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Biggest Covid-19-related risks for employees
Q. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which of the following risks do you think employees are currently the most vulnerable to?
Please rank each of the following from biggest risk (1) to smallest risk (6).
| TOTAL: Biggest risk (Ranked 1) | Total | Employment Status | ||
| In paid employment | Not in paid employment | Retired | ||
| Having less job security | 36% | 34% | 40% | 35% |
| Working in unsafe conditions | 20% | 18% | 24% | 19% |
| Being exploited by employers (e.g. being expected to work unpaid overtime, working long shifts) | 16% | 16% | 15% | 15% |
| Not receiving a pay increase | 10% | 12% | 6% | 13% |
| Not getting paid fairly | 10% | 11% | 8% | 7% |
| Having limited opportunities for career progression | 9% | 9% | 6% | 11% |
| Base (n) | 1,109 | 552 | 259 | 255 |
- Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, having less job security is seen as the biggest risk for employees by over a third (36%) of people.
- Working in unsafe conditions is seen as the next biggest risk (20%), followed by being exploited by employers (16%).
- Those not in paid employment are most likely to rate job security (40%) and unsafe conditions (24%) as the biggest risk to employees.
Federal government response to Covid-19
Q. Overall, how would you rate the federal government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| 01/02 | 30/11 | 16/11 | 02/11 | 05/10 | 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | |
| Very poor | 4% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 4% |
| Quite poor | 11% | 8% | 9% | 10% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 8% | 11% | 10% | 8% |
| Neither good nor poor | 19% | 19% | 18% | 24% | 22% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 21% | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Quite good | 42% | 41% | 41% | 39% | 39% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | 43% |
| Very good | 25% | 26% | 26% | 22% | 21% | 21% | 18% | 22% | 24% | 24% | 24% | 27% |
| TOTAL: Poor | 14% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 18% | 18% | 19% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 12% |
| TOTAL: Good | 67% | 67% | 67% | 61% | 60% | 61% | 59% | 61% | 63% | 64% | 64% | 71% |
| Base (n) | 1,092 | 1,034 | 1,010 | 1,063 | 1,066 | 1,081 | 1,076 | 1,068 | 1,010 | 1,058 | 1,054 | 1,079 |
- Rating of the federal government’s handling of Covid-19 is stable at 67% from the last time this was measured in Nov’20, with 67% rating the handling of the pandemic very or quite good.
State government response to Covid-19
Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| TOTAL: Good | 01/02 | 30/11 | 16/11 | 02/11 | 05/10 | 21/09 | 07/09 | 24/08 | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 |
| NSW | 71% | 76% | 75% | 68% | 65% | 67% | 57% | 59% | 61% | 62% | 63% | 70% |
| VIC | 61% | 60% | 59% | 55% | 45% | 47% | 50% | 47% | 49% | 53% | 49% | 65% |
| QLD | 78% | 72% | 71% | 69% | 69% | 68% | 66% | 73% | 68% | 67% | 69% | 64% |
| SA | 80% | 70% | 76% | 77% | 81% | 81% | 74% | 65% | 72% | 76% | 79% | 79% |
| WA | 80% | 83% | 82% | 81% | 83% | 84% | 87% | 84% | 86% | 82% | 77% | 75% |
- Positive rating of the NSW government has dropped to 71% (from 76% at the end of November).
- Positive rating of the QLD government has increased to 78%, the highest rating we’ve seen in the last six months.
- The rating of the Victorian government is still the lowest rating of states at 61%.
Preference towards federal vs state government Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Q. As vaccinations against Covid-19 are rolled out across Australia, which authority would you prefer to be responsible for the distribution of the vaccinations in your state or territory?
| Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
| The federal government | 38% | 31% | 50% | 32% | 38% |
| Your state or territory government | 44% | 54% | 39% | 44% | 40% |
| Unsure | 19% | 16% | 11% | 24% | 22% |
| Base (n) | 1,092 | 361 | 400 | 97 | 126 |
- 44% of Australians would prefer their state or territory government to be responsible for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccinations, compared to 38% who would prefer the federal government to take charge of this, and 19% are unsure.
