Work hard, play hard—it’s a motto working Australians have adopted for decades.
But what about the right to disconnect? It seems our attitudes to a healthy work/life balance have changed due to the pandemic. Many are now embracing working from home or hybrid setups more than ever, clearly carving out priorities and seeking a better blend of work obligations plus family and leisure activities.
To better understand how Aussies feel about their current employment, Budget Direct surveyed 1,001 Australians aged 18 and over to see how attitudes to job satisfaction, work/life balance and salary expectations have changed.
Quick Stats
9 out of 10 Australians rate work/life balance as the key to job satisfaction.
Of the Australians surveyed, 78% said they are satisfied with their most recent role.
More than 50% of respondents had one job for the past five years, with just 7% having three to four roles in the same period.
The pandemic made 44% of respondents want to work from home more, with another 24% wanting to embrace hybrid.
Most respondents said they wouldn’t be adequately prepared if they were forced to take an extended break from work, with Western Australians being the least prepared.
Work/Life Balance Key to Job Satisfaction
How important is work/life balance to you?^
Very important | Important | Neutral | Not important | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
18-27 years | 52.9% | 32.3% | 12.7% | 1.6% |
28-37 years | 63.3% | 31.3% | 4.6% | 0.8% |
38-47 years | 61.9% | 32.6% | 5.1% | 0.5% |
48-57 years | 62.3% | 33.3% | 4.4% | 0.0% |
58-65 years | 58.7% | 31.3% | 9.3% | 0.0% |
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
With more than nine out of 10 Australians rating work/life balance as the key to job satisfaction, it’s no surprise the latest numbers suggest the grass isn’t always greener when it comes to changing employers or workplaces.
Some 92% of the 1,001 Aussies who took part in the survey said work/life balance was either ‘Very Important’ (60.1%) or ‘Important’ (32.2%).
Those aged 28-37 rated work/life balance the most important out of the 1,001 respondents with 63.3% agreeing, but respondents aged 18-27 ranked it last at 52.9% agreeing.
Of those surveyed who were between 18-27 years old, 12.7% took a ‘Neutral’ stance on work/life balance.
These numbers suggest that Australians truly value workplaces that allow them to disconnect and enjoy flexibility around commitments in the office or on the job site.
Aussies Know When They Have It Good
How many jobs have you had in the past five years?^
Australia
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
If Australians are onto a good thing, they stick to it, with more than 50% of respondents having only one job for the past five years, with just 7.1% having three to four roles in the same period.
Interestingly, of the 7.1% who did move around, women were more likely to change jobs more often, with the survey figures showing 8.2% of females surveyed had three or four different roles in the past five years, compared to just 5.9% of males.
State
0-1 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 5-10 | 10+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New South Wales | 54.4% | 37.0% | 5.0% | 2.5% | 1.2% |
Victoria | 45.7% | 39.9% | 11.6% | 2.7% | 0.0% |
Queensland | 52.7% | 38.3% | 7.0% | 1.5% | 0.0% |
South Australia | 60.8% | 31.1% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1.4% |
Western Australia | 53.3% | 39.1% | 5.7% | 1.9% | 0.0% |
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Respondents living in South Australia took the cake for sticking with the same job for five years at 60.8%, followed by New South Wales and Western Australians at 54.4% and 53.3% respectively.
The data also suggests that plenty of employers are getting things right. There were 77.9% of those surveyed who said they were satisfied with their most recent role.
However, only 63.7% are satisfied with their current salary, which could be linked to the cost of living crisis affecting many Australians.
Why did you leave your last job?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
However, there was no clear leading answer when respondents were asked why they left their last job. Only 24.5% of those surveyed left due to a better offer, with 19% changing as they weren’t satisfied with the work. Change in personal circ*mstances, the job being too stressful and better work/life balance all scored 11.5%, 13.1% and 15.2% respectively.
Hybrid Working Becoming More Popular, Especially Among Millennial Workers
Since the pandemic, work environments have changed with around one in five Australians in the Census saying they worked from home in 2021. [1]
It’s no surprise the survey confirmed this, with almost half of respondents having to work from home during the pandemic.
Did working from home during the pandemic change your outlook on Australia’s working culture?^
Australia^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
The data also showed workplace changes during the pandemic made 44.3% of people want to work from home more, with another 23.9% wanting to embrace hybrid.
The younger workforce aged 28-37 also saw the highest number of people wanting to do more hybrid work (31.1%) with those aged 48-57 not far behind (22.8%).
Of women surveyed, 25.8% said the pandemic made them want to work from home more compared to 21.8% of men.
Comparing the states and territories, those in the Australian Capital Territory (56.3%) wanted to work from home more, with Victoria not far behind (52.7%), followed then by New South Wales (45%).
South Australia (34.4%) and Western Australia (31.9%) were the two states/territories least likely to want to work from home more.
Job Salary and Financial Planning
Financial security is vital—especially during a cost-of-living crisis.
Everybody should consider having life and income protection insurance in place, or at least see a financial expert about how they can best protect themselves or their families if there is a period of time away from work.
Do you have a financial plan in place in case you suddenly get sick or injured and can’t work?^
State
Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
New South Wales | 45.6% | 54.4% |
Victoria | 43.0% | 57.0% |
Queensland | 51.7% | 48.3% |
South Australia | 46.0% | 54.1% |
Western Australia | 38.1% | 61.9% |
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
Western Australians were the least prepared for a financial emergency, with 61.9% admitting they weren’t prepared in the case of sickness or injury, with Victoria (57%) and New South Wales not far behind (54.4%).
However, Queensland had an even split. It was the only state where the majority of respondents said they had a financial plan in place should illness or injury strike.
Australia
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
But other data showed most respondents weren’t adequately prepared if they were forced to take an extended break from work, with 54.2% saying they didn’t have a financial plan in place if they were sick or injured, with men (51.1%) slightly more underprepared than women (57.0%).
Respondents without a financial plan^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
The 48-57-year-olds were the least prepared, with 56.4% revealing they had no financial plan in place if they were sick or injured.
