2012, 2012 Outlook, Australian economy, economy, family, Personal financial situation, Polling, polls, workplace
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think 2012 will be a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good
Dec 10 |
Total bad
Dec10 |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know/Not applicable | |
| The Australian economy | 48% | 16% | 29% | 35% | 3% | 26% | 32% | 28% | 7% | 3% |
| Your personal financial situation | 39% | 20% | 33% | 27% | 4% | 29% | 38% | 20% | 7% | 2% |
| Your workplace * | 47% | 16% | 45% | 20% | 6% | 39% | 36% | 15% | 5% | 2% |
| You and your family overall | 51% | 14% | 52% | 16% | 10% | 42% | 30% | 12% | 4% | 2% |
* based on working people
Overall, respondents were optimistic that 2012 would be a good year for themselves overall (52%) and their workplace (45%). They tended to be less optimistic about their financial situation (33% good/27% bad) and somewhat pessimistic about the Australian economy (29%/35%).
Compared to expectations 12 months ago, respondents were much less optimistic about the Australian economy (48% good last year compared to 29% good this year) and also rather less optimistic about their own financial situation (39%/20% last year compared to 33%/27% this year).
When compared with last week’s questions on perceptions of 2011, these figures suggest that respondents expect 2012 to be better than 2011 for themselves and their family (net +36% for next year compared to net +24% for this year), a little better for their workplace (+25% next year, +20% last year) and their own financial situation (+6% next year, -2% this year). The Australian economy is expected to be a little worse in 2012 (-6% next year compared to +2% last year).
2011, family, Past Year, Personal financial situation, Polling, polls, workplace
Q. Has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good
(Dec 10) |
Total bad
(Dec 10) |
Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| Your personal financial situation | 28% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 5% | 25% | 37% | 22% | 10% | 1% |
| Your workplace * | 43% | 21% | 43% | 23% | 8% | 35% | 33% | 18% | 5% | 2% |
| You and your family overall | 43% | 19% | 44% | 20% | 8% | 36% | 34% | 15% | 5% | 1% |
* based on working people
Respondents were evenly divided over whether it has been a good or bad year financially. Those most likely to say it was a good year were full-time workers (38% good/28% bad), aged under 35 (37%/28%) and incomes over $1,600pw (41%/25%).
Respondents were more positive about their workplace (43%/23%) and overall for themselves and their family (44%/20%). Younger respondents were a little more positive about themselves and their family– those aged under 35 split 50% good/15% bad.
On these measures 2011 was considered very similar to 2010.
annual leave, Board decisions, CEO, Health and safety, Offshoring jobs, Redundancies, rostering, salary and bonuses, wages, Working conditions, workplace, Workplace Issues
Q. How much say should employees have in the following issues in their workplace?
| Total a lot/
some say |
A lot of say | Some say | A little say | No say at all | Don’t know | |
| Health and safety | 90% | 63% | 27% | 7% | 2% | 1% |
| Working conditions | 88% | 55% | 33% | 8% | 2% | 1% |
| When they can take annual leave | 86% | 42% | 44% | 11% | 2% | 2% |
| Hours of work and rostering | 77% | 26% | 51% | 19% | 3% | 2% |
| Wages | 76% | 24% | 52% | 18% | 4% | 2% |
| Offshoring jobs (i.e. transferring jobs to another country) | 66% | 37% | 29% | 18% | 12% | 4% |
| Redundancies | 65% | 24% | 41% | 21% | 11% | 3% |
| CEO salary and bonuses | 59% | 29% | 30% | 18% | 20% | 3% |
| Board decisions | 44% | 16% | 28% | 29% | 22% | 4% |
A majority of respondents think employees should have a lot or some say in all workplace issues listed except for board decisions.
63% think employees should have a lot of say in health and safety, 55% in working conditions, 42% in annual leave and 37% in offshoring jobs.
Those on lower incomes (under $1,000pw) were more likely to think employees should have a lot of say in off-shoring jobs (45%) and CEO salary and bonuses (35%).
family, finances, workplace, year in review
Q. Has it been a good or bad year for each of the following?
| Total good | Total bad | Very good | Good | Neither good nor bad | Bad | Very bad | Don’t know | |
| Your personal financial situation | 28% | 28% | 4% | 24% | 42% | 21% | 7% | 1% |
| Your workplace * | 43% | 21% | 6% | 37% | 33% | 17% | 4% | 3% |
| You and your family overall | 43% | 19% | 7% | 36% | 36% | 14% | 5% | 2% |
* based on working people
Respondents were evenly divided over whether it has been a good or bad year financially. Those most likely to say it was a good year were full-time workers (37% good/20% bad), aged under 35 (37%/23%) and incomes over $1,600pw (42%/20%).
Respondents were more positive about their workplace (43%/21%) and overall for themselves and their family (43%/19%). Younger respondents were a little more positive about themselves and their family– those aged under 35 split 50% good/13% bad. Comments »
Christmas, Christmas spending, workplace
Q. Which of the following situations applies to your workplace regarding staff Christmas functions?
| Dec 08 | Dec 09 | |
| My employer is paying for a staff Christmas function much the same as previous years | 45% | 44% |
| My employer doesn’t usually pay for a staff Christmas function | 37% | 31% |
| My employer usually pays for a staff Christmas function but this year it will be smaller | 10% | 12% |
| My employer usually pays for a staff Christmas function but it has been cancelled this year | 6% | 3% |
| My employer will be spending more than usual on a staff Christmas function | 2% | 1% |
| Don’t know | * | 9% |
N=637. Those that selected ‘not an employee’ have been removed from the above table.
Results are reasonably similar to those obtained last year when we asked the same question.
44% of people surveyed indicated that their employer is paying for a staff Christmas function much the same as previous year, 31% have an employer that doesn’t usually pay for a staff Christmas function and 12% said that their employer paid for Christmas lunch will be smaller this year.
Results were similar across most demographic groups. Comments »