A new report by employment relations platform Deputy reveal that people employed in the hospitality sector are the happiest workers overall, particularly those working in cafes.
Deputy’s second annual Shift Pulse Report, which includes findings from 1,536,000 shift workers globally, including 500,791 in Australia, found that 58 per cent of hospitality workers feel ‘amazing’ at the end of their shifts. Conversely, government, call centre and construction workers make up some of the unhappiest workers with stress and frustration remaining across these industries.
In particular, 63 per cent of cafe workers feel amazing after their shifts, the highest in the hospitality sector, which the research attributed to the social and dynamic atmosphere of cafes and coffee shops.
“Australia is known for its world-class coffee and love of cafe culture so it’s not surprising that the sector has topped the list of happiest workers in the latest Shift Pulse Report,” Katrina Holt, Chief Customer Officer at Deputy, said. “The sociable nature of cafe work, along with opportunities for creativity and working in a vibrant atmosphere, have contributed to them feeling the most satisfied at the end of their shifts.
“Fast food and sit-down restaurants also showed high levels of satisfaction among workers, pointing to a larger trend observed in Deputy’s data that indicates hospitality is the happiest sector across all shift work industries in Australia,” Holt added.
Closely behind cafes are gym and fast food restaurant workers (at 58 per cent and 57 per cent respectively). According to the report, the high satisfaction among gym workers reflect the personal fulfilment that often comes from health and wellness-oriented roles; especially if these align with a person’s values and goals.
Despite the fast-paced and demanding environment of fast food restaurants, worker happiness could be influenced by team dynamics, support systems and effective management practices, according to the report.
On the other hand, positive sentiment in the services industry, including government, call centres and construction, has plummeted 10 per cent from 2023 to 2024, indicating a potential increase in workplace stress. Government workers have the highest level of unhappiness in the sector with 16 per cent of workers stressed and frustrated.
The research also noted that call centres are known for their challenging working conditions, and the demands of handling frequent customer grievances can be particularly taxing, which in turn reflected in their growing dissatisfaction which now sits at 11 per cent.
Construction workers also make the list of most stressed workers in the Services industry with seven per cent feeling ‘stressed’ and ‘frustrated’, which is attributed to the physical demands and deadline pressures they face, as well as long working hours, may contribute to their lower job satisfaction.
Notable was improvement in sentiment across the healthcare sector, with 83 per cent of workers feeling ‘good’ or ‘amazing’ in 2024. This is attributed to the easing pressures off the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increased funding for healthcare sector that was introduced as part of the 2024 Federal Budget. The government has announced $8.5 billion in funding to be allocated to the sector, which includes $2.8 billion to strengthen Medicare, $4.3 billion to deliver cheaper medicines and $1.3 billion for a ‘fit and healthy Australia’, as well as funding support for student nurses.
