significant impact but doesn’t involve any direct reports.”