Why do we need a Work Climate Index?

Work climate and job satisfaction

Working hours and income are not the only factors influencing the satisfaction of employees with their workplace. Work climate, too, plays a substantial role. Conflicts, whether with the boss or with colleagues, are likely to make life difficult for people. Therefore, the Chamber of Employees addresses the subject of job satisfaction on various levels.

Surveys regarding work climate

Economic development is measured by a number of "hard" facts, for example the gross national product, the consumer price index, or the stock index. Such figures, however, do not reveal anything about the mental state of those directly concerned, namely the Austrian employees.

Since June 1997, there has been a benchmark for economic and social change from the employees’ point of view: the Austrian Work Climate Index.

Common product

The Austrian Work Climate Index is a common product of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Employees and the two social research institutes IFES (Institute for Empirical Social Studies) and FORESIGHT.

The Work Climate Index is intended as a "testing probe" for changes in the working environment. Being based on the experiences and sensations of employees it is able to identify changes in attitudes earlier than many an economic indicator.

Method of collecting data

The Work Climate Index is established by interviewing samples of gainfully employed persons throughout Austria. To collect these data, 900 employees in Austria are questioned each quarter. This questioning is performed by employees of IFES on the basis of a standardized questionnaire in personal interviews. The questionnaire covers 26 subjects including working time regulations, size of company, satisfaction with company benefits, etc.

Two census waves, each, i.e. 1800 interviews, are used for the bi-annual recalculation of the Index in May and November. In between (May and November), there are special evaluations regarding particular aspects of the Index.

The calculation and interpretation of the data is performed by SORA. The results are presented quarterly at a press conference in Vienna and published in the form of the Work Climate Index Newsletter.