American citizen here ~ I went 10 years in the US with no days off, no vacation, no sick days. First time I got a weeks vacation, I left for Australia to meet a wonderful man and decided to stay. I am now a citizen and feel very fortunate to be here! I now understand that the employment situation in the US is VERY abusive. Would never move back :)
That is criminal! Here is Oz it's often the case where an employer will strongly suggest or even insist you use your holidays where they feel you have accrued too many.
@@deecee5922 To be fair, that's a financial decision because the employer accrues for your leave at your salary as you earn it and pay it out at your salary when you take it, so if you havea big lot of leave and get a pay increase, there's a gap that the employer has to pay out of the bottom line.
I'm an Australian, ALL of Australia's work hours and benefits were fought for by UNIONS, I repeat, ALL OF THEM. Employers are mostly okay and comply with the laws, but that is not always true so, check with the relevant union to find out if what you're getting, is fair and above board. And we have a government bureaucracy that is not generally political and has oversight of work places via the FAIR Work Ombudsman's office in each state, check their website it'll save you a lot of time.
Shame no one wants a thing to do with unions anymore. Im only 27, so still relatively young in the workforce. Never actually witnessed all the good unions did but I am aware they did it. Sooo many coworkers just shun the idea of a union and think they'll just be taking their money. Even the people younger than me think this. At my last job, I'm 99% sure I was fired because I was actively talking to staff about starting a union lol
I wish I could say the same but working in VFX there are unfortunately no unions or worker protections, and we very much get exploited. Probably the exception rather than the rule however
Ive moved from the US to Aus and been here for 5 years, worked and have had 2 children here. Being here really opened my eyes to how bad I had it in america (im from Texas, and ask anyone from Texas they think where they are from is the best place on earth😅). Like the fact that I have ✨️free healthcare✨️ and had 2 children completely for free... alot of the older aussies conplain about the way Australia is going... and like any country Australia has its flaws... but my quality of life has only improved dramatically since being here and i feel very fortunate to be here ❤🦘
@@emmadear3276 I think everyone complains about their country just what we do, but I still believe Australia is the best country in the world. My parents packed up the family 52 years ago and immigrated out to Australia from the UK and we never looked back. I travel to the USA every couple years, lots of friends over there including Dallas but don’t think I could ever live there permanently. Maybe a holiday home. But America is getting expensive and for the value of dollar in a lot of cases dearer than Australia. Welcome to this great country of ours 👍🏻👍🏻 And the bugs and animals arn’t that bad
I remember when I was on a working holiday in the US (working in a cafe), we had to find someone to cover our shift if we needed a day off. If we couldn't find anyone, we couldn't take the day off. We had a list of staff names and phone numbers on the notice board in the break room for exactly that purpose. That was wild to me. Finding cover for our own shifts, and putting staff phone numbers on display for everyone to see. Both are not things in Australia. Firstly, finding coverage for absentees is the manager's job, and secondly, it is a breach of privacy to give out staff personal phone numbers to other employees.
I have had this experience in Australia working for a high end fast food restaurant franchise. To be fair though they were shitty bosses in general anyway.
America just didn't evolve, that's all. What you described is exactly the work culture in Australia in the 80's. My grandmother lived a six hour drive from us. The doctor's said she only had days left to live. I asked my boss for two days off and his exact words were... she isn't dead yet and you are only entitled to a day off for the funeral. I never saw my grandmother sadly. I lived in a small country town and if I was to lose that job, it would of been impossible to find another. Also, word would have gotten around that I took time off against my boss saying no, so i would of received a bad reputation. All I am saying is.... Australia was exactly like America, just we evolved morw and they didn't. My husband is a butcher and the American work culture is still very much alive in Australia. You're just fortunate enough to not have to experience it.
@@Hurricayne92 If you are working full time or part time your leave needs to be approved, but you accrue it regardless and it is a liability to the business so they are incentivised to find time for you to take your leave (or cash it out directly to you; either way benefits you). If you are casual, regardless of what they say you are legally permitted to refuse any shift for any reason.
I have had 2 American backpackers working on my property caring for the animals ,on a casual basis.They are paid $41.22 {casual rate hourly } $60.72 on a Saturday and $82.44 for Sundays hourly . They seem quite happy with that and want to extend their Visas. They also has free use of a cabin on the property, access to the pool and other facilities and usually eat with the family. I'm very pleased with theirdedication to the job, and the cheerful happy nature of both. they average 3 days a week which leaves them ample time to explore the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra South Coast beaches
My take on Australian work culture is that the vast, vast majority of Australians work to live. That means that they go to work to fund their lifestyle, be that hanging out at cafe's, going bush in a 4WD or lazing on a beach. Many other places live to work. They struggle to get the basics so have to work longer and harder. In the US with such low salaries you may need to work 2 or 3 jobs just to survive. I definitely prefer our way of doing it.
Keep telling yourself that but it has not been the case for many years now. Australians live to work for a place to live due to housing scarcity caused by mass immigration. It literally takes 46 years to save the deposit with an average salary to buy the average house in Sydney. Stop living in the past.
@adamp3581 Sydney is a horrible reference point. It's the exception. The majority of Australian cities have affordable housing especially if you're a couple
The median dwelling price for Australia now sits at $807,110 The median dwelling price for our combined capital cities now sits at $891,639 The median dwelling price for our combined regional towns sits at $640,243 Good luck!
@@wino5086 The latest employment outlook from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that Australia has recorded one of the world’s biggest declines in real wages. Aka collapse in living standards. Australia was one of 16 member countries whose real incomes have gone backwards since the end of 2019. It fell well below the OECD average of 3.5% real wage growth over the same period. Yet your rent just went up again. Health care is good but worsening. Elective surgery waitlists mean private hospital cover is a must. Many top surgeons won’t operate on public patients. Crime? Given that Australia was forced to enact its first carjacking law in 2016 due to it being a problem (that had never existed before), I’d say you’re on the wrong track there too.
Historically, Australia has always had a strong union movement. Its origins can be traced back to the goldfields in the 1850s. From the 1890s thru' to the late 1920s, workers won a whole raft of rights which we still enjoy today. In the USA, a stronger focus on capitalism led to big business and corporations successfully suppressing union demands. Culturally, this translates into 'look out for your mates' (Australia) and 'everyman for themselves' (USA).
Before you keep going on the "Unions care for the little people" high horse, the union in Australia in the 80s just like America cut taxes on imported items which made them cheaper than locally produced items. The Union decided to send off most people's jobs to China. Australia's government has always been putting big businesses far above the demand of workers, so no, you don't have many rights in Australia today. Unless you somehow think that first class filth like Dan Andrews and Anthony Albanese are the bees knees of human existence, you should be able to realize that Australia has one of the biggest employment and housing crises' in the world. America has it horrible too, but when Sydney is the second most expensive city to buy a house, and the whole country is at least one of the five most expensive countries in the world and the most expensive country for a visa, for a HUGE land with a SMALL population, you know that something is wrong.
Ironically, try whispering the word "union" anywhere near a mine site these days - the foundation of Aussie union in industry now totally unrepresented! Why tax our natural resources to ensure future prosperity when I can simply work my arse to the bone for a few dollars more in the Blue Sky mine?
that's a bit out of touch these days.. we still benefit from our forefathers but its become every man for themselves these days but the laws are in place and should offer some protections.. good luck testing them. our worker rights have been eroded and diminished since Howard first got elected and in WA people shake at the knees when the word 'union' is mentioned. its become more covert. I will also correct you on the history of our work conditions - which goes back to 1907 and the "Harvester Agreement' where a judge was tasked to create the basis for 'fair work' and 'fair pay' and 'fair working conditions' which he did. the government and employers didn't like it so they rolled a lot of them back but the outcome was that we still ended up with better working conditions than BEFORE the decision was handed down. Not as good as we should have got. As i recall - a it was all about the 'fair go' .. time for family (no work sundays), and time to go to church, and to be paid enough to feed an average family and cover expenses while still allowing for time to enjoy life.
