I've noticed a lot of jobs say full-time work week is 38 hours. How do they get 38 hours in a work week? Do people work 4 10 hour days with a 30 minute lunch on each day? What is it that I can't figure out?? :curse:

8 hour day..Mon-Thur.....6 on Friday

Oh, interesting. Thank you!

I'm in the dark on this one too.....I signed (2 years+ ago) a contract stating 40 hrs per week, apparently new starters (for a few months) have been signing up to 38 hours and we will all be changing to this soon. Not sure if its related to some legislation - there are no unions, collective bargaining agreements etc involved.

Most couples up our way that I've spoken to try to do 100 hours between them per week if they've got kids. You need to - you don't have to.

The norm is 7.6 hours, five days a week(add on 1/2 or 1 hour for lunch per day), or whatever the contract or Award legislation, or set times by the employer says.

Each industry, profession etc, etc, are covered by some form of legislation, including contracts, which states minimum conditions, pay, holiday/sick leave entitlements etc. Until the Federal Government repels the Workchoices legislation and sorts out the confusion, this can still be a grey area, as there are two tiers of Awards (federal and State) covering all occupations, with the resultant confusion of people not really knowing which system they are under, or where to look for help.

Why? Is the cost of raising children dearer there than anywhere else?

I do 3x 11 1/2hour shifts and then every other saturday to make mine up to 38. Works a treat love my long shifts.
Jenny

Standard working week in engineering is 45 hours - WA and Qld.

For some jobs - you work 8 hour days and you get a rostered day off every 4 weeks (where you get paid).

Another version of the 38 hour week is 4 X 8.5 + 8 in the first week (42 hrs) and then just 4 x 8.5 with rostered day off in 2nd week (34 hrs) but you are paid an average of 38 hours per week.

I do 37.5 hours, my wife 22.5, we have one child.

Don't see any debt collectors at our door.

Wait till youve got 3 teenagers

No seriously they are bloody expensive, make what you spend on packets of diapers and baby goop look like petty cash.

One is plenty!

We are in toilet-training mode so there are less of the nappies around ... this is offset by the increasingly pressing need for a new carpet.