Power shift

Canadian workers are feeling more empowered post-pandemic

“No one’s gonna give you agency … you have to take it.”

That advice is from Harper Stern — a central character on the HBO show “Industry”— to one of her coworkers about the dynamics of job control.

Control has long been fundamental to the dignity of work. One component is autonomy — that is, the freedom to decide how to do your work. It’s the opposite of what Karl Marx called “alienated labour,” whereby the division of labour has deskilled the worker so much that he is reduced to repeating one same motion. The agency that flows from autonomy boosts status, and that’s good for our self-esteem and sense of mastery.

So, is it true that no one’s going to give you agency at work?

That may be the reality in Harper’s ultracompetitive job at a prestigious investment bank. But it doesn’t apply to most real-life scenarios — at least according to workers I’ve studied.

With the help of the research firm Angus Reid Global, I surveyed a national sample of Canadians about the quality of work-life in September 2019, establishing pre-pandemic data points.

Then, I repeated similar surveys during the pandemic in September 2020, ’21, and ’22 to track trends — roughly 13,500 study participants in total.

Here’s one statement that measures job autonomy: “I have the freedom to decide what I do on my job.” I asked respondents to tell me how much they agree or disagree with that statement.

In September 2019, 48 per cent of full-time employees agreed. By September 2020, that jumped to 58 per cent and remained there through 2022.

A 10-point shift over a one-year period on any quality of work-life indicator is unusual. But it is consistent with the claim that workers gained more power during the pandemic.

Let’s look at another item: “It is basically my own responsibility to decide how my job gets done.” In 2019, 69 per cent agreed with that statement. Over the past three years, that increased to 76 per cent.

These numbers suggest a decent aggregate level of autonomy. But to get a deeper understanding of what autonomy means to individuals, I asked followup questions.

In their responses, workers emphasized the freedom to decide the “what, how, and when” of their jobs. “I come up with and shape projects from start to finish, decide what activities to do on a day-to-day basis, and where to prioritize my time,” explained a director of research and marketing in Manitoba. As a mathematician in Quebec described it, “I have a great deal of control over both the subject of my research work and the approaches I use.”

A superintendent in Saskatchewan declared: “I can choose what to work on when it suits me best.”

This decision-latitude thread of autonomy is interwoven with authority. “I decide who does what and when,” said an architectural sheet metal foreman in Nova Scotia. “Every decision pertaining to my particular job sites is mine to make.”

Freedom from supervision — and the agency boost it provides — is another salient feature.

“I rarely get any tasks or direction given to me by my supervisor,” said an instructional developer in Ontario. “It’s up to me to find meaningful work on my own.” A transportation planner in Manitoba echoed that theme: “I give input on what tasks should be prioritized and make empowering decisions to prioritize my tasks when I cannot consult my supervisor.”

“It means I have no one looking over my shoulder as I do my job,” said a receptionist.

Specialized expertise often justifies autonomy — but “as long as” caveats abound. An engineer in Alberta explained: “My bosses don’t know what I do, so they aren’t qualified to ask me questions in my field — as long as the plants operate, they leave me alone.”

A product manager reinforced the point, declaring that “autonomy makes work more enjoyable — as long as I’m doing tasks related to the corporate vision, I’m good.”

The accountability in autonomy has implications for the bottom line. “I can make purchase and sale decisions,” said a produce manager in Prince Edward Island. “I’m directly responsible for having a successful or unsuccessful week in perishable items.”

Autonomy enriches status. A social worker in British Columbia explained: “Even though my tasks are shaped by my role and sometimes delegated by others, I have a huge amount of autonomy — and my role is valued and respected as part of the team.”

She added, “it has a huge impact on my job satisfaction.”

Sometimes autonomy feels built in. “The freedom to choose what I do … it’s literally just the job,” said a software architect in Nova Scotia.

Sometimes it means being in the driver’s seat. As a professional driver in Manitoba put it: “Ain’t nobody else driving the truck!”

That’s agency.