Im an American who moved to Sydney a few years back. Where i work now is easily the best, healthiest, most relaxed work environment ive ever had in my 14 years in the work force. I couldnt imagine going back to the states and going to work.
As a child growing up in Australia, two important courtesies were hammered into us. Never say “what” …..it’s I beg your pardon, or excuse me. And always put your knife and fork together, with the fork facing up when you have finished your meal, no matter where you are. This would show the waiter that you are finished. Oh, and definitely no elbows on the table!!😂
yer, but by "hammered" you mean repeated beatings? lol i got a crack on the elbows with a broom stick if they were ever on the table, kids these days got it easy.
Hi Ashleigh, whenever I went back to North America on visits, and caught up with family and friends in Canada and the United States, they would eventually ask what jobs and working in Australia is like. I would tell them about working conditions, wages, leave entitlements, working hours and so on. Much of the things covered in your reactions. I stopped doing that when I realised that my North American audiences thought I was gaslighting them. What should be included in the work/life balance conversation is Australian health care. We in Australia don't go bankrupt because of a major health issue. Don't get me wrong. There are many great things I like about America. But health care ain't one of them.
so you telling them the truth about life in Australia was gaslighting to them?????? I'm a bit confused - Americans in the USA cant handle being told the truth???
I an Australian male, when I meet another man, I will always shake their hand, if it’s a female that I don’t know I will just say “ nice to meet you” without any body contact. If it’s a male friend I will shake hands and a quick hug, if it’s a female friend I will kiss her cheek and a quick hug. That’s what my mother taught me growing up and everyone in my friends circle also do this.
I suspect I'm a bit older than you (I'm GenX) but whenever I am faced with a "hugs and kisses" type (those weirdos who embrace people on first meeting) I just tell 'em I'm one of the "socially awkward generation" that doesn't do hugs, and then just offer them a normal handshake.
@@OzVicBitternot necessarily 😅 when I was pregnant with my son 15.5yrs ago I heard someone ask me “are you up the duff?” My husband answered yes I was like huh? Didn’t know that she was asking me if I was pregnant. Never heard that term before. 😂Maybe cause both sets of my grandparents and dad were born in Italy and I never heard that term before cause I always learnt to speak Italian at home etc.. don’t know 🤷🏻♀️ I missed that Aussie slang. 😂😂😂 I think my hubby knew cause when he went to school he was surrounded by Aussies at school hardly any ethnic groups at his school and his parents were both born in Italy. When I went to school in a different suburb it was full of ethnic communities in the school hardly any Aussies. 😂😂
In my last job, in a hospital, there were many Indian nurses and doctors. They would celebrate Diwali - a Hindu festival of lights - every year and bring in all these wonderful dishes for everyone to eat. It was so lovely to be invited and included in their celebrations. And Indian food happens to be my favourite food!
Healthcare. US spends almost 20% of GDP on Health Care yet doesn't have Universal access. The rest of the developed world (including Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand, most of Europe) spends around 10% or less, yet provides universal access. Yet I hear some Americans critical of this, thinking their system is the best....
@@churblefurbles (strange to use one particular nationality - to make this oint?? do they send all the MRI scanners bck to Haiti or something, or just the publicly funded milk formula?) while forgetting all the locally sourced ?? trash...)
@@AvoidTheCadaverwhich you can give if you're fairly straightforward and honest. Backstabbing company men and middle managers can't fake a firm handshake, which is why we learn to judge a man on his handshake
The work place culture i beileve, originates in Australia from its inception as a convict colony. This follows through with a generally a more progressive and egalitarian attitude. The 888 movement was sucessful here first (8 hours work, 8 hours leisure, 8 hours rest). The Union movement was instrumental in this, even setting up a political party (ALP), which has succesfuily implemented the work place reforms, Superannuation, Medicare Health system and even the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). Sometimes, I feel that my American cousins live in a system where the corporations have won too often.
Americans had slavery, same treatment as convicts worked to death, probably a higher proportion of population too in the US. Convicts definitely did not organise for workers rights. 1776 Americans revolted, 1788 the surplus British started arriving here instead. Transportation had ended long before any industrial reform. It was Labour leaders who broke the unions, because they came out of the unions and knew how they worked. In the 70s strikes crippling the country were always on the news all the time. In 1983 Bob Hawke became PM, a former union leader and that was the end of it. All those institutions are the work of both political parties, not only one
@@cruiser6260 workers rights and our freedoms, were a direct result of the colonial settlers, if you do your research you will see that not only were they fighting for human rights, they were also very much against capitalism. They believed 'it had been proven in the old countries that people get greedy and take all the wealth', so they wanted democracy but not capitalism. the convicts actually had a pretty good deal from what I can see (in Some ways - not necessarily living conditions but work conditions weren't too bad, and also at different stages of the colonisation period). IN Tasmania as an example, the free settlers would starving because they hadn't had time to do crops and so forth, while the convicts were being fed - the government took responsibility for feeding and clothing them because they were their 'assets' and the free workers building the new nation. Directly after the first and second fleet the convicts were reasonably well looked after. I'm proud to say due to DNA matching and access to more sources I descend from a first fleeter who married a second fleeter. So my first fleeter was emancipated in 1791 after spending four years on a hulk and three years in the colony. when he was emancipated he was given a 100 acres from the governor to farm, but also had to work for nothing at other duties, and could only work his own farm after hours. I don't think he minded too much except for the warring with the Aboriginal folk, he held onto the land until about 1816.
@@thevocalcrone if you're talking about groups of settlers to America, such as the Puritans they sometimes had their own political beliefs, went and did their own thing. Not so for the colonial settlers of Australia. The convicts had no say in anything. Neither did their overseers and soldiers. They all got flogged with a cat o nine tails for not doing what they're told including the soldiers. Their thoughts on philosophy and economy seemed to go as far as the next drink. since the 1808 Rum Rebellion where there was a coup of captain bligh only happened when he tried to stop them importing or making their own alcohol. Not stop the drinking, just keep the govt control of the monopoly. Governors were appointed by the king or queen and answered to the UK. That was their political system. Democracy was not a concept, it was all still monarchy. In the mid 19th century democracy began to emerge in Britain but of course that was only for the wealthy to vote anyway. No democracy in Australia until federation at start of 20th century and still only for big land owners. If we are talking about the federation period late 19th C and early 20th c then political and economic philosophy does matter for sure. Remember that before that the only concept of workers rights was to put in jail or shoot anyone organising. Going absent from work was subject to the Bushrangers Act. They achieved tiny improvements for a lot of blood. Eureka Stockade was a miners rebellion where a bunch were shot around about when convict transport ended. 14 hr work days were normal for builders and farm workers. Trying to organise labour was a punishable crime, called treason or sedition. But the whole federation period becoming independent had a lot of influence of Marxists and socialists. I'm not sure when exactly, maybe about 1910 the labour party held balance of power, not in power but had influence. They used that to expand the democracy. Not to everyone, but getting rid of needing to be a land owner for a start. By 1920s labour first won govt in full. That was all based on unions being allowed and strikes not being illegal. You are correct about some of them not wanting capitalism. They planned to bring in socialism via industry unions instead of trade unions. Heres the problem. There's nothing more capitalist than negotiating more money. They didn't go on strike just wanting the 8 hour day and other benefits, but always more wages too. If owners could use police and military to disperse picket lines and bring in other cheaper workers that often worked. Hence the communists going for industry unions instead of trade unions. All of this was responsible for the white Australia policy, to make sure the cheap labour couldn't be brought in. It wasn't about wanting everyone to have white skin. It was about not getting Chinese, indian and islander coolee labour. All the people talking in this vid, the Indian man, French woman and American woman are in fact the cheap labour to keep the wages low and property high. They're thankful for the benefits that casual employees don't get anyway, but don't understand that excessive high immigration causes overall lowering of standard of living that way. Unless you're the employer and landlord of course, then it's great. What standard of living and housing crisis? And you notice that industry unions ended in the 80s and union membership went steadily down since then. That was thanks to Bob Hawke of the ALP who came from the unions so knew how to break them. Re convicts. What your ancestors didn't get to do was go home to see their native place and family. It sounds like he was an indentured servant not ticket of leave man, still needing to work for free after being effectively on house release. I live in tas and my town Fingal was built as a convict station. Right next to the river there are two small huts side by side. No bigger than a typical main bedroom. That was crammed with convicts who built the esk hwy with the mountain pass. Shackled to work maybe, I don't know. I understand many could do very well though with good behaviour and then being industrious and entrepreneurial.
