Temps supplémentaire et création d'emplois: le cas du Canada, du Québec et de l'Ontario

Résumé

Après avoir résumé la problématique et la réglementation du temps supplémentaire au Québec, au Canada et dans d'autres pays, les auteurs présentent le phénomène du temps supplémentaire dans l'ensemble des branches d'activité au Canada, au Québec et en Ontario pour la période allant de 1975 à 1984.

Abstract

Overtime hours are a non-negligeable part of the total amount of hours worked in Canada, Quebec and Ontario. The potential for transforming overtime hours into full time jobs also appears to be significant. Nevertheless, there are very few studies on this subject in Canada, and specifically in Quebec and Ontario. This article seeks to remedy this gap, at least in part. The authors first describe the overall picture of overtime work in Quebec, Canada and some other western countries. They also summarize the studies done on this topic in Canada and in Quebec. The authors then look at overtime work in ail the industries in Canada, Quebec and Ontario for the period 1975-1984. The phenomenon is first dealt with globally and then according to status in the labor market, sex and profession. In conclusion, the possibilities for transforming overtime hours into full time jobs are examined. It appears that two aspects of the phenomenon under study seem to limit the possibilities for converting overtime hours into new full time jobs.

First, when a worker doing some overtime is a part-time worker, he/she does more overtime than when he/she is a full-time worker. From the total of overtime hours that could be turned into full-time jobs, we first have to substract those which are done by part-time workers. It is clear that many part-time employees are willing to do a lot of overtime hours; it is also clear that many of them would prefer to be full-time workers. So, before it is possible to generate new full-time jobs out of overtime hours, we have to consider the obligation of converting a large number of part-time jobs into full-time jobs.

Secondly, when a worker does some overtime, one out of three times, in Quebec as well as in Ontario, he/she holds a managerial position or he/she is a professional. This kind of overtime work is not one that is likely to be changed into full-time jobs.

Therefore, we may well think that in order to generate new full-time jobs it is worth considering the restriction of overtime hours; but we must also remember that the project of reducing the number of overtime hours in order to create new full-time jobs is one burdened with its own limitations.