Do people work harder in Australia?

[starlight7]

Just wondering if this is generally the case- or the opposite? When we came most people here did work longer hours and have less leave but there were the long service leave provisions that made up for it. Is it still the same? At that time we were both in education- husband at a university, me in the TAFE sector.

[srh82]

Working harder? No, depends on the individual.

 

Less annual leave, generally yes: 20 days stat.

 

Long service provisions, generally yes in my experience - if you can stand to work for your employer that long! :chatterbox:

[bristolman]

Working longer hours doesn't equate to working harder just longer.

Long service only makes up for less holidays if you stay with one employer, that seems less likely nowadays.

[Guest]

My contracted hours were longer and I got way less leave, it is unlikely I would stay anywhere long enough for long service leave so that wasn't a consideration for me.

 

The majority of my time in Australia I worked for state government so it is probably an unfair comparison with the private sector jobs I did in the UK but no way did people work harder at work, it was a case of clocking on and clocking off and doing as little as possible in between for a lot of people. When I moved to a private company it was different but then it was a British company and the majority of employees were either British or Indian.

 

I will say on returning the UK though I have never worked longer hours, I suspect the GFC has resulted in departments being cut to the bone and those left relieved to have a job so simply getting on with what is required but maybe I have just been unlucky...twice!

[PommyPaul]

must admit i've always worked longer hours and harder since i've been in australia, an easy week is 50 hours but can often be upto 90, am on salary as well which sucks lol... can't complain really though as i enjoy the work... wouldn't do it otherwise

[Marisawright]

I don't think you can generalise across Australia. In Sydney, especially in the private sector, I'd say people definitely worked much longer hours than in the UK. Unpaid overtime is the norm - to the point where one of my colleagues (who was a single mother) was told she wouldn't get her bonus because she always left at 6 o'clock (official finishing time was 5.30!!). The fact that she never took a lunch hour and was probably the most productive person in the team didn't cut any ice.

 

She then moved to Perth. She wasn't thrilled with the lifestyle there but what she did like was the fact that she wasn't expected to work unreasonable hours - people went home at finishing time most of the time.

 

I did a lot of work in Canberra at one time and noticed that people finished on time there, too.

[xxlornaxx]

guess it depends where you worked in uk and where in aus you work, sector etc...I work same hours but do a lot less actual 'work' as there is far more staff here compared to what i'm used to..annual leave about the same

[silencio]

People in South Australia are hard working, too. Depending on the sector employees work in, overtime is the norm. Unpaid overtime as well, many staff in my company start 30 minutes earlier unpaid and some even stay 30 minutes longer paid +unpaid.

 

Australians are hard working people, one of my stereotypes which I disproved by myself is the 'laid back life style and laziness' which I have never experienced in Adelaide/South Australia.

[Marisawright]

Australians are hard working people, one of my stereotypes which I disproved by myself is the 'laid back life style and laziness' which I have never experienced in Adelaide/South Australia.

 

It always makes me laugh when I see people saying they're moving to Australia to have a better quality of life and more time with the family. In many states, they're going to be working longer hours - and if they're in a state where housing costs are high, they'll be living a long commute from work AND a long drive from the beach too!

[Shellybingobingo]

Longer hours yes ! But the key is to work smarter not harder ! Something they don't know how to do here lol

[JockinTas]

Working longer hours doesn't equate to working harder just longer.

Long service only makes up for less holidays if you stay with one employer, that seems less likely nowadays.

 

 

I worked for the same company long enough to receive 2 lots of long service leave. When I first started work there, I had a very good female manager. She understood I had two young sons so I started work at 10:00 am. I was able to take them to school every day and my husband who started work at 7:00 am picked them up from school. My hours at that time were 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. I was usually home by 6:30 pm. Years later, I started work at 8:00 am and finished at 5:00 pm. The area I worked in worked to tight deadlines so probably once every two weeks, I worked until 9:00 pm. I received overtime for those extra hours and the company paid for a taxi home.

[Guest]

 

I certainly work a longer day here and cram more into it work-wise than I did back home. Unfortunately I'm only entitled to 20 days annual leave here, as opposed to the 28 I had in a more junior position back in London. That makes it tricky to cover school holidays as our daughter hates going to vacation care, but with two parents working full time it's inevitable. We're both permanently knackered, so the sight of us all asleep in bed by 8:30 in the evening is pretty common in our house!

[Shellybingobingo]

I certainly work a longer day here and cram more into it work-wise than I did back home. Unfortunately I'm only entitled to 20 days annual leave here, as opposed to the 28 I had in a more junior position back in London. That makes it tricky to cover school holidays as our daughter hates going to vacation care, but with two parents working full time it's inevitable. We're both permanently knackered, so the sight of us all asleep in bed by 8:30 in the evening is pretty common in our house!

 

Nearly bedtime then ! You better get off bed lol

[starlight7]

I found there was usually only a 30 minute lunch break and no morning or afternoon tea break here. Used to start at 8 am and finish about 6 pm but get paid from 9-5 only. Also some weekend work which was expected and 'voluntary'. A group of us objected to that and after a lot of toing and froing we actually got paid for it. That was after I had changed career into welfare management.