@@cruiser6260 really loaded essay there.. i'll help you out. I actualyl have about five convicts in my tree.. arriving at varied times. One had a death sentence commuted ot the term of his natural life for rioting in the rebellions and is in fact recognised as having played a pivotal role in shaping modern unionism with about 10 other convicts (Salisbury Swing Rioters). One was most definitely a violent criminal from Scotland and 'recedivist' but i guess living in a bog hole in the ground (ex quarry) no employment and watching your mother starve to death and your father is dead might do that to a person. He was held in Tasmania and definitely had it tough. I could edumucate you on the down turn of unions. It started in the Pilbara with the Iron Ore companies (then Robe River) trying to break the unions back because of strikers in Tom Price. (I was working there at the time). What many don't know and I have to be careful with what i say becuase I guarantee you there would be noone prepared to stand up and be witness so 'it is my understanding that RRIA funded the LNP to ensure that Hawke/Keating were ousted so that they could bring in the new WPA. so it wasn't actually Hawke that stuffed that up.. it was during Howards time. by the time it was early 2000 the poison had spread to the goldfields (as predicted by the unions), and workplace conditions and wages were going down. Back to my ancestors (cos i'm pretty chuffed to have a first and second fleeter). in the early days of colonisation they were treated reasonably good (if they behaved themselves). the rabble were not. I'm currently researching it all otu of curiosity because my ancestor came out on the Scarborogh ..first trip was 'state of the art' .. but there was leadership changes in the UK and the colony by the time the next trip and the captain refused to transport convicts after that because the ships were overloaded and the convicts in poor health after years on hulks before they even left. in fact his departure was delayed because a couple of convicts were busy dying. I think it was the 'Alexandra' that was full of really deplorable criminals.. the hard core, murderous type ones and these are the ones that were involved in skirmishes with the locals - like going out and stealing their canoes to escape and violently attacking them and their women in the process. On the other hand poor old Jane Forbes .. arrested at 14, transported at 16, gave birth to a baby the same year (conceived on the journey over - fathered by a sailor) my ancestor also. Dead by 21, after giving birth to four children and falling into a fire.
As far as aI know, the 38 hour week equates to 5 week days of 7.6 hours each, plus an unpaid meal break of at least 30 mins after 5 hours of continuous work. This is the general rule, however, work contracts may cover different hours, overnight, weekends, where penalty rates are applied - in favour of workers.
I don't think you can divorce the bits of Australian culture you don't like (tall poppy syndrome) from the bits you do (the more easy going work culture etc). I think they both come from same cultural attitudes around equality etc.
@@coffeeenutI agree that you can like and dislike various aspects but you still need to understand that both aspects probably derive from the same source and it would be difficult to seperate. As for the poppy syndrome, that has always been around someone bragging about what they have achieved. A quite achiever is much more respected than someone coming across as arrogant.
- that really is part of our "classless society" - you rub my nose in your "good fortune" (without sharing somewhat), there remains a peg or 2 to be removed... ha ha, ie, "get off your high horse" - could be a typical stated, or inferred sentiment. Amusing to dwell in the differences, good and bad.. Also American bosses love to cr@p on their "minimum wage" workers -- don't like it, quit there are 10000 more wetb@cks to fill your place - yes the classism is still rife (but you are free to leave).
- yes and the "country tax" - ie. how much the multinationals are shielded to engage in extortion does affect affordability of many items (lowball to wipe out the wage competitiveness, then highball once an import monopoly is "secured"...Price wars, turning all of the west into "service only" industries - the good times may not last too much longer.).
Does matter somewhat with online international purchases these days, which MAY wind up shipped from somewhere local, but it's purchased internationally.
Where I work we have a cook up now and again, there's one this Friday actually. Where everyone takes food to work to share and because of all the international backpackers everyone tries food from all around the world, they're really good.
Your comment about not receiving overtime as a retail manager is common as most likely your on a salary and not a wage (theres a difference) so generally salaried employees would get time in lieu for any overtime worked which is the case throughout my hotel career as I was always on a salary so never got overtime either. Usually managers are offered salary and any front line staff are on a wage.
Managers in Oz are a different beast than the bottom line worker. If not covered by an Award, they are often on negotiated contracts, and their responsibilities might involve longer hours, but they get paid for them.
@@JJ-vy2rh Overtime is a contentious issue. In my field, Local Government all overtime had to be approved by the supervisor prior to taking it, and yet there were times of emergency - floods, motor vehicle accidents, people lost in the desert where I or other community managers had to drop everything and address these issues, which often mean long hours for which we ere not paid.
Became a first time parent this year and had 14 weeks Parental Leave, plus an extra week over the Christmas/New Year period as the office shuts down. So effectively 15 weeks. Not too shabby since I'm a guy.
The handshake thing is definitely true (especially for blokes). Not in a formal "I'll judge you if it's weak" way though, just "How ya goin mate" with a friendly shake.
In the APS (Australian Public Service) standard work hours would be 8:30 to 12:30 then 1:30 to 4:51 (or 5pm in some departments). But hardly anyone works that way, because we have flex time, where you just have to clock in 7 hr 21 min a day and if you work more than that, you build up flex time, which you can take later. When you reach middle management, you get something else called TOIL, but that's slightly different. It's a good system in my opinion. I'm not encouraged to work more than my standard hours, otherwise I build up a flex balance, which I'm entitled to take. The APS is very hierarchical, but I can call a senior manager, say, John instead of Mr Smith. That's just how it is in Australia. We're not big on formalities like that. The handshake thing varies but I feel like since covid, some people have gone funny about handshakes. It's not uncommon though. After work drinks is not uncommon but again it varies. The teams I've worked in rarely do it because most people just want to go home after work.
When attending Australian conferences, it is normal for more formal (International) English be used in speech and written communications (presentions). That is abstanence from using slang. The further north you go the more work culture changes. For many years, I worked in the bush where you think first, prepare information, tools and instruments and then go out to finish do the job. High speed pressure to finish as soon possible can result in higher risk of not properly finishing the job.
OMG so this! Even applies in office settings I reckon. My job involves errrr, solving mysteries per se, and we have 1 office here in Brisbane, the other in Melbourne. My productivity is slightly lower, because I read through customer emails & cases carefully, take heaps of notes about what has been done/ what is to be done next & request ALL the information needed from the customer at the outset. Reading southern colleagues notes bloody infuriates me, they just shoot off an email "Oh it's under investigation" without setting customer expectations, or getting ALL the information needed. Bloody pisses me off, and cases take so much longer with the back & forth with a customer!
A lot of people have commented on the long history of unionism in Australia. There's also Australia's founding culture developing in the 19thC, a very different era to America's roots in the 17th and 18th centuries. But also Australia for most of its history had labour shortages, which has given employees and unions more bargaining power than most countries. Recently shown during covid lockdown when even a two-year hiatus in immigration resulted in serious labour shortages especially on farms, but across the economy in sectors like hospitality and retail. In fact going back to our origins, transportation of convicts to Australia was criticised in Britain as an incentive to crime because wages and lifestyle even for convicts were much better in Australia than for the British working class and transportation was free passage to better pay, savings, property, a healthier lifestyle and access to luxuries like tea, sugar and tobacco almost unobtainable for the British underclass.
