60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll

The Modern Workplace

September 28 - October 2, 2016

Which one of the following would be the most important thing for you to consider if you were
looking for a new job?

When looking for a job in the modern workplace, some Americans want flexibility to set their own
schedule and routine, while others want opportunity and the chance for advancement. But what
Americans are most concerned about is their pay. When asked what the most important thing to
consider is when looking for a new job, 35% pick money the top choice ahead of either opportunity
(28%) or flexibility (24%). Just 9% pick responsibility as the most important thing to look for.
While Americans over thirty are looking first at their bottom line when considering a new job, younger
potential workers are thinking more in the long term. More adults under 30 say opportunity (40%) is the
most important thing to consider, rather than money (34%).
When it comes to a new job, Americans say Show me the money.
Whats the Most Important Thing to Look for in a New Job?
Total
18-29
30+
Money
35%
34%
35%
Opportunity
28
40
25
Flexibility
24
18
26
Responsibility
9
9
9

Which one of the following is the best way to keep an employee motivated?

Praise is nice, but money is what talks when motivating your employees.
Money, it turns out, is also the top choice as the best way to motivate your employees in todays work
environment. 45% of Americans pick annual bonuses and pay raises as the best way to keep your
employees motivated, ahead of the admirable but less-tangible quality of having pride in their work
(33%). Frequent praise from the boss may be nice, but just 17% think its the best way to motivate
employees, at least when not backed up by a pay raise or a bonus. Just 3% think that negative
motivation the thought of being out of a job is the best motivator.
The Best Way to Keep an Employee Motivated
Annual bonuses and pay raises
45%
Having pride in their work
33
Frequent praise from the boss
17
The thought of being out of a job
3

Which one of the following business practices that have gone out of style would you most like to
bring back?

Forget martini lunches, bring back annual pay raises.

Given that Americans see annual pay raises and bonuses as the top way to motivate employees, its
not surprising that most Americans want to see guaranteed annual pay raises come back into style. Six
in 10 Americans see guaranteed annual pay raises as the business practice theyd most like to make
popular again, far ahead of handshake deals (21%), martini lunches (7%), and being able to flirt with
your co-workers (4%).
Raises mean more to Americans who earn less, however. While it is the top choice of Americans of all
earning levels, those earning under $50,000 a year (67%) value guaranteed annual pay raises
considerably more than those earning over $100,000 a year (47%).
Which Business Practice Would You Most Like to Bring Back?
Total
<$50K
$50K-$100K
Guaranteed annual raises
62%
67%
61%
Handshake deals
21
17
24
Martini lunches
7
5
7
Flirting with your co-worker
4
4
3

$100K+
47%
30
10
3

In general, how much more than the average pay of a company worker is it fair for a CEO to
earn?

Americans think CEOs are earning too much.

Americans like pay raises, but they may be less enthusiastic when it comes to pay raises for CEOs.
When asked how much more a CEO should earn compared to the salary of the average worker at their
company, nearly half (46%) pick 10 times as much far less than the ratio of most CEOs in the S&P
500 compared to the median total worker compensation of those companies. 15% think 20 times more
is reasonable, 14% pick 50 times, while 5% pick 100 times more. Just 6% think 200 times more is the
right ratio, the highest choice offered (and the one closest to the actual average).
Americans of all income levels tend to view things similarly. 10 times more seems to be the top
choice of both those earning under $50,000 a year as well as those earning over $100,000 a year.

10 times more
20 times more
50 times more
100 times more
200 times more

How Much More than Their Workers Should CEOs Earn?

Total
<$50K
$50K-$100K
$100K+
46%
47%
48%
40%
15
15
15
20
14
14
13
12
5
4
6
7
6
5
5
9

Which one of the following job perks would be the hardest to explain to your grandfather?

Napping pods and mental health days what would Grandpa say?
Certain perks that are popular today might make workers from previous generations scratch their heads
in disbelief. When asked which trendy job perk would be the hardest to explain to their grandfather,
taking a mental health day as a medical time off tops the list, picked by 30% of Americans, though
nearly as many would have a hard time justifying another method for employees to recharge: onsite
pods to take naps in (28%). Just one in five pick employee motivation retreats, while just 15% pick
something widely practiced in many other industrialized countries but hasnt fully caught fire in the U.S.
paternity leave.
Adults under 35 think mental health days would be the hardest to explain, while those between 35 and
64 would have the hardest time justifying nap pods. Seniors 65 and over would find all four options
equally difficult to explain to their grandfather.
Which Job Perk Would Be the Hardest to Explain to Your Grandfather?
Total
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
Mental health days
30%
37% 30% 27% 28% 21%
Pods to nap in
28
23
35
35
35
20
Employee motivation retreats
19
19
19
18
15
21
Paternity leave
15
15
11
14
14
19

In general, which one of the following industries engages in the greatest amount of unethical
behavior?