[Johndoe]

Well my ex moved form the NHS 20 yrs ago that had 21 days annual leave (which I believe now is 27?) with no long service and no flexi hours into Qld health that gave 6 weeks annual leave and long service, with the flexibilty/hrs for staff to arrange their own roster as long as it fits in with the NUM's appropriate skill mix, so I suppose it depends on what/who/employer you're moving from to, and not really on the country

[Bungo]

I didn't find any marked difference in the length of the working day expected. But my Aussie colleagues were permanently attached to iPads and iPhones, through the evening and weekend and of course same was expected of me. And annual leave was of course much less generous in Australia. So overall, it probably amounts to working harder in Australia. I stayed with the one company for five years, but that is not long enough to accrue long service leave.

[srg73]

I am working shorter but harder for slightly less....however only 10 mins from the office so lost the 2 hour commute when I worked away from home (otherwise was a home worker).

 

S

[HelensvaleHoward]

I work longer hours here because I've got more work here (self employed) yes i can choose my own hours but it aint always that easy but I love it...

 

Pam on paper has less holidays

 

Works lots at home preparing for the next day

 

She's so much happier though and never seems to be short of holiday time

[VERYSTORMY]

I would not say I have to work any harder in oz than any other country I have worked in, but I do more hours than anywhere else. One of the big draws in coming to oz was to avoid doing long international swings that are the norm if based in the UK. The lovely 8 on 6 off was very appealing. However, in 7.5 years of working, I have done 3 of them doing long international swings and when I have shorter swings in Oz, I often have to work at home for a lot of it. My working day is much longer. In the UK or international, 8 hour days are fairly normal and no more than 10. In oz, I have never had less than a 13 hour day. Only ever had 20 days annual leave per year in Oz and very rare someone in my occupation will be able to stay with the same employer long enough to qualify for long service

[Guest]

My last job in London only had 20 days annual leave so when you factor in public holidays I actually get more leave here and I've swapped a 45 minute commute for 5 mins so can't complain. As for hours about the same.

[robfromdublin]

I'm another who works longer hours in Oz. Both during the week and through having much less annual leave. It's dependent on industry of course. I'd imagine they would be broadly comparable over the whole population

[Sustain]

In my experience migrants work harder to take up the slack from lazy Australians. This is based on my experience across number of work places, many hard years in executive positions. The reason I make the comment is you have to keep comparing/benchmarking against global practise. If you let your standards drop to 2 hour lunches and letting deadline slip well best luck to you.

[Paul1Perth]

I don't think you can generalise across Australia. In Sydney, especially in the private sector, I'd say people definitely worked much longer hours than in the UK. Unpaid overtime is the norm - to the point where one of my colleagues (who was a single mother) was told she wouldn't get her bonus because she always left at 6 o'clock (official finishing time was 5.30!!). The fact that she never took a lunch hour and was probably the most productive person in the team didn't cut any ice.

 

She then moved to Perth. She wasn't thrilled with the lifestyle there but what she did like was the fact that she wasn't expected to work unreasonable hours - people went home at finishing time most of the time.

 

I did a lot of work in Canberra at one time and noticed that people finished on time there, too.

 

I'm glad we came to Perth. Our head office in Sydney and the management team there are a different breed to here. They all seem to be up themselves and full of their own importance and the work environment is nowhere near as relaxed and fun as it is here. We just try and all work together to get things done, having a laugh as much as we can whilst doing it. The dress code is also really relaxed (Shorts and a T shirt will do) here whereas in Sydney, they expect you to be dressed better.

 

When we emigrated we came because we wanted more time off work and a different lifestyle, not to move half way round the world and carry on being ruled by work. It was a conscious effort to stick to that and I don't hang about at the office just to look good, like a few people seem to do.

 

I've found a lot of tradies start and finish a lot earlier but they do work hard. My sons a sparkie having done his apprenticeship here. The apprenticeship was good, 4 years, properly trained. He's had a few jobs since. He didn't fancy FIFO at first and worked for a couple of companies in Perth on construction. He was pretty well paid, used to start early though, be out of the house at 5:30am but by the time I got home at around 5:30 at night he'd already been for a surf or been to the gym or something.

 

I think it's up to the individual a lot of the time. If you let the company ring you up all hours then they are going to expect you to carry on like that. If you switch the phone off and don't answer they will get the message and try some other sucker.:cool:

[Paul1Perth]

I certainly work a longer day here and cram more into it work-wise than I did back home. Unfortunately I'm only entitled to 20 days annual leave here, as opposed to the 28 I had in a more junior position back in London. That makes it tricky to cover school holidays as our daughter hates going to vacation care, but with two parents working full time it's inevitable. We're both permanently knackered, so the sight of us all asleep in bed by 8:30 in the evening is pretty common in our house!

 

Don't know what you are doing for a job Endless but how many hours sleep do you need mate to be in bed by 8:30? When I used to get up with my son at 4:30am for his swim sessions 3 times a week we didn't used to go to bed till 9:30. We used to do another board, ski or ironman session at the beach in the evening too. You need to see a doctor mate.

 

See you still refer to London as home, which is part of your problem with feeling settled.

[starlight7]

I remember with fondness the brief time of the long liquid lunches in the mid 1980s- going until 3pm. Then they all stopped and we had frugality but really the amount of work we did was just the same- we used to solve a lot if issues over those lunches!