jgombos

I just learned here:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=322317
that you folks are working 45 hours. That's too much sweat shop for me. I have to draw the line at 40 hours unless the pay rate goes up.

I would be interested to know how folks get out of the 45 hour work weeks over there. Is it possible or typical to negotiate higher overtime payrates? In particular, it's the software engineering field that I'm interested in.

Stu.E

I don't work more than 40 hours a week and don't know anyone who does.

ABCDiamond

My wife does 37.5 hours
I used to do much more, but only because I was money hungry

Hels

I only do 36.25 per week!!

Never worked a 45 hr week in my life...unless I was getting bloody good OT... I have spent just about all my working life in Oz. I have never known anyone to work a set 45hr week.

A dogs life

It all very much depends on the company. Some offer overtime, some offer TOIL. If you work in the software industry you know it can be quite cyclical, quiet times, and then mad busy times. Companies use whatever techniques to balance it out.

I haven't noticed much difference between here and the UK. But then the companies I worked for in Oz were the large multinational types. If you join a small aggressive start up it might be quite different.

Centurion

Average seems to be 38 hours a week.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...?oneclick=true

However it seems 1.8 million Australian - 31% of all full time employees - work more than 48 hours a week - hours that would be unlawful in Europe:
more than half of these are non-managerial wage and salary earners
http://www.actu.asn.au/public/future...kfairness.html

However - the situation is worse in the UK according to statistics :
4.5 million employees work more than 48 hours a week, 25% of the workforce. Three million of them ( 68.8% ) say they want to work fewer hours, according to the Labour Force Survey. The TUC estimate that more than 350,000 of them were given no choice about signing an opt-out, and nearly three million are working more than 48 hours but have not signed an opt-out. Only 34% know that there is a 48 hour limit, according to the TUC poll.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/work_life/tuc-7285-f0.cfm

Based on the above I would really say its pretty much the same in the UK and Australia. There are employment differences since Australia has a high number of casual or hour based workers and the figures include overtime rates.

Same shit, different bucket it seems

jad n rich

Ducking now but someone did ask, surprised no one saw it, its been on the front page all week.


Australias army of low paid workers doing a 50 hour week............

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...E27652,00.html


Partners in construction, and easily does 50 hours a week, if you want the work you do the hours, no overtime/ hols etc all work is negotiated on a price.

ABCDiamond

The person who said "We work a 45 hour week" in that other thread, didnt say they were in Australia, and in fact had a UK website link.

It may also have included overtime

I think that about 38 hours is the normal maximim normal time in Australia.

MrsDagboy

You took a one line comment from someone who didnt even say where they were from (Oz or NZ) that said they work a 45hr week & suddenly everyone does it?

Similar senario with the houseprices thread - I have a problem with the "Aussies work a XYZ hr week" . Averages, medians & means all come into it & besides which, who says that those people that work longer hours dont choose to work longer hours? Lots of people like working overtime as it means more money, Im betting that alot of those "1 in 5" people arent just doing it for the love of it! (although there are some sick puppies out there like ABC who enjoy it :scared: ) .

FWIW, Dagboy works a 40 hr week (well thats what he tells his boss anyway ) & hes on a salary.

Edit - he works in IT, but in Brisbane not Sydney.

bondipom

I work 40 to 50 hour weeks. Quite normal for IT. Some colleagues work 50 hours a week regularly. Standard week is meant to be 40 hours.

ozzieeagle

37.5 hours at Aussie post, Everything beyond that is X 1.5 minimum.


However the average worked over a course of a year for full time employees would be 40.5 hours. Reason for almost mandatory OT is Sickies x public holidays x Easter x Xmas.

Which is why Aussie post is full of workers with trade certificates, that ply their trades, or "back yard" on early finish days.

Vanessa

You will find in most senior positions that your working week is as long as it takes to do the job, be it 36 or 56 hours!

GOBLIN

I average 48-50 hours weekly. The maximium I ever worked was 82 hours I was only 24 then and really needed the money.

steve99

Thats the stupid thing, most senior people (as in pecking order not age) justify the longer hours they have to do becasue of the position they are in and the salary they command.
When you work the numbers out there largely being fools to themselves, it would be almost unheard of for them to be paid overtime, I bet most probably do about 15hrs extra per week(based on the normal 7.5hr day, 37.5hr week)

For ease base it on a 52 week year, forget superannuation etc(so a "normal" person would do 1950hrs per year) A "senior" employee would do 2730.
Say the normal employee is earning $90K their hourly rate is $46.15
Say the more Senior employee is earning $130K per year their hourly rate (based on the 37,5hr week they are contracted to) is $66.66.
But there actual hourly rate taking into account the extra hours they do for love is only $47.62
So hardly any different to the person earning $40K less.

Or I guess put another way the more senior guy gets paid $40K more but does an extra 780hrs, (the equiv of 104days ) per year to get it
Steve

Timber Floor Au

Paid work, like a normal Job.

I do about 45 hrs per week, winter and about 70 hrs per week summer.

Thats Air-Cons forya.

Then I run 2 businesses, which are internet based so thats pretty cushy, but I allow anything from 12-24 hrs per week on them.

I think the hardest job in Oz has to be for stay at home mums.

For example, Debs gets up at 6:30 gets kids ready, does 40 min drive to and 40 min drive back from school.
She then runs her own kennels, so goes and takes dogs for walk, cleans kennels, add to thi she has 8 pups also, then at 2pm shes off again to pick kids up and then come back. Fits shopping in there somewhere, sits down for about 2 hrs, updates her dog website, and sorts her emails. Then makes dinner.

.......wait lol

Yes she makes dinner, I am OLD SCHOOL !!! a man wants and needs a WOMANS tender touch in the Cuisine department. I cannot cook, i totally fook it up lol

Debs has warned that if i cook anything, then i will be eating it on my own

Steve