Watch out for the lying media

Are certain industries more corrupt than others in todays economy? When asked on average which
one of four industries engaged in the greatest among of unethical behavior, 37% pick the media the
top choice ahead of the drug and pharmaceutical industry (30%), banking (19%), and technology
(7%).
Partisanship plays a role in which industry Americans are most wary of. Republican (53%)
overwhelmingly pick the media as the most unethical industry, and its the top choice of independents
as well (39%). For Democrats, the media comes in third (22%), behind drug companies (35%) and
banks and financial institutions (29%).
Which Industry is the Most Unethical?
Total
Reps Dems
Media
37%
53% 22%
Drugs/Pharmaceuticals
30
26
35
Banking
19
10
29
Technology
7
4
9

Inds
39%
28
17
7

Whats the worst thing about your current job?

The worst thing about your job? The pay and the hours.
What do employed Americans hate most about their job? If you guessed the pay youd be right. Pay
and benefits are the top choice, picked by 13% of working Americans, though nearly as many working
Americans volunteer long or inconvenient hours (12%). In third place are their fellow employees (9%),
who seem to be disliked by more workers than their bosses (6%). About one in 10 lucky workers cant
name anything they dont like about their current jobs.
Americans who work full-time are divided between their pay (13%) and their schedule (13%) as the
worst thing about their job, while part-time workers say Its the pay (16%).

The pay/benefits
Long hours/bad hours
Co-workers
Management/owners
Workload/high demands
Too little hours/insecurity
The job itself
Location/commute
Nothing/I like my job

The Worst Thing About Your Job

(Among employed Americans)
Total
Work Full-time
13%
13%
12
13
9
9
6
6
5
6
5
4
4
4
4
4
11
10

Work Part-time
16%
6
9
7
2
8
5
3
15

_________________________________________________________________________________
This poll was conducted by telephone from September 28 October 2, 2016 among a random sample of 1,017
adults nationwide. Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone
numbers were dialed from samples of both standard land-line and cell phones.
The poll employed a random digit dial methodology. For the landline sample, a respondent was randomly selected
from all adults in the household. For the cell sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered
the phone.
Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish using live interviewers. The data have been weighted to
reflect U.S. Census figures on demographic variables.
The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus four percentage points.
The error for subgroups may be higher and is available by request. The margin of error includes the effects of
standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly.
This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll

The Modern Workplace
September 28-October 2, 2016
VF-01. Which one of the following would be the most important thing for you to consider if you were looking for a new job?

Money
Opportunity
Flexibility
Responsibility
Depends (vol.)
Dont know/no answer

* TOTAL RESPONDENTS *
*** Age ***
Total 18-29 30+
%
%
%
35
34
35
28
40
25
24
18
26
9
9
9
1
*
1
3
-3

VF-02. Which one of the following is the best way to keep an employee motivated?

Annual bonuses and regular pay raises

Having pride in the work they do
Frequent praise from their boss
The thought of being out of a job
Dont know/no answer

Total
%
45
33
17
3
3

****** Sex ******

Men
Women
%
%
44
45
33
33
17
16
4
2
2
3

VF-03. In general, how much more than the average pay of a company worker is it fair for a CEO to earn?

10 times more
20 times more
50 times more
100 times more
200 times more
They should be paid the same (vol.)
As much as they can/no limit (vol.)
Dont know/no answer

Total
%
46
15
14
5
6
1
2
12

** Annual Household Income **

<$50K $50K-$100K
$100K+
%
%
%
47
48
40
15
15
20
14
13
12
4
6
7
5
5
9
2
1
-1
3
2
11
9
9

VF-04. In general, which one of the following industries engages in the greatest amount of unethical behavior?

Media
Drugs and pharmaceuticals
Banking
Technology
Dont know/no answer

Total
%
37
30
19
7
7

****** Party ID ******

Reps Dems Inds
%
%
%
53
22
39
26
35
28
10
29
17
4
9
7
6
5
9

VF-05. Which one of the following business practices that have gone out of style would you most like to bring back?

A guaranteed raise each year

Handshake deals
Martini lunches
Being able to flirt with your co-worker
Dont know/no answer

******* TOTAL RESPONDENTS *******

** Annual Household Income **
Total <$50K $50K-$100K
$100K+
%
%
%
%
62
67
61
47
21
17
24
30
7
5
7
10
4
4
3
3
7
6
4
10

VF-06. Which one of the following job perks would be the hardest to explain to your grandfather?

Paternity leave
Pods to nap in
Mental health days
Employee motivation retreats
Dont know/no answer

Total
%
15
28
30
19
9

**************** Age ******************

18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
%
%
%
%
%
15
11
14
14
19
23
35
35
35
20
37
30
27
28
21
19
19
18
15
21
6
5
6
8
18

VF-07. Whats the worst thing about your current job?

The pay/not enough pay/lack of benefits

The hours/long hours/unpredictable/not flexible
Co-workers employees
The management/owners
Workload/high demands/pressure/stress
Job/hours insecurity/shortage of hours
The job itself
Location/commute
Too much time away from home/lack of time off
Dealing with our customers/clients/students
Lack of opportunities to advance
Nothing/like my job
Other
Dont know/no answer

Total respondents:

******* EMPLOYED AMERICANS ********

Total
Full-time
Part-time
%
%
%
13
13
16
12
13
6
9
9
9
6
6
7
5
6
2
5
4
9
4
4
5
4
4
3
2
2
*
2
1
3
2
2
1
11
10
15
15
16
13
10
10
11

1,017