Daily London
Baby boomers are Australia’s happiest workers, while Generation Z are the most miserable, according to a new report from employment website Seek.
The website’s second Workplace Happiness Index has revealed just 57 per cent of Australians are happy at work overall, while 33 per cent dread going to work.
Baby boomers were mostly likely to be in the former category, with 73 per cent reporting happiness at work, compared to 54 per cent for millennials and 56 per cent for Gen Z.
The youngest workers also face the greatest workplace challenges, with 47 per cent reporting burnout and exhaustion from their jobs, and 41 per cent often dreading going to work.
A geographical divide also emerged, with Western Australia boasting the highest proportion of happy workers at 62 per cent, closely followed by Queensland and South Australia at 61 per cent.
This contrasted sharply with Victoria (53 per cent) and New South Wales (55 per cent), with the latter state in particular seeing a six per cent fall in workers’ happiness over their job security in particular.
What makes workers happy
A sense of purpose remains the most important driver of job satisfaction, the report found, followed by day-to-day responsibilities and senior leadership.
Kylie Pascoe, from SEEK’s Customer Insights & Research team, comments: “What’s particularly interesting about this year’s findings is that purpose at work continues to be the biggest driver of happiness at work, while the importance of senior leadership has risen, up three places on last year’s survey,” Kylie Pascoe from Seek’s customer insights and research team said.
“We’re seeing a shift away from motivators like workload demand and your manager, as people place more importance on feeling that their work matters and that their senior leaders are on the journey with them.”
The research revealed that when it comes to what Australians are currently happiest with at work, their location of work (67 per cent happy), team/colleagues (61 per cent) and work-life balance (60 per cent) top the list.
On the other hand, workers remained overall dissatisfied with employer commitment to environmental, social, and governance principles (34 per cent happy), career opportunities (37 per cent), and salaries (42 per cent).
“It’s clear that many Australians are struggling to find fulfilment in their roles,” Transitioning Well organisational psychologist Justine Alter said.
“The continued focus we’re seeing toward purpose-driven work shows people aren’t just looking for a paycheck – they want to feel their work matters.”
She urged those Australians who dreaded going to work to look for “small ways” to add meaning to their jobs, including mentoring or finding projects that aligned with their interests.
“And remember, sometimes a simple conversation about workload or stress levels may lead to practical solutions you hadn’t considered,” she said.
