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WORK ERODING AUSSIE LIFESTYLE: ACTU
Saturday, 26 July, 2008RELATED CONTENT
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Do Australians work too hard? Work is "eating" increasingly bigger chunks out of the Australian lifestyle, says the ACTU following the release of a new workforce study backed by three states.
COMMENTS
First [1][2] LastYeah...give it up , and bludge on your parents just like the parasites on "The Nest". what a poor excuse for a generation !
Based on our average hours of work, and compared to our closest neighbours we don't work too hard or too long. After working in multi-cultural workplaces overseas, I've seen that Australians generally (but not always) have a pretty good work ethic, and are prepared to put in extra effort and/or time with little complaint when needed. We also know how to enjoy ourselves, but perhaps aren't so good at saying no to our bosses, which is why we are lucky to have unions to look after rights. I believe the constant intrusion of email communication at work makes every moment feel like multi tasking, and recommend switching off the 'mail received' alert, and only checking it 3 times a day if you'd like to feel less pressured!!
Hmmmm. To think that we're being overworked is laughable. I'm staunchly against the slave trade in the world, which forces its slaves to work anywhere between 13 and 16 hours a day, 13 out of 14 days doing seemingly menial tasks and yielding 98% profit handing off the goods, while the slave gets less than a pittance. Get some perspective people. Even in the western world, we have one of the shortest working weeks, and most of our jobs are rather leisurely. Hard work is more rewarding, more fulfilling and in fact better for you than laziness (which seems the true centre of the advocacy of the ACTU). I'm not saying to work to stress excesses that causes embolisms. You should really draw the line somewhere before there. Work hard, work smart and you'll learn to appreciate the life outside of work. You'll kiss your wife and children with more appreciation for the life you have and the sky will be bluer and the grass greener in your own yard.
Wow! Quite a few racist comments here. I'm quite offended.
I don't think the news is quite true because compared with Asian Countries, European Australians work fairly little. Additionally, with such a beautiful backyard we have invaded into, working too hard is an impossibility.
To compete with other countries in this global economy, we Australian as a whole should work hard to maintain our current position of second class, not to go backward to the rank of third class. To maintain our living standard in this rapid price increasing period, we need to work hard and make more money for our family. To compete with others for our current positions and for better positions (and income), we need to work hard to be more productive and knowledgeable. The world is changing. We have to change ourselves.
I think it really comes down to the fact that inflation has significantly reduced what we can buy for our hard earned dollars which leaves us, at the end of the week, frustrated with what we get from our efforts. On average, I don't think we work 'too' hard or any harder than other developed Western workforces - but know from first hand experience that we have it sweet compared to Asian workforces. The fact that we have so many public holidays also makes it a bit hard to keep a straight face while complaining about how much we work.
Yes. Work intensification, mindless down-sizing and the modelling and expectations of workaholics has produced a culture that lauds overwork. The public service, police, hospital staff and school teachers especially are overworked. The old saying that we ought work to live, not live to work holds true. Overwork is a form of theft - from the worker and their families of their time, their life. We ought work smart and with dedication but not blindly simply put in hours. Employers need to humanise their HR practices in opposition to the trend of capitalism derived from the Industrial Revolution where workers were seen as costs and liabilities and were literally worked to death. Right livelihood must travel with right work practices.
Lets get real. Australians are nice people, but truly naive in business and slow in work acumen. I have to be honest here....................the average Australian could not spell WORK. Possibly the reason why so many are spending so much time at work, is that they are so slow it takes them twice as long to achieve goals an Asian or American could complete in half a day.
You Aussies try to work more hours to compensate for you inability to work more efficiently. That's all it is. Your lazy nature also doesn't help doing the work in regular time. Thinking ahead and scheduling is another factor that's non existent. Letting others (us foreigners) clean up your mess is something you manage really well.