Wow. You have opened the eyes of this Aussie. I never realised that saying "What?" in reply to another person is verboten, but you are right. We would only say that if we are in such a state of shock that social niceties have gone out the window and we are thinking " I can't believe what i just heard". Or if we were outraged. We would say it this way "What?!?!" When Aussies hear this word as a reply said in a normal voice, we feel we are dealing with someone who is stuck up and can't be bothered, with a F*** you attitude. Especially in retail this would be a complete turnoff in a customer/staff interaction.
The “what” is so accurate. I’d accidentally do this as a child and be reprimanded for it. “What?” as a reply is usually seen as rude/confrontational here…
@@coffeeenutit definitely means more “what did you (disrespectfully) say?!” As in, how dare you say that, or I am challenging what you’ve said. We teach kids from when they’re young not to just say “what?” Even “sorry, what was that?” could come across the same way with the right inflection. But so could “pardon?” But “what was that” is acceptable with the right tone and expression.
My partner is American (I’m Australian and we live in Australia) and he really struggles to take days off unless he’s too sick to move. He works from home so he’s not infecting anyone but I have to keep reminding him that your body needs rest to heal!
Breaks: In Australia, breaks are typically around 30-45 minutes, contributing to the standard 38-hour workweek. If you're in a white-collar permanent role, most companies care more about your output than tracking hours. This can vary by industry but isn’t as influenced by state regulations. Salaries: We've had a long period of strong unionisation and an egalitarian culture, which led to balanced wages. Unfortunately, this is being eroded by the influence of US cultural imports, leading to more wage disparity. Communication: With high immigration, particularly from East and Central Asia, there are often clashes between the high-context communication styles common in those regions and our more direct approach. This video is aimed at helping bridge those differences for that audience. Hierarchy: Just like with salaries, our egalitarian background shapes how we view hierarchy. While hierarchies exist, using hierarchical authority is seen as a much more aggressive management style here than in other countries. Laidback: People often see us as laidback, but we do care-it's tied to our dignity culture, much like how we handle hierarchy. For lack of a better word, people can "lose face" by being seen as caring unnecessarily about something. It’s all about balancing a relaxed attitude with just the right amount of concern. What: Saying "what" isn’t generally considered rude, but it depends on the context. Here, we tend to say "sorry" a lot more often, almost like the Japanese use "sumimasen"-it’s just a cultural thing to soften our interactions. Drinks: Yep, we’re famously known for drinking a lot, sometimes problematically. This does vary by industry, though.
Best job I had was 12hr shifts 6am -6pm only 3 shifts per week ie Wed Thurs Fri for a full weeks pay!! 3days On 4 days OFF!! hows that for work/life balance :) Hardly anyone took sickies or even annual leave (6weeks + 3 days AL) because you didnt need to
I work 7 days a fortnight 6*12 hours shift and one 8 hour shift on a rotating roster. I get 6 weeks of recreational leaves, 2 weeks of accrued time leaves, and 10 sick leaves in a year in Brisbane Queensland. I love my job. My friends in US get only one week of leaves and 2 sick leaves a year. They hate it when i tell them about my work/life balance 😂.
9:16 one of my doctors insists on a firm handshake at the start of every visit. I just go with it 🤷🏻♀️. I was born in Australia but I’m disabled so I’ve never worked. I’ve often thought I’d be dead many times over if I had to pay for all my health care like in America
In australia i think it is more up to each company. Most companies give you 7.5 hours each day 5 days a week which gives you 30 mins unpaid lunch and 15 minutes paid morning tea. Some companies give you 8 hours each day, 5 days a week which gives you 30 minutes unpaid lunch and sometimes 2x 15 minute breaks for morning tea and afternoon tea. When you work 10 hour days they sometimes give you 1 hour unpaid lunch and 2x 15 minute brakes. When you work some factory job doing 12 hour shifts in extremely hot environments during summer, they give you a 30 minute or 1 hour lunch and multiple numerous spaced out 15 minute brakes. The fridge and freezer in the lunch room is stuffed with Water based Icy Poles to take as many as you need. Dairy Ice Creams are usually not a good idea and not supplied due to heat and curdling in ones stomach. In winter they stock up on hot beverages. It really depends on the company.
@@DeepseaSteve Unions are good when they exist, but not always. Several over the years were useless and were far more trouble than they were worth and screwed their workers over so no one touched them and they disbanded.
@@DeepseaSteve just went over it again, I think the unpaid lunches is a Casual Agency Worker thing. You get paid 7.5 hour days. That .5 was the lunch break. Full time jobs pay lunch breaks. You get paid 8 hour days.
@@Reginaldesq No i think it is only Full Time Employment that pays for lunch break. If you are a Casual Contractor for an Employment Agency, they do not cover Lunch. I think there is a problem with the contracts and they deliberately knock off 30 minutes as a minimum to avoid Tax Break or Law or some other reason. It keeps everything just below a certain threshold. If it goes over that then Laws kick in and require more things to be included.
I am a public servant in NSW and our standard week is 35hpw. I work in payroll and we have had to push through a backpay from Feb in this weeks pay so I had to work all weekend, and to 10pm on Fri and Monday. All of those excess hours I can claim as overtime. I mentioned to my friend in Texas that I was working on weekend and getting paid overtime and she was shocked, almost envious. She works as an admissions officer at a University so they often are required to go to events on weekends and she doesn't get paid overtime for it. It seems if you are on an annual salary in USA you appear to give up entitlement to overtime as opposed to being on an hourly rate of pay. I am sure that is generalisation but I doubt I would have put in as many hrs as I did if I wasn't going to be paid for it.
Hi! (Aussie here, German Dad and Convict/ UK ancestors on my Mum's side!) My Mother taught my sister and I to say 'pardon', or 'I beg your pardon', and I taught my children! I work in a school and we follow regulatory legislation to a 'T'! It's imperative that we all act with the highest professionalism in order to protect the students and promote positive learning, strong mental health, and child well-being. That said the students can express themselves safely, wear what they want and call us (the staff) by our first names. There's mutual respect encouraged and learned within our lovely school. Someone I know recently returned from a teaching job in the US and he said that the staff follow laws and legislation in US schools but based on utter fear because the threat of being sued by parents is so real. Everything he did his boss reminded him of this, and he ended up leaving because it was so stressful. I'm not sure if this was just his experience or if this is normal?
@@suem7515 Ha, cool! I'm Irish as well, but thought my description was too long. John Keily (Kelly), my many times Great Grandfather, came to Australia as a convict with his Family aboard The Cambridge in 1827.
@@Lisselle. I did wonder if it was too long but with Dwyer as a maiden name (we lost the “O” on the ship over, apparently 🤣) I really couldn’t leave it out! We also have Tully and McLean in my dad’s family tree. My mum’s maiden name was Grimm (yes, as in the Brothers Grimm).
@@veggyking3024 Hey, no, I don't. But our school founders originally took what they thought was the best of Steiner and Montessori. It has evolved a lot since then.
The last company I used to work for, I would always address my E-mails to the CEO as, "To who it may concern", because by the time you pressed send, there could be somebody else warming that chair.
One of the big things growing up here is the encouragement to travel abroad and experience how other's live. Sometimes it shows you what could change and be better but most of the time it shows you how lucky we are to live in here. It's not perfect and there are many problems but we're still a lot better off than most and we can all learn to be kinder to each other.
The handshake tends to be a corporate/masculine type thing. For example if you worked in an office in the city & someone high up came from overseas or interstate there would likely be lots of handshakes. Also at weddings, when men are in formal attire they tend to shake hands when introduced to each other.
