Around three quarters (76%) of Australian workers are dissatisfied with some aspect of their job, a new report from SafetyCulture has shown. Among these workers, the primary reasons are unreasonable expectations leading to burnout (37%), slow responses to resolving issues or risks (36%), and pressure to cut corners to save time or money (33%).

Of workers who admit to dissatisfaction impacting their performance, 40% feel less motivated, and 31% report reduced productivity.  On average, workers lose an estimated 6.59 hours a month due to dissatisfaction, which may show up as unproductive downtime, frequent errors, or absenteeism. The collective impact is costing Australian businesses an estimated $15.8 billion annually.

The study also reveals a concerning disconnect between management and frontline employees. Both groups agree there is a “them versus us” mentality (52%), rising to 64% among management and 53% among frontline employees. This divide is most prevalent in the distribution, logistics, supply and transport sector (66%) and lowest within the hospitality industry (48%).

SafetyCulture chief product officer, Sam Byrnes (pictured) said, “Frontline workers are telling us they feel unheard, overstretched, and compromised. On top of this, there’s a strained relationship between employees and management that isn’t conducive to a healthy workplace culture or optimal outputs.

“There will always be room for improvement within organisations, but leaders are doing themselves, and their people, a huge disservice by failing to understand frontline challenges, acknowledging and addressing issues, and communicating adequately. It’s time businesses woke up to the fact that listening to people on the frontline is one of the fastest ways to improve the bottom line.”

Differences also become apparent among workers who think the frontline/management relationship can be repaired. Of these, most frontline employees desire better pay and benefits (62%), but only 49% of managers agree. Similarly, while 51% of frontline employees feel that recognition for strong performance would help ease fractures, only 39% of managers agree. On the flipside, 36% of managers feel that greater visibility of company goals could close the gap, but only 27% of those on the frontline concur.

In addition, three in five (60%) Australian workers are also concerned about skills and labour shortages in their industry. Of workers who believe these shortages present critical issues, 22% report that these are already presenting problems, and 41% believe issues will present within the next three years.

Compared to all other regions surveyed, Australian workers express the highest level of concern about the impact of new technologies. Two in five (40%) of those with concerns about the future cite emerging technologies such as AI (versus 34% overall globally) and 46% of workers are concerned their role will be automated in the future (versus 37% overall).  

While Australian workers express concern about future technologies, they’re also frustrated with their current tooling. Nearly two-thirds (62%) are not fully satisfied with their tools and IT systems. Of these, more than one-third (37%) are dissatisfied with outdated systems, one-third (33%) say they have too many tools and IT systems, and 30% say their tools and IT are unfit for purpose.