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Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

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Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

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Old Mar 11th 2007 | 3:42 pm
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Default Re: Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

Originally Posted by AllyKev
Hello again - I'm now addicted, so here's another query!

My husband works ridiculous hours in IT & I did when I was working in IT before we had the children, but I will go back to it soon.

One of our reasons for considering moving to Oz was the working lifestyle - working to live not living to work. So that we can spend more time together as a family. Is this a myth?

For those already in Oz - are you finding the working days longer than or the same as the UK? I know that is quite a generalization, as each trade/profession will be different. But just a rough idea on average would be great thanks.

Allison
I work for a specialist nursing agency (psych) and get more for working 3 days a week, than I did when I was working fulltime employed by a hospital...so thats what I do
Don't get sick pay, but do get a contribution towards holiday, and also get Super - can't be bad.
 
Old Mar 11th 2007 | 3:43 pm
  #17  
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Default Re: Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

I do exactly the same job as I did in the UK. I work in a Solicitors office in Brisbane CBD - leave the house at 7 drive to get the station for the 7.17 train to get to work for 8. Sneek out of work at 5.15 (suppose to leave at 5.30) to get the express train at 5.26 from city which gets to station for 5.45 and get home for 6.05.

I have a longer day now. I used to leave the house at 8.45 and be home for 5.15 in my excellant 9-5 job at home - not good - lets home they will have me back next year !!!!

Husband is now working at home for his old UK company - how lucky is he?

It is making me more & more grumpy than I already am and terribly homesick.

Est x
 
Old Mar 11th 2007 | 3:52 pm
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Default Re: Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

Originally Posted by AllyKev
Hello again - I'm now addicted, so here's another query!

My husband works ridiculous hours in IT & I did when I was working in IT before we had the children, but I will go back to it soon.

One of our reasons for considering moving to Oz was the working lifestyle - working to live not living to work. So that we can spend more time together as a family. Is this a myth?

For those already in Oz - are you finding the working days longer than or the same as the UK? I know that is quite a generalization, as each trade/profession will be different. But just a rough idea on average would be great thanks.

Allison
I work in IT in Perth and contractors where I work are generally limited to 40 hours a week, and permies generally do not work longer than that in this company either, although as with anything certain projects may demand more hours from time to time.

Cheers

Paul
 
Old Mar 11th 2007 | 4:56 pm
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Default Re: Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

Don't move to Sydney they work crazy hours in the city. Had an interview today and the boss said she gets in at 6 every morning and leaves after 7. A cousin who lives here was working to 12 midnight everynight last week!
 
Old Mar 11th 2007 | 8:45 pm
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Default Re: Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

Originally Posted by Est
I do exactly the same job as I did in the UK. I work in a Solicitors office in Brisbane CBD - leave the house at 7 drive to get the station for the 7.17 train to get to work for 8. Sneek out of work at 5.15 (suppose to leave at 5.30) to get the express train at 5.26 from city which gets to station for 5.45 and get home for 6.05.

I have a longer day now. I used to leave the house at 8.45 and be home for 5.15 in my excellant 9-5 job at home - not good - lets home they will have me back next year !!!!

Husband is now working at home for his old UK company - how lucky is he?

It is making me more & more grumpy than I already am and terribly homesick.

Est x
Definitely a longer day here. I'm paid for a 7.25 hr day, but very rarely take a lunch break as I have to be on the end of the phone and if I'm not at my desk I have to transfer the phone to my personal mobile! I rely on the Bloke for transport so I accept that I will be working more than the 7.25 hours a day, in fact they currently get an hour free out of me each day. However the boss now wants to know why I can't come in an hour earlier than that each day, which would mean me having a 30 minute walk and 20 minute bus ride (instead of a lift) for the same wages. I keep aruging - he can't see my point. This is for a bottom rung Admin job,btw.
Many people seem to just accept that they will be staying late in the office, long hours are the norm and if you refuse you are doing yourself no favours. One woman regularly works till 11pm when she could knock off at 5, and makes a point of telling us all how we should be doing the same, because "the job" expects it.
 
Old Mar 11th 2007 | 9:35 pm
  #21  
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Default Re: Working hours - on average same as UK or more?

There are a lot of depends (company/type of work etc)
In our situation Oh is working for the same company, with a similar type of role. The workload is very busy at the moment and we don't know if/when it will ease. Today, I drove him in so he got there 8.15 (45mins earlier than public transport), picked him up at 4 (exception to rule, so could say bye to my parents) was on conference call (to Europe) from 5.30 for 1.5hrs. They want another call same time tomorrow night after a full day at the office, plus he will be leaving the house 5.30am the next day to fly off to start 3 days in 3 different cities.

In UK going to another office would take an hour or so on the road, it now invlolves a flight where he is out of the house between 14 & 17hrs (if he does not stay over). Flights should have been occassional, not regularly as they are. Calls to Europe always seem to be at a time convienient to the others, so ends up cutting into our evenings here. We have newish bubs & toddler & the OH makes a big effort not to work as long as many of his collegues. Plus (or should I say a big minus) he is earning around the 70% mark of his UK salary.

Yeah, the job has some crap elements (some of which we expected, some we did not think would have such a big impact), but it is not enough to send us back to UK
 

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