More than half of Australia’s white-collar workers would refuse a pay rise, study finds

More than 80 per cent of Aussies aren’t satisfied with their job, and more than half say they don’t necessarily need more money.

More meaningful work stacked up better than a pay rise for more than half of white collar workers, the research suggested.

More than half of Australia’s white collared workers say they would give up a pay rise to do work that is more meaningful to them.

Only 66 per cent of Australian workers find their current job meaningful, and 53 per cent said they would give up a pay rise to do more meaningful work, according to new research by computer software company ServiceNow.

Of Australian workers who said that their job is “not at all meaningful”, a whopping 81 per cent were not satisfied with their current job, the study found.

“The research shows just how important meaningful work is to Australians,” said ServiceNow ANZ managing director David Oakley.

“Australia is a nation of entrepreneurs and ‘do-er’s, wanting to make a meaningful difference, leaving a mark or legacy everywhere we go.

“In this day and age, work is no longer just a means to an end for a pay packet and increasingly Australians care more about the impact that their work is having.”

Mr Oakley said that the research showed that meaningful work was important to Australians of all ages, but Millennials stood out with 67 per cent wishing for more meaningful work, compared to 45 per cent of Baby Boomers.

“On average, 53 per cent of Australians would give up a pay rise for more meaningful work, which rises to 60 per cent among Millennials,” Mr Oakley said.

“With greater opportunities to go to university and travel, Millennials are more exposed to societal issues and want their working and lives to have more meaning and impact.”

The survey found that workers on average spend 42 per cent of their day doing menial tasks and about 61 hours a month.

“Meaningful work isn’t about the task that is being undertaken, but the outcome or the impact of the work,” Mr Oakley said.

“For companies who want to make work more meaningful, it requires intentional effort.

“They can start by crafting a vision for how the workplace should work, and then identify moments that matter most to employees and make them great.”