Canadians in need of the 'Ultimate Time Out'

Tripharbour.ca survey finds 82 per cent of Canadians feel work-related stress is negatively impacting their health

TORONTO - Today's fast-paced 'connected' society makes it near impossible for Canadians to 'power-down' and take time for themselves. A recent survey, conducted by Ipsos Reid, of full-time working Canadians found that one in five are 'always connected' to work. In fact, our addiction to work has become so toxic that 82 per cent of Canadians feel that work-related stress is negatively impacting their health.

Tripharbour.ca is championing the 'ultimate time out' for Canadians, encouraging them to find balance and take a break - and what better way to completely unplug than hitting the high seas?

"Looking for a BlackBerry-free zone? I bet you'll find it somewhere in the middle of the South Pacific," says Stuart MacDonald, Founder and CEO of Tripharbour.ca. "Email, cell phones and mobile devices have made us accessible at every hour, and it actually leads to a lack of productivity in the workplace. Tripharbour.ca has officially set sail online to help Canadians shop for, plan and purchase their perfect cruise holiday."

While eight in 10 Canadians claim that they work to live and prefer to leave work at work, the fact remains that 21 per cent of us are accessible 24/7 - unable to shrug off the electronic tether. That being said, men appear to go overboard (ahem) more than women - who are more likely to power down right at 5:00 p.m. (51 per cent versus 37 per cent). Not surprisingly, far more guys also keep an eye on the flashing LED of their BlackBerry while sipping cocktails poolside; 23 per cent admit to keeping their devices on while on vacation. So what gives? As expected, 36 per cent of Canadians say they struggle to balance their work and personal lives.

Lucky for PDA addicts everywhere, Tripharbour.ca now makes it easy for the over-worked masses to find and choose their ultimate time out cruise package - and their personal lives will thank them. The progressive and innovative site combines user-moderated social media forums with superior Cruise Finder applications and purchasing power - and the Tripharbour.ca team is always on-board to empower each cruiser holiday buyer to find their perfect vacation getaway.

"We are making it our life's work to continually improve your complete cruising experience," says MacDonald. "We are passionate and committed to getting this done right - not only for the cruiser, but for stressed-out Canadians everywhere."

It really is as revolutionary as we think it is - see for yourself at www.Tripharbour.ca. <<

How do regions compare? -----------------------

Alberta

- Forty-five per cent of Albertans enjoy their jobs and the majority of respondents (81 per cent) agree that work should stay at work.

- When compared to the rest of the country, more Albertans keep their cell phone/mobile device on and with them when on vacation (26 per cent) with 19 per cent (also the highest in the country) checking in at the office periodically.

- Forty-four per cent of Albertans have difficultly achieving work-life balance at the expense of their personal lives - compared to the national average of 36 per cent.

Atlantic

- The majority of respondents (62 per cent) from the Atlantic region don't enjoy their work.

- Not surprisingly, when Atlantic respondents were asked if work-related stress was impacting their health, 64 per cent agreed.

British Columbia

- The majority of British Columbian respondents (59 per cent) typically power-down after 7:00 p.m.

- Forty-seven per cent of British Columbians agree (highest in the country alongside Saskatchewan/Manitoba) that work is beyond just paying the bills - they actually enjoy what they do!

- Most British Columbian residents (81 per cent) agree that leaving work at work is important.

- The majority of people from British Columbia (66 per cent) know the value of vacation - they unplug completely when they are away on holidays.

Ontario

- Consistent with the national average, 21 per cent of Ontarians admit that they never power-down.

- Seventy-nine per cent of Ontarians surveyed say they work to live, and prefer to leave work at work.

- When on vacation, 18 per cent of Ontarians keep their mobile devices on and with them, and 16 per cent check in at the office periodically.

Saskatchewan/Manitoba

- Compared to the rest of Canada, respondents from Saskatchewan and Manitoba (13 per cent) are least likely to believe that work-related stress is impacting their health.

- Twenty-four per cent of Saskatchewan/Manitoba respondents are always connected to their work.

- Saskatchewan/Manitoba respondents (70 per cent) are most likely (behind Quebec) to unplug completely when on vacation. In addition, 17 per cent (lowest in the country) said that they keep their cell/mobile device on and with them when on vacation.

Quebec

- Quebecers have difficulty achieving work-life balance but feel that their career suffers as a result (83 per cent - the highest in Canada) more so than their personal life (66 per cent).

- When it comes to vacations, 74 per cent (highest in Canada) of Quebec respondents unplug completely with only 4 per cent checking in at the office periodically.

- It is not surprising then, that 13 per cent (lowest in Canada) of Quebecers do not believe that work-related stress is impacting their health. >>

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Triphrbour.ca from 03/10 to 03/13, 2008. This online survey of 1,514 adult Canadians who work full-time was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.