Lockdown Survey Results
Research

results from our survey to date

We really wanted to share the data we’ve collected from our survey from the last week. See results below.

Q. What are the challenges you’re experiencing in your work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures

  • Negative impacts on cashflow 82% 82%
  • Negative impacts on staff mental health and wellbeing 80% 80%
  • Inability to forward book/schedule – secure future revenue 75% 75%
  • Reduced business growth and progress 75% 75%
  • Decreased staff morale 60% 60%
  • Concern regarding industry future 60% 60%
  • Inability to pay operational expenses like rent, electricity, etc. 49% 49%
  • Inaccurate or unstable budgeting and financial planning creating uncertainty 49% 49%
  • Reduced staff capacity and efficiency due to increased home demands 46% 46%
  • Utilising business or tax savings to keep business going 46% 46%
  • Impacts on staff retention and future recruitment 40% 40%
  • Customer/client shutdowns or lack of payment lead to a trickle-down effect 37% 37%
  • Business losses due to inability to sell stock 32% 32%
  • Difficulty paying employees 29% 29%
  • Issues due to supply chain disruptions 20% 20%
  • Issues due to supply chain disruptions 20% 20%
  • Selling products at below profits to move stock and provide cash flow 20% 20%
  • Need to shift to digital business, with insufficient resources or knowledge 17% 17%
  • Not sure where to go for advice and guidance 17% 17%
  • Not sure where to go for advice and guidance 17% 17%
  • Other 11% 11%
  • Increased cost of inputs (products or services) 9% 9%

Q. Are you able to achieve ‘100% regular trade’ when regional restrictions in place? These restrictions include: limit of 50 person max in venues, 1 per 4sqm rule, group sizes max 20 people, seated service only, 10 person max outdoor, offices capped to 50%.

  • Yes 28% 28%
  • No 72% 72%

Q. What impacts to staff and payments have Victoria’s lockdowns created? Please select all that apply. 

  • We’ve stood down some staff 34% 34%
  • We’ve reduced salaries for all staff 20% 20%
  • We’ve maintained all staff at regular wages 17% 17%
  • We’ve had to reduce salaries to some staff 9% 9%
  • We’ve had to stand down all staff 6% 6%
  • None of the above 34% 34%

Key take outs

70% of respondents either stood down or reduced wages to staff.

Q. If the most recent lockdown was to be extended or repeated, how would this impact your organisation’s staff? 

  • We would need to stand down staff 34% 34%
  • We would need to reduce salaries for all staff 23% 23%
  • We would need to reduce salaries for some staff 23% 23%
  • Staff at my business would not be affected 9% 9%
  • None of the above 34% 34%

Key take outs

66% of respondents would have negative impacts to staff – stand downs (34%) and reduced wages. Deeply affecting local jobs.

Q. What effect did the announcement of employment supports (on 3 June) have on your business? (tick all that apply)?

  • It has supported staff who have lost work due to lockdown 32% 32%
  • It had no effect on our ability to pay staff 24% 24%
  • It reduced the number of employees who may need to be stood down. 12% 12%
  • It increased the number of employees who need to be stood down so that they can receive financial support 12% 12%
  • It encouraged staff to resign in order to receive financial support 12% 12%
  • It has negatively affected our ability to retain staff 12% 12%
  • It has negatively impacted my ability to continue to trade during the lockdown 12% 12%
  • Other 21% 21%

Key take outs

68% of respondents didn’t feel these positively affected their employees or business. Comments referred to difficulty of eligibility for staff to receive (accrued leave balances, loss of work rather than reduction) 

Q. Which of the following impacts are you personally experiencing: 

  • Negative impacts to my mental health 89% 89%
  • Increased care demands (children, elderly, other loved ones) 83% 83%
  • Reduced time for my business 60% 60%
  • Assumed the majority of additional household responsibilities 57% 57%
  • Negative impacts on my physical health 57% 57%
  • Difficulty accessing financial support from the bank (e.g. loans, investment or other capital for management of personal finances) 31% 31%
  • Assumed the majority of additional caregiving (family / friends) 29% 29%
  • Other (please specify) 11% 11%

Key take outs

Mental health impacts were overwhelming across all questions of impact. 

