If you’ve been dragging your feet to work lately, you’re among the majority. SEEK has dropped its latest Workplace Happiness Index and, let’s just say, Ausxie workers could use a nanna nap and maybe a group hug to help boost their mood.

SEEK surveyed more than 3,000 workers across Australia, and across generations, industries and locations. The verdict? Most Aussies aren’t thrilled about heading off to work.

According to the report, just 57 per cent of Aussies are happy at work, a tiny increase from last year’s 55 per cent. While one in three of us often dread going to work. Ouch.

Aussies still chasing purpose at work

Purpose is the number one thing that makes us feel good at work. But only 55 per cent of workers feel satisfied with their sense of purpose right now, which goes a long way to explaining the national meh.

Kylie Pascoe from SEEK’s Customer Insights & Research team says purpose continues to top the list of what really matters.

“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,” she says. “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.”

She says that while scores inched up slightly, “there is clearly still a job to be done”. Happiness at work affects your overall wellbeing, she says, so SEEK’s aim is to help employers understand exactly where they can move the needle.

What we are happy with

Despite the overall gloom, there are a few things Australians genuinely appreciate about their jobs. The biggest source of satisfaction is location, with two-thirds of workers saying they’re happy with where they work. Hot on its heels is the joy of working with good people, with 61 per cent saying they like their colleagues. And for many, the balance between work and life is still working well enough to earn a thumbs-up.

A solid number of workers also feel fairly content with their day-to-day responsibilities and job security, which helps round out the bright spots in an otherwise patchy report card.

What we’re not happy with

Now for the lowlights. Company commitment to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) is sitting firmly at the bottom of the pile, with only a third of workers happy in that area. Career progression isn’t much better, which suggests a lot of Aussies feel stuck or unsure where the next step in their career lies.

Stress levels and salary remain sources of frustration too, and then there’s senior leadership. Even though leadership now ranks as the third most important driver of happiness, less than half of workers feel good about their organisation’s leaders. That disconnect is proving costly for businesses.

Organisational psychologist Justine Alter says the correlation between unhappiness and job-hunting is getting stronger.

“Unhappy employees are more than twice as likely to look for new roles compared to happy ones,” she says. “It’s crucial for businesses to be aware of unhappiness in the workplace and be equipped to address it.”

Generational divide: Boomers cruising, Gen Z burning out

If you’re a Baby Boomer, statistically, you’re likely to be having a pretty good time at work. Nearly three-quarters of Boomers say they’re happy in their jobs.

Millennials and Gen Z, however, are struggling. Only about half of both groups say they’re happy, and the challenges are mounting for younger workers. Gen Z in particular is doing it tough, with almost half feeling burnt out or exhausted by their job and more than four in ten often dread the workday ahead.

WA takes the crown for happiest workers

The happiest workers in the country live in Western Australia. More than six in ten WA workers say they feel good about their job. Queensland and South Australia follow close behind with similar levels of contentment.

Meanwhile, in the eastern states, things look a bit bleaker. Victoria comes in lowest at 53 per cent happy, and NSW workers aren’t faring much better at 55 per cent. In fact, NSW workers’ happiness with job security has dropped noticeably over the past year.

Regional Aussies, however, are having a lot better time than their city counterparts. Around 62 per cent of regional workers say they’re happy in their jobs, compared to just 55 per cent of metro workers. The gap that suggests more people are finding fulfilment outside the big smoke.

Feeling miserable at work? Here’s what might help

Alter says clearly many Aussies are struggling to find fulfilment, but small changes within your control can help. She suggests putting your hand up for projects that align more closely with your interests, mentoring someone, or suggesting improvements that make your day-to-day a little more meaningful.

Sometimes, she says, even a quick chat about workload or stress might help reveal solutions you didn’t know were available, and of course, employers have a big role to play.

“Not everybody is going to love their job – employers can’t control that,” Alter says. “But what they can control is the environment workers show up to every single day.”

A supportive, psychologically safe work culture, she says, can make a huge difference.

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