Us Aussie's are unique ppl. We love our own interpretation of the english language. I love our Multi cultures, mind you we have had issues with peoples acceptance and tolerance. In the workplace, yes I always greet with a handshake ( for someone new or new to me). We have a great worklife balance in Australia, well I do anyway. So glad your enjoying Australia Ashleigh.
Kat here from Australia. Great video!! Was born here. I've found that handshakes are more a thing I've received from men rather then women for some reason (generally speaking but there are exceptions)
The 38 hour week is just that - two hours less than the 40 hour week. Many workplaces remain on an eight hour, five day work week and take a three day break every four weeks. Some of those workplaces allow workers to accrue those "extra" days off and add them to their annual leave - that means an extra two and half weeks leave (some of these workers just say they have 8.5/7.5/6.5 weeks leave depending on their base entitlement of 6 or 5 or the minimum 4 weeks annual leave).
This was interesting to hear your perspective...I did the opposite. I'm Australian and lived in the US (Los Angeles) for 5 years. I was lucky and didn't find the workplace culture to be too different...maybe some people took it a little too seriously and worked too long, but for my position as a video editor, we were well cared for and protected by our managers. I was also working at a startup style place with unlimited PTO which I loved as I didn't have to accrue paid time off. Hours were 9-6 which I didn't like at first but we had an 1 hour break (in Australia I only ever got 30min working 9-5) and most of us wouldn't start work till like 10am anyway cause the office culture was super casual 😂I feel like the most different thing is the "at will" employment where any party can terminate. However I feel like in some ways I prefer it to the 4 weeks notice you have to give/receive from an employer in Australia. Like, they're firing me, I don't want to continue working for them for the next 4 weeks!! I would do a crappy job if I knew I was being fired in 4 weeks lol I'm curious what slang you struggled with? I feel like older people tend to use the traditional australian slang more than younger people (at least that's my experience anyway), and if you spoke to me you wouldn't hear it at all as I'm not a fan of it lol 😂
In Australia minimum wage for full time employee is approximately $21 per hour plus 50% loading on overtime, plus 50% loading working Saturdays and 100% loading working Sundays or public holidays plus employer must pay an additional 12% of an employees gross wages into the employees superannuation fund (pension fund) plus 5 days sick pay plus 20 days paid annual leave plus 10 days paid public holidays plus 17.5% extra pay on holiday pay.
The current 2024 Australian minium wage is $24.10 per hour. The employer also has to contribute an additional 11.5% to the employee's retirement pension fund know as superannuation in Australia
17.5% is only for shift workers (as far as I am aware) to compensate for no shift loading on annual leave. Also some industries no longer have weekend penalty rates. Also many places only use subcontractors so they can get around the rules. Just pointing out that conditions can vary a lot.
Funny watching this as an Aussie working in an office in Thailand. All the same benefits, plus more (free meals, transport, health insurance). Salary is 30-50% lower. But the cost of living is 70-80% lower. So you come out on top every way.
I was a train driver (that's railroad engineer to you) in NSW and WA from 1979 to 2019 and in around 1990 I investigated going to work in the US. I was quite taken with the size of American trains, the various liveries the locos wore, the scenery like Donner Pass and the Keddie Wye, etc., so much more interesting than ours but that didn't pan out. FF to around five years ago (about the time I retired) and I joined a FB group for rail employees. It has people from all over but the vast majority are American and the way they talk, their jobs sound like absolute hell. Constant furloughing (I'd never heard of the concept and had to ask what it was) where you might be laid off for a year or two, you must have another job or previous skill you can earn a living from until the railroad (Union Pacific, BNSF, etc.) calls to say they need you. They ask things like 'what's a good brand of boots to buy' and I always reply with 'The ones your employer gives you' knowing they don't. I never had to provide anything I needed for work. Honestly, I'm so glad that getting a job over there proved to be very difficult because I had the best job ever. Five weeks per year annual leave, superannuation (I retired with $1.3m), for the last 10 years of my career I worked 14 days on, 14 days off still with 5 weeks annual leave. Also long sevice leave. Once in 2009, I took 7 months off with full pay. They also talk about railroad retirement as if it's different to everyone else's. I asked, and it is way better so God knows what the rest of society gets. Probably not very much. They're always asking about how to access it, saying they can never get hold of anyone in that office. Getting access to my money took all of one phone call and filling out a form they sent me. I did 30 years in my first job which gave me and my wife unlimited free travel by all government services in NSW for life. We even get interstate travel at a reduced rate. Last year, we rode the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide for half price. In my last 10 years, I did fly in - fly out in WA for one of the iron ore companies. I live in Newcastle and all flights were paid for by the company and I quickly rose to Platinum level with Qantas. I've used my points to pay for flights all over the place including our trip to Alaska next year (will be forth time in US and third time in Canada). We get access to all One World premium lounges world wide and have been in the Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai (it will blow your mind) three times. All at no cost to me, courtesy of my employer. I racked up enough status credits to get Lifetime Gold so the lounge access and priority boarding, etc. will continue even though I'm retired and no longer flying more than occasionally. I can't imagine any American railroad engineer getting any of that.
We are indeed the lucky country. We need to remember Paul Keatings contribution that moved us all to Super and put us in similar retirement positions to you. This is the "easy" country, but we certainly are the Lucky ones.
As a native aussie, I almost expect that any place I work at will have significant diversity. My first job out of uni was with a small startup of about 15 people {which later grew to about 40). There were 4 Australians in the whole company, me and 3 others. The rest were Irish, Russian, South African, Georgian, Swedish. In my current company, there are 7 native Australians in my office, out of about 50 people with the rest being Chinese, Filipino, British, Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, Turkish, Dutch, Irish, Burmese, Thai, middle eastern, African, (don't really know specifically so just lumping them altogether), Hungarian. Including our R&D department and production, that grows to include German, Malaysian, Swedish, Sri Lankan, Swiss, Italian, Russian, Korean, new Zealand, Vietnamese, Polish, Romanian. Pretty much every continent south America is represented (only because the last of them left the company earlier in the year) We used to have Finnish, Brazilian, Colombian, US, Singaporean, as well but they have since left. If anything those born in Australia like myself are actually in the minority
I started work in retail in QLD back in 1980 & was in retail/service for over 30 years until I had to stop work due to illness. In that time the face of retail work completely changed. It used to be full time jobs were the norm & casual jobs were available, but not the usual. In the 80s that began to change so that casual positions took over. Often the managers are the only full time staff. So, less security for employees, no sick leave, holiday pay, etc. Not great for older workers with families where retail jobs are the main source of income. I remember my friend who was a manager explained to me that it was in her contract that she got a set annual income & would not receive overtime no matter how many extra hours she had to work. Her pay rate compared to what I was on, working on average 30 hours p/w for the same company, I didn't think it was worth all the extra issues she had to deal with. At least back then we had all the additional holiday pay rates etc in place. Were the ones that were abolished or reduced under the last govt put back in place? Retail has always had the weakest union representation.
Honestly, as someone with employment law experience the first video you watched really confuses a number of issues especially about where you get help and how the regulatory framework operates. Fair Work Australia is not what the video thinks it is. Googling FWA will actually take you to a private law firm that will charge you for advice...what you wanted was the Fair Work Commission (a tribunal) and the Fair Work Ombudsman (someone you can call for information/ assistance in enforcing your rights). Only reason I mention this is that visa holders are often some of the most exploited workers in Australia and least likely to know where to get support.
@@coffeeenut The Fair Work Commission was known as Fair Work Australia when it was established in 2009 (replacing the Industrial Relations Commission). Even though the name change was 10 years ago, many, perhaps even most, people still use its original name.
Oh, I don't think you will ever leave. 😊 The work culture here is so much better. Actually, life in general is better. I love the lack of hierarchy and hustle culture when compared to the US and Europe.
