Big Stay: Australia’s ten most popular workplaces with perks

Aussies battling the cost of living are making a surprise career move as the most attractive places to work are revealed. See the list.

Forget quiet quitting — it’s now all about the Big Stay.

Australian workers battling the cost of living are ditching job hopping and are instead choosing to hunker down in their existing roles as the Big Stay trend hits our shores.

A reversal of the global Great Resignation phenomenon, which saw pandemic-hit workers abruptly quit their jobs in a bid for greater work-life balance, the term Big Stay is used to describe how workers are choosing to remain in their current jobs for extended periods.

Australian workers are choosing to stay put for job security.

The trend originated in the US, where workers have been increasingly exercising caution when it comes to quitting their jobs, and is becoming apparent in Australia, a survey of 5000 by recruitment firm Randstad has revealed.

Despite jobless rates remaining comparatively low, the report found job hopping was slowing down as Australians entered the Big Stay, with 16 per cent moving jobs in the past six months, compared to 21 per cent in the same period last year.

The Big Stay trend originated in the US.

As Australians grapple with rising interest rates and soaring utility bills, almost half (48 per cent) of those surveyed identified the public sector, with its well-known perk of long-term job security, as the most attractive place to work.

Taking into account career progression opportunities and work-life balance, the survey named the Department of Defence as the most desirable place to work.

NSW Health, the Queensland Government, the Federal Government and federal Department of Health came third, fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

The Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group ranked second while Virgin Australia came eighth, which the report said reflected the ongoing recovery of the travel and tourism sector.

Virgin Australia made the list. Picture: David Crosling

Jo Jakobs, Randstad’s NSW director, said with more workers choosing to stay in their roles, employers needed to “step up” their wellbeing programs.

Randstad’s Jo Jakob says there isn’t one golden ticket to nailing wellness at work.

“In a year which has seen significant shifts in the job market, the research suggests the Great Resignation is well and truly behind us and potentially being replaced by the Big Stay, as workers look to hunker down and ride out the current economic storm,” she said.

“There isn’t one golden ticket to nailing good wellness and mental health at work. For some employees flexible working hours could make significant differences to pressures at home, yet for others fostering a sociable office culture could top the list.

“We see a huge range of requests rolling through from a birthday day off, to gym access, mindfulness programs, time off to volunteer and more. The first step is to understand what your team is after and remain flexible if this changes over time.”

Originally published as Big Stay: Australia’s ten most popular workplaces with perks