Employees are an unhappy lot

Australians are dissatisfied with their jobs and are working longer hours with little or no compensation, according to new research.

A survey jointly conducted by CareerOne.com.au and Coredata revealed 45 per cent of respondents were dissatisfied with their job and felt they weren't paid enough. More than a quarter said they considered changing jobs every day.

A separate news.com.au/Coredata survey found three out of four respondents were expected to work overtime. Most said they were not given a choice or extra pay for the extra work.

Business Editor of news.com.au Nicki Bourlioufas said she was not surprised by the results of its survey.

"It is a reality in the workplace that more and more employees are slugging their guts out for their employers and not being paid for it," she said.

"We are working overtime largely because we have to, not because we want to, and as a result, employees are feeling stressed, unhappy and are spending less time with their families and friends."

Respondents to the CareerOne survey also cited lack of promotion and rewards as a key reasons for their unhappiness at work - issues that editor of CareerOne Kate Southam said employers needed to address as a matter of urgency.

"Salary is not the only thing companies need to look at if they are going to improve employee engagement and retention," she said.

"Communication, work culture and employee benefits are all things that employers need to focus on."

To read more on the News.com.au survey see Australians work for free