Executive summary

The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. It captured views from a broad range of respondents, varying by demographics, roles, job levels and organisational types.

Information was collected about the contractual and relational nature of employment relationships in the hospitality and tourism sector, including wages, conditions, and employment experiences. This year, questions related to thriving at work, employee wellbeing, and environmental sustainability were also included. Key findings are summarised in the 3 categories of ‘getting better’, ‘positive new findings’ and ‘areas of concern/work still to be done’.

Positive new findings

• A very high percentage of respondents (90.9%) cared about being productive in their jobs
• A very high percentage of respondents (89.9%) felt they had the skills to do their jobs with confidence
• Over half of the respondents stated that they were often learning at work (61.4%), and 72% felt they were continually improving at work  
• When asked about environmental sustainability, 56.8% agreed that there were good practices in their workplaces, and 58.2% agreed that environmental sustainability is important when making employment decisions.

Getting better

Overall, the 2024 survey showed significant improvements on the 2022 He Tangata report findings, with increases across many key measures:

• One of the most significant improvements was in the percentage of respondents stating that ‘training opportunities are good’, increasing to 57.2% in 2024 from 40.5% in 2022 
• Respondents being paid less than the minimum wage fell to 0.9% in 2024 vs 7.5% in 2022
• Overall job satisfaction increased to 67.5% in 2024 vs 62.2% in 2022
• The percentage of respondents indicating they intended to leave the hospitality and tourism sector dramatically reduced to 18.3% in 2024 vs 33.7% in 2022
• Respondents’ being able to voice their opinions without fear of retribution increased to 64.3% in 2024 vs 59.9% in 2022
• Respondents’ perceptions of having good opportunities for promotion increased to 50.0% in 2024 vs 42.2% in 2022
• Respondents’ perceptions of being treated with respect and dignity by managers improved to 74.3% in 2024 vs 68.8% in 2022
• Respondents who reported they enjoyed their work increased to 72.0% in 2024 vs 70% in 2022
• Respondents who indicated they were being paid fairly were up 10% compared to 2022
• Improvements were also shown in reported compliance with sick leave, holiday pay, opportunities for promotion, and receiving supportive feedback from managers.

Areas of concern/work still to do

• Just over half of all respondents (51%) reported earning less than the living wage. This increased to 71.8% for front-line workers vs 30% for managers and supervisors
• There was no change in the number of respondents who reported experiencing bullying and harassment (23%) from the 2022 survey
• Reports of witnessing bullying and harassment (32.4%) remain very similar to 2022 (33.9%)
• The percentage of respondents indicating they intended to leave their specific job increased to 31.7% in 2024 vs 27.6% in 2022
• Only 58.4% of respondents felt they could always take sick leave when they were unwell
• Only 50.5% of respondents stated they could always take their contracted breaks
• A total of 59.7% of respondents stated they would like more training.

Cohorts of interest

Small organisations

Lower than average results for employee satisfaction with training, and compliance with sick leave, rest breaks and public holiday pay were found in small organisations (1 to 5 people). Respondents from these small organisations also scored well below average when reporting if they got paid for every hour they worked.

Age

Younger workers had the lowest level of agreement for being treated with respect and dignity by managers. They also showed significantly lower overall job satisfaction (54.9%) than older workers (83.5% for those 65 and over). Almost all respondents aged 15 to 19 (94.0%) reported earning less than the living wage, compared to respondents aged 40 to 44 (28.2%). The New Zealand living wage is defined as the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life, enabling workers to live with dignity and to participate as active citizens in society. Young workers also reported significantly higher rates of job-level turnover intention (45.2% for those under 25 vs 29.5% for those aged 35 to 44). Younger workers also had the highest levels of burnout.

Managers vs non-managers/front-line workers

Front-line workers reported lower overall job satisfaction (60.9%) than managers (74.4%) and significantly higher levels of burnout. Nearly 3 quarters (71.8%) of front-line workers reported earning less than the living wage, compared to 30.1% of managers. Front-line workers also showed higher turnover intention (36.0%) than managers (26.8%). 

Gender

Female workers reported significantly higher rates of burnout than males. 57.3% of female respondents also reported earning less than the living wage compared to 40.0% of males. 

Neurodiversity

Respondents who considered themselves neurodivergent (n = 151) reported considerably lower job satisfaction (53.0%) than those who did not (67.5%). These respondents also reported higher turnover intention (50.3%), higher burnout than neurotypical workers and a stronger desire for more training. A total of 65.5% of respondents who considered themselves neurodivergent earned less than the living wage compared to 46.9% of those who considered themselves neurotypical.

Fast-food workers

Fast food employees reported the highest burnout levels compared to any other sub-sector and also showed higher levels of turnover intention (39%). A massive 82.7% of fast-food workers earned less than the living wage compared to 23.3% of other tourism workers.  

Who are the ‘happiest’ workers?

Older male managers in large organisations.

Who are the least ‘happy’ workers?

Young female front-line workers in small fast-food/takeaway organisations.

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