Well, slavery WAS a thing in the US, and only used in the Australia's Queensland cane fields in the 19th and 20th centuries, so more localised. There was a big movement early in the 20th century in Australia for a 5 day week, too.
The new minimum wage per hour is $24.10 on weekdays for Full-timers. Weekend rates are higher too, but personally, I prefer to work casual cuz it’s fewer hours of work and more $ for me. More time for my family too.
@@qfjoeqfjoe - Those benefits are included as wage. (technically - though some industries with high casual numbers do have shifty bosses.) Casual minimum rate is now $30.25 plus Superannuation for ALL WORKERS (25% plus 10% into Super - for regular folk 20 days sick and another 20-25 days holiday is 17% of the year -add 14% holiday loading - total benefit (if taking all sick pay / leave) is~16.5%, NB, in many industries if you are taking all your sick leave, you may be deemed "not a good fit" - it is regarded as "for emergencies" not fishing trips - bike-riders are excused as they break bones all the time... - skiiers, once a lifetime is ok) Casual people naturally often work less hours - or have a second more regular job, possibly with unsocial hours (otherwise they would be part or full time, the pay office doesn't see it as a great thing to rely on casuals all the time..)
38 hour week. Every 4th week you get on RDO or LDO Rostered day off or Liesure Day of based on a 8 hour day, 5 day Monday - Friday. Or if you agreed with your Supervior you could work it as time in lieu or 8 hours as overtime
The weekly hours of work in Australia gradually changed from 40 to 38 in the 1980s. It used to be the case that there was a mix of State and National awards covering private sector workers. These days, State awards only cover State public service employees and maybe a very small number of State government business enterprises. So, there is a great deal of uniformity in working conditions across Australia. 38 Hour week. Minimum 4 weeks annual leave. Usually about 20 days sick/personal leave. Plus 12 days public holidays.
A 38 hour work week is standard in Australia. It can be done in various ways I used to work for 9 1/2 hours shifts a week which was brilliant however most people work 5 days a week 7.6 hours shifts.
The 38 hour week was thanks to the unions in Melbourne and then was taken up by other countries around the world. There is a monument in the city dedicated to this.
In Australia, while 38 hours a week is often quoted, most full-time employees actually work and are contracted for (and paid for) 37.5 hours per week. This equates to 7.5 hours per day. For those working a 9-5 schedule, this typically includes an unpaid half-hour lunch break and two paid 15-minute breaks. So yeah, we don't get a paid lunch break, hence the 7.5hr instead of 8hr day x 5 days a week...
I worked for a trade union as a membership officer… and we worked a 35hr week,mover a 9 day period. So we had a paid Rostered Day Off every two weeks. It was great for scheduling medical appointments, or going to the movies during the day, or shopping etc.
The reality for work hours depends on your work. I get paid a salary and my contract hours are 35 hours per week. I work Flex Time and I can carry my hours up to 40 hours extra each month. So that is 48 hours a week. I always work far more than that and lose extra hours every month. I am pretty certain every single one of my colleagues do the same. However I can take up to 5 days extra over my holidays from my accumulated flex hours each year plus a flex day or 2 each month (that usually doesn’t happen).
Most jobs I’ve had in Oz (except when I had flexitime in the public service) were 1.5x rate for the 1st 2 hours overtime, then 2x times after that each day. In exchange for getting a minimum of 4 hours overtime earning 7 hours pay, up to 20 mins overtime was unpaid (shiftwork when someone in the following shift is late), but in exchange even if I do just 30mins overtime I get the full 7 hours pay. Saturday was at 1.5 rate all day, while sunday was double time (2x). Working on a public holidays meant double time plus getting an extra day added onto annual leave. Being shift work we got 5 weeks annual leave at a minimum. Unused annual leave could accumulate, but one had to take a minimum of 2 weeks a year. There was one paid sickday a month, & unused ones could accumulate. One could take more paid sick days than that, but not with unused ones accumulating. Taking more than one sickday a fortnight meant a Drs Certificate was required, but still paid. There is a limit after which it’s unpaid sickleave but I can’t recall what that was. Also paid long service leave of 3 months after 10 years in the same job, then 3 months every 5 years after that. Unused long service leave can accumulate too. FWIU People on the newer award got 2 months instead of 3 months.
This is interesting, but we shouldn’t congratulate ourselves too hard. I worked in Germany (employed locally as a German would be, not as an expat) and much of continental Europe has it much better still. Way ahead of us in terms of hours per week worked, more generous annual leave entitlements, limitless (in theory) sick leave, and the first place in the world to ban contact by employers outside work hours.
Office jobs wise, the standard work week is 37.5 hours, and in terms of a break it's anywhere from 30 minutes as a minimum through to an hour (but you are encouraged to get up from your desk and stretch your legs every once in a while). This does vary though, I've had a job in the past where 40 hours per week was the norm, but we got an hour for lunch, where I've had other jobs where the 37.5 hour week was was the norm (work over that and you accrue what they call flex time, which you can use toward leave) and you can choose to have a half an hour break and leave half an hour early (start at 8:30am and leave at 4:30pm) or take the full hour and leave at 5pm.
"what?" is reserved for when someone says something stupid, offensive or they're pissing in your pocket. I usually say "come again" when I need something repeated, not sure how it translates to "can you repeat that", but it does.
There are definitely businesses and employers that will abuse workers and try skirt around rules. And while we can go to the Fair Work bureau if it’s bad enough, that is also fraught with issues such as losing your job and possibly ruining your reputation in an industry. The most common poor treatment by employers is making staff work unpaid hours by having them come in early or stay late but not registering it on the time sheet. Or for full time workers completely abusing the “time in lieu” clause but having you work additional, sometimes ridiculous hours, but never actually giving you that time off in return. And if you don’t clock in and out at your work and don’t keep a record of your hours, it’s impossible to prove any wrongdoing. So always keep a record! Some jobs will also give you your allowed days off but look down on you if you actually use them. Office culture is also leaning towards people never really taking breaks and eating lunch at their desk if they eat at all. And if you’re out the door at exactly 5 every day then your work ethic will be questioned. It’s a bit ridiculous sometimes but it very much depends on your employer and the culture of your workplace. A bad manager or boss makes things unbearable.
Lived here in Australia my whole life - never met any person who was called by a single letter/initial. Literally none. It seems to me that most people don't care how you greet them, and I don't think a handshake (no matter how firm) is necessarily formal at all.
It's encouraging to see that you and these other migrants had similar positive experiences despite working in different cities, companies and coming from different cultures.
38 vs 40 hours answer... Many businesses provide an optional benefit of an ADO/RDO (Accrued, Additional, or Rostered Day Off), to achieve this the worker works 8 hours/day but gets paid for 7.6 hours. 5 days x 7.6 hours = 38 ... this is where the 38 hour/week comes from. Over the course of 4 weeks all these 0.4 hours (difference between 7.6hrs paid & 8hrs worked) add up to an extra day that you've worked but not been paid for and you get that back in the form of an additional day off - 12 of them a year or one/month, sometimes forced on a particular day, sometimes at the employees request/discretion depending on the business needs. *although there are 13x4week periods in a year we also typically have 4 weeks holidays and you don't accrue these 0.4hrs/day while on leave Hope that helps.
In business a firm handshake is important, but it’s more between men than anything. It shows that you’re a solid and reliable person. Very common in finance and IT.
As some one who has worked in regional Australia for over a decade, diversty in the workplace is less than in urban areas. Hospitality in my area did not adhere to workplace fairwork practices, and a few tourism establishments and hotels have spawned cartel behavior. Can you believe they have no public transport from an International airport?! This is so Hotels and coach companies take advantage of this lack of infrastructure.
The reference to direct communication - I suspect it may relate to the audience of the video you are watching, where they are coming from. As an Australian that has worked with offshore teams, other countries can have very different work culture, eg hierarchy, not direct, and people get a little work culture shock when they start working with Australian teams.