Q. How confident are you about employment and business prospects for the year ahead (2021/22 financial year)?

  • Extremely worried 31% 31%
  • worried 31% 31%
  • Neither confident nor worried 23% 23%
  • Somewhat confident 14% 14%
  • confident 0% 0%

Key take outs

63% of respondents described ‘worried’ or ‘extremely worried’ about future economic prospects.

Q. Business closures / downshifting: which of the following applies to you? 

  • We had to close doors but I’m trading in some capacity online or in a pivoted capacityely worried 52% 52%
  • Our business is closed due to restrictions and we are not trading. 34% 34%
  • We may need to close in the next 12 months if intermittent lockdowns continue 23% 23%
  • I’m considering downshifting my career or leaving the workforce 14% 14%
  • We may need to indefinitely close imminently if things don’t improve 6% 6%

Q. Which of the following financial or government support options did you access over past 12 months?

  • JobKeeper (Federal) 83% 83%
  • Business Support Fund (State) 54% 54%
  • Bank loan repayment deferrals 28% 28%
  • Payroll tax relief (State) 28% 28%
  • Hospitality grants (State) 26% 26%
  • Regional Tourism Accommodation Support Program (State) 6% 6%
  • None of the above 17% 17%

Key take outs

Businesses relying impacted by government supports (22% have received no support)

Q. How much money did you receive from the Government’s financial support package announced on Thursday 03 June 21?

  • $0 – we don’t qualify 51% 51%
  • $5000 17% 17%
  • $7000 29% 29%
  • Other (please specify) 3% 3%

Key take outs

Businesses relying impacted by government supports (22% have received no support)

Q. What do you believe to be the solutions to this current situation of repeated lockdowns? Please select all that apply. 

  • Develop a clear and transparent roadmap to business and economic recovery 89% 89%
  • Bring Victoria’s response in line with other states with improved contract tracing and best practice hotel quarantine. 86% 86%
  • Fewer, shorter, targeted area lockdowns 63% 63%
  • Improve and expedite optional vaccine rollout and set an end date when borders will open and life will resume 46% 46%
  • Utilise rapid COVID testing and vaccine evidence to permit travel and movements 46% 46%
  • Maintain current system of elimination / ensuring zero cases with intermittent lockdowns until a majority of the community has been vaccinated, as long as that may take 6% 6%
  • Maintain current system of elimination / ensuring zero cases with intermittent lockdowns until COVID is no longer present in the world 3% 3%

Q. Describe the impact Victoria’s repeated lockdowns are having on you and your organisation / business (up to 100 words)

Debilitating and exhausting. It’s forced me to scramble for work beyond my specialist field, while caring for family, and endure delays in payment periods. Pivoting work has subsequently then been cancelled which increases feelings of futility.

Crippling

Can’t retain staff or get new specialized staff. Can’t open when lockdown ends due to reduced capacity issues.

The lockdowns have impacted customer confidence, bookings, revenue, staff morale and mental health.

We have 2 restaurants, a cafe and are preparing a third restaurant.
I’ve taken leave as have permanent staff to some capacity, to allow casual staff access to work.
With no wage assistance I am most stressed for our long term casual staff- our most flexible employees. Some who have been working us for years.

This lockdown has resulted in all casual staff being stood down with no income. We are trading at 10% of revenue for this time of year. If this continues we will be forced to close the business and source other work to have an income.

It’s devastating. It has destroyed confidence in the government response. There doesn’t appear to be any clear and achievable path out and with continued lockdowns, our business will not survive.

We provide admin services prominently to spa, beauty and the tourism industry here on the peninsula, the work decreases dramatically with every lock down and we lose about 50% of our revenue each time.

demographics from submissions

%

Female owned businesses on the Peninsula

Up to 2 million dollars in lost revenue for these lockdowns

Over 150 Full Time employees with lost wages, each week

  • Sole Trader 34% 34%
  • Micro (0-4 staff) 17% 17%
  • Small (5-19 staff) 26% 26%
  • Medium (20 – 199 staff) 20% 20%
  • Large (200+ staff) 3% 3%
  • Hospitality & Food Services 34% 34%
  • Arts and Recreation Services 12% 12%
  • Info Media & Telecommunications 9% 9%
  • Prof, Scientific & Tech Services 9% 9%
  • Health Care and Social Assistance 9% 9%
  • Retail Trade 6% 6%
  • Tours & Passenger Transport 6% 6%
  • Events 6% 6%

we still want to hear from you

we’ll be updating these stats again in 14 days

start survey now

“Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share.”

Ginni Rometty