How hard do the Aussies work??

[zebedee]

I think you are saying this tongue in cheek, but for those who do think this is possible, I am not sure it ever has been in Adelaide, if you work close to the City.

 

I think it's possible but there are sacrifices - we've just bought in McLaren Vale and for us, it's perfect, just removed enough from the city without being too remote. Commuting will be a pig until the Seaford train line is on but it'll get there. I am quite happy to sit on a train for 45 minutes, especially knowing I am going home to a place I want to live in. But that's me - I never wanted to live in the city (we just plonked ourselves in the city to start with until be got our thang together) so I offset that need against a longer commute. Not everyone is the same. The overall hours worked \ commute and stress is about the same as I had in the UK and as an overall place to live, I much prefer being here.

[adelaidenow]

I think what you said agrees with me, it cant be done close to the City.

[Guest BurgessFamily]

I hope the trains improve with the switch to electric. I don't miss having to stand for the majority of the journey in sweltering heat (had a/c, not that it did anything), then waiting for 15 mins to enter Adelaide station (standing still, waiting for a slot at one of the platforms).

[Lily Rainbow]

Australia is the size of Europe. So leaving Aus is expensive,maybe comparing prices to travelling from UK to other countries is not a good thing?

 

As for the OP, I don't think there is a definite answer. But Moving from London To Adelaide will cut down on commuting and cost involved in commuting.

 

If you want to work in the North but live by the beach, your choice may result in a longer commute, but that's a personal choice you have made.

Sorry you might of misread what I meant.I was'nt comparing travelling from Oz as per se.Obviously travelling from the UK to say a greek island for a week is alot cheaper,than travelling from Oz to the same island.What I meant is the way you holiday may change.So instead of jetting off to a greek island for a week,you might wish to camp somewhere within Oz for a week,or hire a shack up the river,or whatever else floats your boat.Its just different is'mt it?Personally I loved camping and spent many childhood holidays going away either in a tent or the parents caravan.

[adelaidenow]

Sorry you might of misread what I meant.I was'nt comparing travelling from Oz as per se.Obviously travelling from the UK to say a greek island for a week is alot cheaper,than travelling from Oz to the same island.What I meant is the way you holiday may change.So instead of jetting off to a greek island for a week,you might wish to camp somewhere within Oz for a week,or hire a shack up the river,or whatever else floats your boat.Its just different is'mt it?Personally I loved camping and spent many childhood holidays going away either in a tent or the parents caravan.

 

I read it as going overseas from Aus was more expensive than going overseas from UK. I agree 100% with you, but the reason is you have to travel further to go overseas when in Aus. Next stop from Adelaide is South Pole in one direction :-)

[Diane]

Another thing to bear in mind with holidays is that you usually can't take them here until you have acrrued them. So you may get four weeks holiday a year, but if you wanted to take say two weeks off, you wouldn't be able to do that until you had worked for six months.

 

When we first arrived here in August, my OH started work for a company that shut down for two weeks over Christmas. By then he had not worked for the company for six months, so was not entitled to two weeks paid leave. He had to take the time off, but didn't actually get paid for it all which was a real pain, especially as Christmas is such an expensive time of year here (think Christmas, summer holiday, school fees, club fees etc all due at the same time!) Some companies will let you go into "negative holiday" but not all.

[sueoc]

Did that, bought and lived the dream, 1/2 acre block, big house, pool, landscaped garden, sold it! and built a big house on a small block, as the garden and pool took up all my weekends especially with me working 5.5 days. It now takes me longer to get the mower in/out than actually cutting the grass. Now living a different dream:jiggy:

Love it!So so true!Good on ya!Sayin'it like it is!

[Keith & Linda]

Another thing to bear in mind with holidays is that you usually can't take them here until you have acrrued them. So you may get four weeks holiday a year, but if you wanted to take say two weeks off, you wouldn't be able to do that until you had worked for six months.

