Want to discover the secret to happiness? Look no further than your local café. No, it’s not those fresh, flaky croissants tempting you from the pastry cabinet, nor the steaming cups of coffee – although they come pretty close. The real joy comes from the barista behind the coffee machine. And it’s not just their charming smiles we’re talking about – a recent survey has confirmed this secret to happiness, revealing café workers as Australia's most satisfied employees in 2024.
For its annual Shift Pulse Report, employee timesheet app, Deputy, asked workers across Australia to rate their post-shift mood on a sliding scale from ‘stressed’ to ‘amazing’. They collected more than 500,000 survey responses to determine the happiest and most stressful shift work industries.
Now, let’s spill the beans…café workers topped the list of Australia’s happiest employees, beating out those working in healthcare, retail and services. 63 per cent of café workers rated their post-shift mood as ‘amazing’, followed by fast food and sit-down restaurant employees at 58 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively.
Australia’s café culture is arguably the best in the world, and the social and dynamic nature of café work no doubt plays a role in the high employee satisfaction levels post-shift.
Time Out Sydney’s Food and Drink Editor, Avril Treasure said: “I worked at cafés, bars and restaurants on and off for close to a decade and it was some of the best years of my life. From talking to people from all walks of life to meeting some of my best friends and yes, knock-off drinks and meals, I had a heck of a lot of fun and learnt a lot.”
The workplace vibes are also high in Australian gyms, logistics, childcare, and the arts and entertainment industry, while the government sector ranked as the most ‘stressed’ and ‘frustrated’, with a combined total of 16 per cent. This was followed by other high-pressure industries, like call centres, transportation and construction.
Not happy with your nine-to-five? You could land a gig as a wombat walker or wine taster in Tasmania this winter.
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