The firm handshake is probably because this fella is Indian, and has met Australians in a business setting. Certain cultures give a very limp handshake (Sudan, Eritrea, India, Bangladesh etc...). Which makes sense because that's considered polite and non-threatening. I was always taught that a firm handshake and eye contact is a way of showing that you're up-front and honest. That said I'm half French, so a kiss on the cheek is sometimes my go to.
The preference is to use 'sorry' or 'pardon' if not understanding something, however 'what' is used, but would be far more common in a trade related setting than an office place. Or used amongst people you know in a social setting.
The 38 hour week position in Australia possibly differs depending on industry you are working in. I note a number of explanations here that are not wholly true for some areas I am familiar with. I have worked in the health sector as a Nurse and as a manager. Nursing shifts 24/7 are often 8 hours and 10 hours if at night and also in some roles are M-F 8 hours 08:30 - 17:00 with 30 mins unpaid lunch. The 38 hour week equivalent is usually working a 19 day per 4 week cycle. Therefore 8hours X 19 days = 152 hours so 3 weeks of 5 days and one week of 4 days. The extra day off is accrued hours sometimes referred to as an ADO (Accrued Day Off). My most recent experience is that nurses work much longer hours than this, both overtime and without pay. They deserve more.
In the company I work for we work a 37.5 hour week so 7.5 hours per day and we get 1 hour for lunch. Employees can take tea breaks or smoke breaks as they choose but are expected not to abuse. We get 4 weeks paid annual leave and 12 paid personal leave days per year e.g. sick leave, which is cumulative, so if you don’t use it in a year it adds to your balance and is carried forward. After 27 years with the same company I have 6 months paid personal leave available to me. Long service leave where I work is 8 weeks after 13 years of continuous service, then it works out to about 4-5 accrual days per year, which you can use freely. I am salaried so I am expected but not forced to work reasonable overtime when required, which I’ve decided for me is not more than 5 additional hours per week. If we are made redundant, our severance is 20 weeks pay. Superannuation is included at 12% of gross earnings and is paid by the company out of our total remuneration package. We all get a CPI increase each year of 2.5 to 3.5%, but bonuses aren’t guaranteed. I think most Aussie workers are generally paid well.
I work in early childhood education in NSW and a standard work shift is 8.5 hours, with an unpaid 30 minute break (we’re allowed to leave the premises). I also get a paid tea break which is 15 minutes
Handshakes have always been more common between men. If you’re male and don’t offer or receive a handshake you’d be seen as very rude. But for woman it’s not unusual not to shake hands, though it is seen as respectful and polite.
I live in Australia. One time I went to Hawaii and an old man started talking to me. I couldn't catch what he was saying and i said "Sorry?". He then said what do you have to be sorry for? Don't apologise when you've done nothing wrong. 😅😅
Foundational conditions are provided under the Fair Work Act, which applies nationally. Full time is 38 hours, which is usually worked as five days of 7.6 hours, with the remaining time between your start and end time being an unpaid break (plus mandated paid breaks of ten minutes for the first four hours and entitlement to a second break once you’ve worked five hours). Any hours over this must be paid as overtime, but your hours can be averaged over two, four or five weeks. The Fair Work Commission annually reviews both the minimum wage and pay rates under Awards. These describe the minimum conditions for each occupation or sector (eg nurses who are not under a specific Agreement fall under the Nurses Award, which provides a minimum of five weeks’ annual leave each year to compensate for shift work).
His perspective on speaking directly with the boss comes from his original country as most Asian countries workplace have a different hierarchy where they would never have the opportunity to liaise directly to superiors.
Not only do we get some sweet annual leave, but we are ENCOURAGED to take it by our managers, AND we actually get paid EXTRA to do so in the form of leave penalty rates!
I (native German) moved to Australia in 2008 thinking the English they taught me in school for 6 years would help at least. Not going to lie, the first couple weeks were a bit rough and I thought my English teachers taught me some other language by accident. 🤣 But the very inclusive work culture helped me adapt quickly and most people are very understanding and patient. 👍
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American citizen here ~ I went 10 years in the US with no days off, no vacation, no sick days. First time I got a weeks vacation, I left for Australia to meet a wonderful man and decided to stay. I am now a citizen and feel very fortunate to be here! I now understand that the employment situation in the US is VERY abusive. Would never move back :)
What the hell? That’s crazy!
Omg thats insane 🤪
10 years with no holidays
Welcome to Australia 😊
That is criminal! Here is Oz it's often the case where an employer will strongly suggest or even insist you use your holidays where they feel you have accrued too many.
I'm very glad that Australia saved you from the slave camp that is the American workforce.
@@deecee5922 To be fair, that's a financial decision because the employer accrues for your leave at your salary as you earn it and pay it out at your salary when you take it, so if you havea big lot of leave and get a pay increase, there's a gap that the employer has to pay out of the bottom line.
I'm an Australian, ALL of Australia's work hours and benefits were fought for by UNIONS, I repeat, ALL OF THEM. Employers are mostly okay and comply with the laws, but that is not always true so, check with the relevant union to find out if what you're getting, is fair and above board. And we have a government bureaucracy that is not generally political and has oversight of work places via the FAIR Work Ombudsman's office in each state, check their website it'll save you a lot of time.
Here in the states
union = communism
union = bad
yes!!!!
Shame no one wants a thing to do with unions anymore. Im only 27, so still relatively young in the workforce. Never actually witnessed all the good unions did but I am aware they did it.
Sooo many coworkers just shun the idea of a union and think they'll just be taking their money. Even the people younger than me think this.
At my last job, I'm 99% sure I was fired because I was actively talking to staff about starting a union lol
Absolutely
I wish I could say the same but working in VFX there are unfortunately no unions or worker protections, and we very much get exploited. Probably the exception rather than the rule however
Ive moved from the US to Aus and been here for 5 years, worked and have had 2 children here. Being here really opened my eyes to how bad I had it in america (im from Texas, and ask anyone from Texas they think where they are from is the best place on earth😅). Like the fact that I have ✨️free healthcare✨️ and had 2 children completely for free... alot of the older aussies conplain about the way Australia is going... and like any country Australia has its flaws... but my quality of life has only improved dramatically since being here and i feel very fortunate to be here ❤🦘
That's awesome. Glad you're happy here.
We are very fortunate to live in Australia that is for sure
@@emmadear3276
I think everyone complains about their country just what we do, but I still believe Australia is the best country in the world. My parents packed up the family 52 years ago and immigrated out to Australia from the UK and we never looked back. I travel to the USA every couple years, lots of friends over there including Dallas but don’t think I could ever live there permanently. Maybe a holiday home. But America is getting expensive and for the value of dollar in a lot of cases dearer than Australia.
Welcome to this great country of ours 👍🏻👍🏻
And the bugs and animals arn’t that bad
I remember when I was on a working holiday in the US (working in a cafe), we had to find someone to cover our shift if we needed a day off. If we couldn't find anyone, we couldn't take the day off. We had a list of staff names and phone numbers on the notice board in the break room for exactly that purpose. That was wild to me. Finding cover for our own shifts, and putting staff phone numbers on display for everyone to see. Both are not things in Australia. Firstly, finding coverage for absentees is the manager's job, and secondly, it is a breach of privacy to give out staff personal phone numbers to other employees.
such a good point! in the US it’s on the staff to find coverage
I have had this experience in Australia working for a high end fast food restaurant franchise. To be fair though they were shitty bosses in general anyway.
Whereas in Australia, the only person who can share your number with your colleagues is you. Your employer can’t - that’s breach of privacy.
America just didn't evolve, that's all.
What you described is exactly the work culture in Australia in the 80's.
My grandmother lived a six hour drive from us. The doctor's said she only had days left to live.
I asked my boss for two days off and his exact words were... she isn't dead yet and you are only entitled to a day off for the funeral.
I never saw my grandmother sadly.
