Here's the Tea: Cafe Workers Are Australia's Happiest Frontline Employees

The key to work-life happiness has been revealed, and according to new data from Deputy, it’s working in a cafe. The data - recorded using Deputy’s Shift Pulse feature on which workers are able to rate how they’re feeling at the end of their shift on a sliding scale - is featured in Deputy’s second annual Shift Pulse Report, which includes findings from 1,536,000 shift workers globally, including 500,791 in Australia. 

The data revealed that Hospitality is the happiest sector overall, beating out Healthcare, Retail and Services, with more than half (58%) of workers feeling 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.

Local cafes have best working environments in Australia

The social and dynamic atmosphere of cafes and coffee shops may be why these workplaces have the highest positivity across all shift work industries, with 63% of workers feeling amazing after their shifts.

“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 Deputy’s latest Shift Pulse Report. The sociable nature of cafe work, along with opportunities for creativity and working in a vibrant atmosphere, have contributed to these workers feeling the most satisfied at the end of their shifts,” said Katrina Holt, Chief Customer Officer at Deputy.  

“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,” she added. 

When asked why he’s so happy to manage a cafe, Lucas Sullivan, Head of Retail at Single O said: 

“Working in a cafe is a job like no other because we serve as a community hub — not only to local customers but also for tourists and travellers from around the world.  The simple pleasure of grabbing a daily coffee is something that so many people look forward to. Being directly involved in that and brightening their days is what really makes us tick. 

At Single O, we understand our team has lives outside of work, so we always strive to tailor our rosters to their needs. We pride ourselves on offering flexible working hours so that our staff, whether they are students, working parents or anything in between, feel supported to manage their various commitments. Doing what we can to serve our peoples’ needs has created a culture of trust, where team members are excited to come to work. Having a good mix of people who care about their team and what they do is something we’re very lucky and proud to have.”

Closely behind cafes are gym and fast food restaurant workers with over half (58% and 57%), respectively, feeling amazing after their shifts. For gym workers, this underscores 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.

Working holiday visa holders contributing to State happiness?  

The Northern Territory leads state happiness with 87% of workers feeling amazing, suggesting an exceptionally positive work environment. This high positive sentiment also comes off the back of a worker shortage in the Northern Territory and changes to working holiday visa rules allowing travellers to take up hospitality jobs in order to complete their required regional work. 

Topping the list of unhappiest states is Tasmania with stress and frustration doubling since 2023, which may reflect the economic challenges or the nature of employment sectors prevalent here.

Deputy, 12^th June 2024