{"id":15810,"date":"2026-04-23T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/?post_type=news&p=15810"},"modified":"2026-04-23T04:31:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T08:31:51","slug":"canadians-unpaid-leave-major-event-work","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/news\/canadians-unpaid-leave-major-event-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadians would take unpaid leave to work major events \u2014 and it says a lot about how work is changing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Canadians aren\u2019t just excited about major events like the FIFA World Cup 2026: they\u2019re willing to rearrange their working lives to be part of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New research from 91±¬ΑΟ reveals a striking shift in how people think about work and experience: among those open to event-based gigs, two-thirds would take time off their primary job to participate, even if it comes at a cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than a quarter (28%) say they\u2019d take unpaid leave, signalling that for many, these opportunities go beyond convenience or spare income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work is no longer just about the paycheck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s driving this? A mix of practicality and something less tangible. For some, it\u2019s financial. One in four Canadians (25%) say they\u2019d take on event work to help cover living costs. But for others, the appeal is experiential: 35% say they\u2019re motivated by the chance to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That balance reflects a broader shift. Work is increasingly being shaped not just by income, but by flexibility and personal meaning. As KJ Lee, CEO of 91±¬ΑΟ Canada, puts it, the willingness to take unpaid leave points to \u201ca deliberate choice to prioritize experience,\u201d even when it comes with trade-offs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise of \u201cevent-driven\u201d side hustles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rather than replacing traditional employment altogether, most Canadians are looking to layer these opportunities on top of their existing roles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Six in ten say they\u2019d treat event-based work as a side hustle, a way to participate without fully stepping away from their main job. Still, a smaller segment (11%) would go all in, temporarily leaving their primary role behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, it signals a growing appetite for short-term, flexible work that fits around life, not the other way around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A challenge \u2014 and opportunity \u2014 for employers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This shift isn\u2019t happening in a vacuum. With events like the Calgary Stampede and the World Cup set to draw global attention, employers may start to feel the impact of increased time-off requests and shifting workforce availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this moment also presents an opportunity. Organizations that plan ahead and embrace flexibility are more likely to retain and engage employees who increasingly expect to balance work with meaningful life experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A turning point for how Canadians engage with work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s emerging is a new kind of workforce behaviour: one that blends earning with experiencing. Major events are no longer just something people attend \u2014 they\u2019re something people want to actively participate in, even if it means stepping away from their day-to-day routine. And as Canada prepares to host the world, it\u2019s clear many workers don\u2019t just want a ticket. They want a role in the moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From global tournaments to iconic local festivals, major events are reshaping how Canadians approach work. According to new data from 91±¬ΑΟ, short-term, event-driven roles are gaining traction, with some workers willing to trade pay for participation. It\u2019s a sign that experience and flexibility are becoming just as valuable as a steady paycheque.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":15811,"template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_visual_mode":"business","exclude_from_algolia":false,"author_id":70424,"reading_time":"2 min read","display_reading_time":false,"homepage_thumbnail":0},"categories":[264],"tags":[],"learn_topic":[],"audience":[],"post_features":[],"class_list":["post-15810","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/15810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15810"},{"taxonomy":"learn_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/learn_topic?post=15810"},{"taxonomy":"audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience?post=15810"},{"taxonomy":"post_features","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_features?post=15810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}