Bosola

There's a few reasons we're taking the plunge and moving to Aus, not least that we've been talking it over since we married 11 years ago and time has just kept slipping by. I'm now 42 and I don't want to look back at 50 thinking bugger, I wish we'd done that.

One of the things I am hoping for though is a work life balance but I can't help wondering if that's just a myth? Currently I'm working away from home 6 days a week doing 10-12 hour days trying to deliver the unrealistic targets of project managers who couldn't organise a trip to the toilet. It's not always like this but I've noticed over the years the unpaid overtime culture taking hold in the UK. As an IT contractor it always seemed to be expected that you got in a bit early and left a bit late, but I see the same attitude amongst the permies these days. Get in an hour early, 20 minute lunches or even better a sarnie at your desk, stay 'til 6.30 or 7.00. What's worse is that the unpaid hours worked over the week seem to have become a badge of honour, with people actively boasting how many they put in - something I find myself doing as well.

What's tipped the balance for me was the way the concept of 'professional day' has crept into contracts. Previously in contracts a start and end time was stipulated, and whilst you did a bit extra out of goodwill, it was accepted that your day was the normal 'straight 8' hours. Now there is no mention of hours, just the phrase 'professional day' which covers you being on site as long as you have stuff to deal with - be that the normal finish at 5.30 or staying on until midnight and beyond. How the hell did that happen? Unpaid overtime sneaked into the contract itself when none of us was looking...

So, bearing in mind I'm going whatever the response, is there a real difference in Aus? Is it the culture there to get in early and leave late, even if it's just to be seen to be doing so and not because something urgently needs to be done?

bridie

not a myth for us

OH used to work 60hrs+ a week
Here he does about 48hrs a week and is better off
Mind you, he was underpaid in the UK!!

HTH

MartinH

That depends on whether you want to "get on". If you want to - ahem - "get on" then the long hours come with the turf - thats true wherever you are in the world (certainly in a professional environment). My typical working day is 7:30 - 7:30 - working hours excluding travel (but I do now sometimes squeeze an hour in during the dey to go to the gym).

TMRE

OH works in IT for one of the big banks in London. Gets up at 5.30am for the 6.07am train, gets home again at 8.30pm if he is lucky and is then on call overnight for a week at a time unpaid. Spent weekends in on project releases that go wrong so ends up 24 hours without sleep and then back to work on Monday. Yes he gets paid well compared to others but decided enough is enough. Moving to OZ for a better work life balance that a lot of his Ozzie friends say they miss. He will be paid less than he gets here (thats why there are a lot of Ozzies working in IT here, earn some money then go back home!) but at least he will be able to read our youngest a bed time story every night, which over here she very rarely gets.

Pollyana

Instant response is - work life balance .....

Longer response is, Tonight I left the office at 5pm, having already done 2 hours extra, been at my desk to answer the phone throughout lunch, and had HR ring me and say the overtime rules have changed so the stuff I worked last month won't be paid, so thats twenty-five hours down the chute.
I usually leave at 5.30, so I got a VERY dirty look from the boss, and a "you're going early?"

Work is expected. life is a bonus.

Cheetah7

I asked Mr PP if he felt he was better off work wise here and he said yes

As for me, well I shall see what happens when I get a job which fingers and legs crossed, won't be long.

What is nice for us is that on our days off, we are ten minutes from the beach/harbour. If we are bored of an evening, we go to the cappucino strip for coffee.

There always seems to be something to do, somewhere to go, places to see and for that reason alone, the work life balance is far better for us.

sme

No myth for us - OH worked 1 day every weekend and all B/H in the Uk Now - 1 weekend in 4 and rarely works public hols. Is usually home by 5.30, in the UK 7.30 or later
I take meal brakes and am always away on time

quoll

For most of our married life DH was a public servant - here that = 5am - 9pm for the most part plus one or two days on weekends. Now he works part time - is paid for 20 hours a week but actually works closer to 40. Work life balance???? Nah, I dont think so!

The Woodcutter

As previously stated if you are in a professional environment and you want to get on then you are expected to show commitment as opposed to compliance - and this means going the extra mile - usually unpaid, irrespective of which western country you are in. Depends also on the industry and culture of the organisation.

I have done the corporate stuff but realised that it was bollocks. I changed my career in the UK, (and do the same job in Oz) for work / life balance.

Depends what you want out of life. For me I live a life and work is just a slight distraction, and quite a pleasant one at that.

AndyR

I work in IT in the UK and have always, and always will work to the philosphy that "you work to live, not live to work".

I would much rather be home at 6pm each night that be bragging with the guys in the office the next day how I was there till 8pm and still checking my emails at 10pm. I also get the dirty looks when I roll in on the dot each day, take my full lunch break and leave bang on time, but hey, if they ain't paying for it then they ain't getting it

I have to work 1 week on call every 4 weeks and I HATE IT! Any job I get in Oz will be without an on-call part.

I will happily take a pay cut in Oz to keep my hours "fixed" and not on-call. Life is too short, I'm not spending what free time I do have at work.

Can't wait to move...

philnorris

I am with you on that one, I contract at the moment on a decent rate, but will glady take a drop to say $50k a year for an average server support role. I have seen plenty advertised in Perth.

As for the work life balance, well there is certainly more to do in OZ if you ask me, most of the fun stuff (if you like the out doors) comes for free. There isn't quite the pub culture that there is here so you cant spend your money that way either. It may be expensive to live in OZ, but the sun - lifestyle certainly makes up for it.

Vash the Stampede

Under the right circumstances it can be done, but there's no guarantee that simply moving to Australia will provide a better work/life balance.

Australia_bound?

Nothing in life comes with a guarantee. Moving to Aus is a risk for most people, unless they're fortunate to have a good job lined up, but still the risk of not settling for whatever reason remains.
Personally think work and wages haven't moved on much in Aus but costs have risen sharply, houses now very hard to find at bargain costs in comparison to Aus wages.
Moving country will never eliminate problems, life involves hard work and sacrificing work/life balance well unless they're one of the select few who are financially well off enough to have a choice when or if they work.

jad n rich

You should have been reading the papers about 3 days ago, the age and australian were claimiing aussies work the longest hours 48 a week and are not paid for most of the overtime.

jad n rich

Got quite a few mates in the health care industry, most of them are moaning about 'meetings' scheduled on their days off, they dont get paid and are warned about 'non attendance'.