 

When we first arrived here in August, my OH started work for a company that shut down for two weeks over Christmas. By then he had not worked for the company for six months, so was not entitled to two weeks paid leave. He had to take the time off, but didn't actually get paid for it all which was a real pain, especially as Christmas is such an expensive time of year here (think Christmas, summer holiday, school fees, club fees etc all due at the same time!) Some companies will let you go into "negative holiday" but not all.

 

This is dependant on the company policy/attitude, I do get holidays in advance and it shows up as negative entiltlememt on my payslip, this applies to both salaried and hourly paid employees, also at christmas they pay out any accrued sickdays so you never actually lose them, unlike many other companies .

[Jessica Berry]

I have worked a mix of hours in jobs in Adelaide, in different sectors, these are in admin, HR, recruitment, training roles..

 

University - 36.25 hours a week

Government (State) - 37.5

Government (Local) - 38 (but I do know of one council that works 40 hours a week as standard hours)

Transport - 38

Defence - 38

Training - 38

Aviation - 40

Engineering and Construction - 40 (the guys on site I worked with regularly did 60/70+ hours)

 

The only place I have worked that had flexitime was State Government. If you are contracting you do not receive any pay for holidays, public holidays, sick leave, this is calculated into your hourly rate (although this is debatable sometimes!!).

 

As Diane mentioned annual leave and sick leave usually have to be accrued before you can take them. The norm is 10 days sick, so you would need to have worked for 6 months to get 5 paid sick days or else you would usually have to take unpaid.

 

Personally for me my work/life balance was far better in the UK, I worked less hours, had loads more holiday and sick leave. Australia works some of the longest hours in the developed world. If you are looking for a work/life balance then there are certain sectors/employers you need to target.

 

The general Australian attitude from employers is that you need to make provision for yourself. My personal view point (and this view also comes from working in HR roles where I see the other side of things, when people lose their jobs and never see it coming or they get sick and run out of sick pay and still have a mortgage to pay and quickly start getting in financial trouble) is that you need to have a backup. We have income protection (we did not have this in the UK) and we also keep a certain amount of money saved up as a backup in case something happens.

[Jessica Berry]

In todays Adelaide job paper the front page and then page 2/3 is about getting a second job and how to go about it! To quote the tag lines 'Work more to keep on top of costs' and 'A part-time or casual job may help workers offset the rising cost of living'.

 

It says...

 

Australians are taking on more hours and second jobs to accommodate for inflated living costs. In the past three years, Australians have been suffering from rises in food, petrol, transport, housing and utility costs, which is leaving significant dents in their pay packet and they are hunting for more work to top up their income'

So if people are now getting second jobs, I would say the Aussies work hard!

I wonder if they tell potential migrants that at the migration expos!!!

[Rabeah]

Aussies work when it is required. That means overtime, additional hours on Saturday and even Sundays, depending on the workload and industry people work for.

In case of my husband, he was under a fulltime contract and he used to work 10 hours and every 2nd Saturday in his old company until the new production manager sacked him with an unfair dismissal.

Even Fairwork couldn't help, because it was a very small company and he was employed only about 9 months and der Fairwork Act sets in after 12 month deployment or with large companies with more employees. So even the protection of workers is only blah blah blah.

Now he works for Recruitment companies as a production worker (lower level than before and casual) to make ends meet.

I think this behaviour of certain employers and weak protection of staff they also don't tell potential migrants at the migration expos!

[Blossom]

So if people are now getting second jobs, I would say the Aussies work hard!

I wonder if they tell potential migrants that at the migration expos!!!

 

I work in a particularly low paid sector, where most are casual. As soon as it rains, is too hot etc many of them go home.

Only one has a second job, and that is only three hours a week.

None of the Aussies I know outside of work have more than one job. Sounds a bit like they are just trying to sell papers.

[Jessica Berry]

Sounds a bit like they are just trying to sell papers.

