No time to complain: Business owners are working eight-day weeks, says survey

A new survey from a nationwide business association says widespread staffing shortages have left entrepreneurs working what amounts to an eight-day week.

The report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says every province reported labour shortages, with the Canadian average sitting at 59 per cent.

In the Maritime region, Prince Edward Island recorded the highest rate, at 64 per cent.

Nova Scotia was 61 per cent, and New Brunswick was 52 per cent.

However, the proportion of owners affected by labour shortages who are working more hours, as a result, told a different story:

• 79 per cent -- P.E.I.
• 74 per cent -- N.B.
• 73 per cent -- N.S.

"The last year, travelling around all three Maritime provinces, I have never seen 'Help Wanted' signs in my life, like I've seen," said business professor Ed McHugh.

"This started pre-COVID, and it's only gotten worse since COVID as business started to ratchet up, and they started to bring people in, and they went, 'Wow, the employees we need aren't there,'" he said.

At the iconic Hali-Deli in north end of Halifax, the owner, Sybil Fineberg, works longer days than anyone else.

"I've never really counted it in the last little bit," said Fineberg.

"Things have changed for me because my husband passed away in December.

“He used to take care of all the administrative, which took many, many hours, and then I took care of the kitchen. But now, I'm doing both."

Hospitality and agriculture are sectors that are particularly hard-hit by staffing shortages, but McHugh says there are reasons for that.

"The economic model of their business is based on not paying high wages because they can't afford it," he said.

"But we don't have people lining up for those jobs anymore," said McHugh, adding there's little incentive to work a job that doesn't pay enough for housing in the current market.

"And you've still got a lot of people living at home with mom and dad, for a bunch of reasons. One of them is they can't afford to go out in this housing crisis we have and work at a lower-paid job," he said.

Solutions may have to come from government, said McHugh.

"We have to look at the rate of immigration and how quickly we allow immigrants to get into this country," he said.

"We've got to look at incentives for employers to hire younger people, and maybe with incentives to help on the wage side.

"And we've also got to hope that some of our younger people get a little hungrier for work."

Back at the deli, Fineberg soldiers on with her double duty, which doesn't leave much time for anything else.

"I haven't even really had time since December to even think about how many hours, but I'm exhausted," she said with a laugh.

A sentiment shared by a growing number of business owners, who find themselves buried in work with no time to complain.