- Preference for their state or territory government to handle the rollout of vaccines is highest among Labor voters (54%), followed by 44% Greens voters, 40% minor and independent party voters and 39% Coalition voters.
Confidence in Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Q. How confident are you in each of the following?
That the rollout of vaccinations against Covid-19 in Australia will be…
| TOTAL: Confident | TOTAL: Not confident | |
| … done efficiently | 68% | 26% |
| … done safely | 72% | 22% |
| … effective at stopping Covid-19 within the country | 58% | 33% |
- Most Australians are confident in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in Australia, with 68% confident that it will be done efficiently, 72% confident it will be done safely and 58% confident it will be effective at stopping Covid-19 within the country.
Confidence in Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Q. How confident are you in each of the following?
That the rollout of vaccinations against Covid-19 in Australia will be…
| TOTAL: Confident | Federal Voting Intention | |||
| Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | |
| … done efficiently | 65% | 78% | 66% | 64% |
| … done safely | 71% | 80% | 67% | 61% |
| … effective at stopping Covid-19 within the country | 59% | 66% | 57% | 44% |
- Coalition voters are the most confident in the efficiency, safety and effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout compared to other voters.
Confidence in efficiency of Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Q. How confident are you in each of the following?
That the rollout of vaccinations against Covid-19 in Australia will be done efficiently
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
| Very confident | 19% | 23% | 16% | 16% | 21% | 20% | 15% | 29% | 18% | 16% | ||
| Fairly confident | 48% | 45% | 51% | 44% | 47% | 53% | 50% | 49% | 48% | 48% | ||
| Not that confident | 19% | 21% | 17% | 27% | 16% | 16% | 22% | 14% | 22% | 21% | ||
| Not confident at all | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 9% | 5% | 7% | 5% | 8% | 13% | ||
| Unsure | 6% | 4% | 8% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 2% | ||
| TOTAL: Confident | 68% | 68% | 67% | 60% | 68% | 73% | 65% | 78% | 66% | 64% | ||
| TOTAL: Not confident | 26% | 28% | 25% | 34% | 25% | 21% | 29% | 18% | 30% | 34% | ||
| Base (n) | 1,092 | 532 | 560 | 318 | 391 | 383 | 361 | 400 | 97 | 126 | ||
- While confidence in the efficiency of the Covid-19 rollout is relatively high across all demographics, those who are older are more confident than younger cohorts (73% of those over 55 are confident, followed by 68% those 35-54 and 60% those 18-34).
- Out of all voters, Coalition voters are the most confident that the vaccine rollout will be efficient, with 78% who are confident and of this, nearly a third (29%) who are very confident.
Confidence in safety of Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Q. How confident are you in each of the following?
That the rollout of vaccinations against Covid-19 in Australia will be done safely
| Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||||
| Very confident | 22% | 24% | 20% | 18% | 21% | 27% | 20% | 29% | 21% | 22% | ||
| Fairly confident | 50% | 51% | 49% | 46% | 48% | 55% | 51% | 51% | 46% | 38% | ||
| Not that confident | 15% | 14% | 15% | 22% | 16% | 7% | 17% | 11% | 19% | 20% | ||
| Not confident at all | 7% | 6% | 9% | 8% | 10% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 10% | 14% | ||
| Unsure | 6% | 5% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 3% | 3% | 5% | ||
| TOTAL: Confident | 72% | 75% | 69% | 64% | 69% | 82% | 71% | 80% | 67% | 61% | ||
| TOTAL: Not confident | 22% | 21% | 23% | 31% | 26% | 11% | 23% | 17% | 30% | 34% | ||
| Base (n) | 1,092 | 532 | 560 | 318 | 391 | 383 | 361 | 400 | 97 | 126 | ||
- Reflecting confidence in the efficiency of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, confidence it will be done safely is high overall as well. Again, those over 55 and Coalition voters have the most confidence in this (82% and 80% respectively).
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Download this week's ReportEssential Report
Two Party Preferred:
Labor
47%
Coalition
44%
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Federal government response to Covid-19
- State government response to Covid-19
- Confidence in Labor government handling of Covid-19 pandemic
- Satisfaction with speed of Covid-19 vaccine rollout
- Party most responsible for slow vaccine rollout
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