Roy Morgan Research
November 11, 2020

Two-thirds of Victorians say office workers should be able to return to work in a COVID-safe office now

Finding No: 8567
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A special Roy Morgan survey into Victoria’s COVID-19 restrictions shows two-thirds of Victorians (66%) say office workers should be able to return to work in a COVID-safe office now like those people working in restaurants, cafes and other retail outlets compared to only 34% who say no.

A special Roy Morgan survey into Victoria’s COVID-19 restrictions shows two-thirds of Victorians (66%) say office workers should be able to return to work in a COVID-safe office now like those people working in restaurants, cafes and other retail outlets compared to only 34% who say no.

Support for returning to the office is highest amongst L-NP supporters (72%) and supporters of Independents/ Others (71%) but there are also large majorities of ALP supporters (68%) and Greens supporters (55%) who say office workers should be allowed to return to working in the office.

In addition, a majority of 65% of Victorians still say they want mask wearing to remain compulsory now – although this is down from 87% two months ago during the middle of Victoria’s Stage 4 lockdown.

Victorians are strongly in approval of the Government’s proposed changes to in-house visitors due to be enforced from Monday November 23 with 75% of respondents saying Melbourne residents should be ‘limited to ten’ visitors to their household from that point forward compared to 18% who say residents should be allowed ‘unlimited’ visitors and only 9% who say Melburnians should be allowed ‘fewer than ten visitors’.

Victorians surveyed were each asked the following questions to determine their attitudes towards the current Victorian Government COVID-19 directives:

  • Question 1Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?”Yes 65% (down 22% from two months ago) cf. No 35% (up 22%).
  • Question 2In two weeks Melbourne residents will be allowed up to ten visitors to their household. Should the number allowed be fewer than ten people, limited to ten people or be unlimited?” Fewer than ten (8%), Limited to ten (75%), Unlimited (17%).
  • Question 3: “Do you believe office workers should be able to return to work in a COVID-safe office now like those people working in restaurants, cafes and other retail outlets? Yes 66% cf. No 34%.


This special Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with a Victoria-wide cross-section of 1,253 Victorians aged 18+ on Monday November 9 – Tuesday November 10, 2020
.


Michele Levine CEO Roy Morgan, says Victorians have overwhelmingly indicated office workers should be able to return to working in a COVID-safe office environment:

Block Quote

“A clear majority of 66% of Victorians – including 64% of Melburnians – have said they believe office workers should be able to return to working in a COVID-safe office environment – and this a bipartisan ‘consensus’ which includes clear majorities of L-NP supporters (72%) and ALP supporters (68%).

“Just as importantly 65% of Victorians have also endorsed the continuation of the mandatory mask-wearing policy currently in place although there are political divergences between the large majorities of ALP supporters (73%) and Greens supporters (73%) in favour of mandatory mask wearing compared to the slim majority of L-NP supporters (55%).

“The key policy change set to be introduced on Monday November 23 allowing up to ten visitors to people’s homes has received clear majority support backed in across the political spectrum with 73% of Victorians agreeing to limit in-home visitors to ten in two weeks including 76% of ALP supporters, 70% of L-NP supporters and 78% of Greens supporters.”

For further comment or more information contact:
Michele Levine 0411129093 or Gary Morgan 0411129094 or email 
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com.

Question 1:

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?

Victorians 18+

Aug 25-26,
2020

Sep 1-2,
2020

Nov 9-10,
2020

%

%

%

Yes

89

87

65

No

11

13

35

TOTAL

100

100

100

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?

By Gender & Age

Victorians
18+

Gender

Age

Men

Women

Under 35

35-49

50-64

65+

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

Yes

65

65

64

62

60

70

71

No

35

35

36

38

40

30

29

TOTAL

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?

By Melbourne & Country Victoria

Victorians
18+
Melbourne Country Victoria
% % %
Yes 65 66 62
No 35 34 38
TOTAL 100 100 100

Should wearing masks be compulsory or not?

By Party Vote (Federal)

Victorian
Electors
Party Vote
L-NP ALP Greens Ind/Others Can’t say
% % % % % %
Yes 65 55 73 73 56 44
No 35 45 27 27 44 56
TOTAL 100 100 100 100 100 100

Question 2:

In two weeks Melbourne residents will be allowed up to ten visitors to their household. Should the number allowed be fewer than ten people, limited to ten people or be unlimited?

By Gender & Age

Victorians
18+
Gender Age
Men Women Under 35 35-49 50-64 65+
% % % % % % %
Fewer than ten 8 8 9 6 12 9 8
Limited to ten 75 75 74 77 74 74 69
Unlimited 17 17 17 17 14 17 23
TOTAL 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

In two weeks Melbourne residents will be allowed up to ten visitors to their household. Should the number allowed be fewer than ten people, limited to ten people or be unlimited?

By Melbourne & Country Victoria

Victorians
18+
Melbourne Country Victoria
% % %
Fewer than ten 8 9 8
Limited to ten 75 74 74
Unlimited 17 17 18
TOTAL 100 100 100

In two weeks Melbourne residents will be allowed up to ten visitors to their household. Should the number allowed be fewer than ten people, limited to ten people or be unlimited?

By Party Vote (Federal)

Victorian
Electors
Party Vote
L-NP ALP Greens Ind/Others Can’t say
% % % % % %
Fewer than ten 9 8 10 9 6 12
Limited to ten 73 70 76 78 66 64
Unlimited 18 22 14 13 28 24
TOTAL 100 100 100 100 100 100

Question 3:

Do you believe office workers should be able to return to work in a COVID-safe office now like those people working in restaurants, cafes and other retail outlets?

By Gender & Age

Victorians
18+
Gender Age
Men Women Under 35 35-49 50-64 65+
% % % % % % %
Yes 66 71 61 60 60 68 83
No 34 29 39 40 40 32 17
TOTAL 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

Do you believe office workers should be able to return to work in a COVID-safe office now like those people working in restaurants, cafes and other retail outlets?

By Melbourne & Country Victoria

Victorians
18+
Melbourne Country Victoria
% % %
Yes 66 64 72
No 34 36 28
TOTAL 100 100 100

Do you believe office workers should be able to return to work in a COVID-safe office now like those people working in restaurants, cafes and other retail outlets?

By Party Vote (Federal)

Victorian
Electors

Party Vote

L-NP

ALP

Greens

Ind/Others

Can’t say

%

%

%

%

%

%

Yes

66

72

68

55

71

61

No

34

28

32

45

29

39

TOTAL

100

100

100

100

100

100

Margin of Error

The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.

Sample Size Percentage Estimate
40% – 60% 25% or 75% 10% or 90% 5% or 95%
1,000 ±3.0 ±2.7 ±1.9 ±1.3
5,000 ±1.4 ±1.2 ±0.8 ±0.6
7,500 ±1.1 ±1.0 ±0.7 ±0.5
10,000 ±1.0 ±0.9 ±0.6 ±0.4
20,000 ±0.7 ±0.6 ±0.4 ±0.3
50,000 ±0.4 ±0.4 ±0.3 ±0.2

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