 

The article is in the Career One job supplement inside the main newspaper. I don't think it is aimed at selling more papers, it is a guidance/information piece on having a second/or third job and contains (as well as other info) information on the tax implications and the practicalities of juggling more than one job.

[Jessica Berry]

Aussies work when it is required. That means overtime, additional hours on Saturday and even Sundays, depending on the workload and industry people work for.

In case of my husband, he was under a fulltime contract and he used to work 10 hours and every 2nd Saturday in his old company until the new production manager sacked him with an unfair dismissal.

Even Fairwork couldn't help, because it was a very small company and he was employed only about 9 months and der Fairwork Act sets in after 12 month deployment or with large companies with more employees. So even the protection of workers is only blah blah blah.

Now he works for Recruitment companies as a production worker (lower level than before and casual) to make ends meet.

I think this behaviour of certain employers and weak protection of staff they also don't tell potential migrants at the migration expos!

 

I completely understand what you are saying. I have witnessed some appalling behaviour from employers and could tell people stories that they would think quite frankly I had made up!

[Blossom]

Maybe trying to fill more positions then? It still does not seem a common thing.

[Guest BurgessFamily]

In an office of 12, I know at least 5 of them don't need a second job as they own multiple rental houses (so are landlords). 2 of them own more than 2 rental houses.

 

2 of the others do have second jobs, but that's because they are both saving for a house deposit.

 

If you need a second income, get solar panels. They can bring in $100s and the income is tax free.

Edited August 18, 2013 by BurgessFamily

[Jessica Berry]

I work in a team of 7 and 4 out of 7 have 2 or more jobs.

 

I went to a Tupperware party the other weekend and the lady worked full time and was doing Tupperware in her 'spare' time.

 

We have 2 tradie friends that work full time for employers but then work for themselves at the weekend.

[Blossom]

Everyone I know (bar my ex and my partners sister, who neither have second jobs) work quite physical jobs. Maybe that's the difference? Too knackered to do a second job even if they wanted to lol.

 

What type of second jobs do people have, other than Tupperware parties and cleaning? The supermarkets all seem to be full of teenagers. I can't picture what sort of other jobs people would have.

[chrisfen46]

I work 7am to 3.30 am Monday to Friday I get all public holidays as paid and they are not taken out of your annual leave .

[Jessica Berry]

What type of second jobs do people have, other than Tupperware parties and cleaning? The supermarkets all seem to be full of teenagers. I can't picture what sort of other jobs people would have.

 

 

I work fulltime Monday to Friday for another employer on a contract, but my second job in my 'spare' time is as a Career/Resume/Job Adviser.

 

There are many jobs that people combine with a fulltime job. These are some examples of second jobs people have that I have come across in Adelaide..….

 

Off Road Driving Instructor

Postman

Makeup Artist

Sports Coach

Netball Referee

Sheetmetal Worker

IT/Computer Tech

Invigilator

Training Resource Developer

Media Liaison Officer

Debt Collector

Taxi Driver

Bus Driver

Electrician

Trainer

Handyman

Musician

Supermarket shelf stacker

Marriage Celebrant

Tupperware Demonstrator

Remedial Massage Therapist

Call Centre Worker

Footballer (Aussie Rules)

Landscape Gardener

Avon Demonstrator

Small business accounts

 

All the people on this list work fulltime for another employer and are doing a completely different job as their second job.

 

People do a second job for a variety of reasons (me included), such as:

 

Money

Hobby/Interest

They want their second job to become their first job, so building experience up in that area

To gain experience in another area of work that interests them

Keeps them more employable, if one area of work dries up , they have other skills to earn money

[Lily Rainbow]

I just want to say where ever you go you have to work hard to earn money and respect.

Yep I agree with that EG so an extent.Ok if you're working say 2 part time jobs (to make up to 37.5hrs per week or whatever,fine,but not if you're working fulltime and also a part time job!A good balance between work and home life is really important I think!