I lived in a small country town and if I was to lose that job, it would of been impossible to find another.
Also, word would have gotten around that I took time off against my boss saying no, so i would of received a bad reputation.
All I am saying is.... Australia was exactly like America, just we evolved morw and they didn't.
My husband is a butcher and the American work culture is still very much alive in Australia. You're just fortunate enough to not have to experience it.
@@Hurricayne92 If you are working full time or part time your leave needs to be approved, but you accrue it regardless and it is a liability to the business so they are incentivised to find time for you to take your leave (or cash it out directly to you; either way benefits you). If you are casual, regardless of what they say you are legally permitted to refuse any shift for any reason.
I have had 2 American backpackers working on my property caring for the animals ,on a casual basis.They are paid $41.22 {casual rate hourly } $60.72 on a Saturday and $82.44 for Sundays hourly . They seem quite happy with that and want to extend their Visas. They also has free use of a cabin on the property, access to the pool and other facilities and usually eat with the family. I'm very pleased with theirdedication to the job, and the cheerful happy nature of both. they average 3 days a week which leaves them ample time to explore the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra South Coast beaches
when will you have a vacancy? :)
You're an amazing employer. Respect to you, sir.
Damn, even I wouldn't mind doing that despite not being a backpacker. Sound like a brilliant employer and a great job.
That’s awesome. Born and raised Aussie. If there’s one thing that is great for us to unwind, is a nice stroll near the rivers and sandy beaches.
Oh we are in the Shoalhaven and loads of travellers work down here too. Same conditions…
My take on Australian work culture is that the vast, vast majority of Australians work to live. That means that they go to work to fund their lifestyle, be that hanging out at cafe's, going bush in a 4WD or lazing on a beach. Many other places live to work. They struggle to get the basics so have to work longer and harder. In the US with such low salaries you may need to work 2 or 3 jobs just to survive. I definitely prefer our way of doing it.
Keep telling yourself that but it has not been the case for many years now. Australians live to work for a place to live due to housing scarcity caused by mass immigration. It literally takes 46 years to save the deposit with an average salary to buy the average house in Sydney. Stop living in the past.
@adamp3581 Sydney is a horrible reference point. It's the exception. The majority of Australian cities have affordable housing especially if you're a couple
The median dwelling price for Australia now sits at $807,110
The median dwelling price for our combined capital cities now sits at $891,639
The median dwelling price for our combined regional towns sits at $640,243
Good luck!
@@adamp3581
Annual leave?
Sick leave?
Public holidays?
Penalty rates?
Paid overtime?
Paid parental leave?
Long service leave?
Minimum wage?
Healthcare?
Life expectancy?
Safety?
Crime?
@@wino5086 The latest employment outlook from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that Australia has recorded one of the world’s biggest declines in real wages. Aka collapse in living standards.
Australia was one of 16 member countries whose real incomes have gone backwards since the end of 2019. It fell well below the OECD average of 3.5% real wage growth over the same period. Yet your rent just went up again. Health care is good but worsening. Elective surgery waitlists mean private hospital cover is a must. Many top surgeons won’t operate on public patients. Crime? Given that Australia was forced to enact its first carjacking law in 2016 due to it being a problem (that had never existed before), I’d say you’re on the wrong track there too.
Historically, Australia has always had a strong union movement. Its origins can be traced back to the goldfields in the 1850s. From the 1890s thru' to the late 1920s, workers won a whole raft of rights which we still enjoy today. In the USA, a stronger focus on capitalism led to big business and corporations successfully suppressing union demands. Culturally, this translates into 'look out for your mates' (Australia) and 'everyman for themselves' (USA).
- the "fact" that US employers CAN refuse their workers union rights - that is mindblowing, workers are not your slaves - not any more.
Before you keep going on the "Unions care for the little people" high horse, the union in Australia in the 80s just like America cut taxes on imported items which made them cheaper than locally produced items. The Union decided to send off most people's jobs to China. Australia's government has always been putting big businesses far above the demand of workers, so no, you don't have many rights in Australia today.
Unless you somehow think that first class filth like Dan Andrews and Anthony Albanese are the bees knees of human existence, you should be able to realize that Australia has one of the biggest employment and housing crises' in the world. America has it horrible too, but when Sydney is the second most expensive city to buy a house, and the whole country is at least one of the five most expensive countries in the world and the most expensive country for a visa, for a HUGE land with a SMALL population, you know that something is wrong.
Ironically, try whispering the word "union" anywhere near a mine site these days - the foundation of Aussie union in industry now totally unrepresented!
Why tax our natural resources to ensure future prosperity when I can simply work my arse to the bone for a few dollars more in the Blue Sky mine?
America is 'the land of opportunity', and Australia is 'a working man's paradise'.
that's a bit out of touch these days.. we still benefit from our forefathers but its become every man for themselves these days but the laws are in place and should offer some protections.. good luck testing them. our worker rights have been eroded and diminished since Howard first got elected and in WA people shake at the knees when the word 'union' is mentioned. its become more covert. I will also correct you on the history of our work conditions - which goes back to 1907 and the "Harvester Agreement' where a judge was tasked to create the basis for 'fair work' and 'fair pay' and 'fair working conditions' which he did. the government and employers didn't like it so they rolled a lot of them back but the outcome was that we still ended up with better working conditions than BEFORE the decision was handed down. Not as good as we should have got. As i recall - a it was all about the 'fair go' .. time for family (no work sundays), and time to go to church, and to be paid enough to feed an average family and cover expenses while still allowing for time to enjoy life.
You NAILED your pronounciation of 'Melbourne!'
Yes, most Americans pronounce it Mel-born with a stong RR
Yup. Noted that. Good work👍👍👍👍
I always say to try saying it as Bert Newton did. Malbun. Then work your way back..
Disagree. It's "Mel-bun", not "Mel-bin"
@@Ria-hx8nl it's actually not Mel-bun either. It's Mal-bin
Im an American who moved to Sydney a few years back. Where i work now is easily the best, healthiest, most relaxed work environment ive ever had in my 14 years in the work force. I couldnt imagine going back to the states and going to work.
Work to live mate - not live to work. Enjoy!
As a child growing up in Australia, two important courtesies were hammered into us. Never say “what” …..it’s I beg your pardon, or excuse me. And always put your knife and fork together, with the fork facing up when you have finished your meal, no matter where you are. This would show the waiter that you are finished. Oh, and definitely no elbows on the table!!😂
I can see my mother now "don't say what, say pardon" and I passed it down the line to my kids and theirs
@@ChuckyLad "Eh?" was acceptable in my household, but never "what?"
yer, but by "hammered" you mean repeated beatings? lol i got a crack on the elbows with a broom stick if they were ever on the table, kids these days got it easy.
What?
lol I was always just told children should be seen and not heard!!
Hi Ashleigh, whenever I went back to North America on visits, and caught up with family and friends in Canada and the United States, they would eventually ask what jobs and working in Australia is like. I would tell them about working conditions, wages, leave entitlements, working hours and so on. Much of the things covered in your reactions. I stopped doing that when I realised that my North American audiences thought I was gaslighting them.
What should be included in the work/life balance conversation is Australian health care. We in Australia don't go bankrupt because of a major health issue. Don't get me wrong. There are many great things I like about America. But health care ain't one of them.
yes so so true! no going bankrupt over medical bills in Aus which is amazing
@@coffeeenut the fact that you say .. that its amazing is .. kinda f*cked up .. just saying
Hello Ashleigh Fay of Ashleigh Fay Vlogs/@@coffeeenut, I like your videos!
so you telling them the truth about life in Australia was gaslighting to them?????? I'm a bit confused - Americans in the USA cant handle being told the truth???
@@bodybalanceU2 ohhh , now there's a tin of worms!!!
I an Australian male, when I meet another man, I will always shake their hand, if it’s a female that I don’t know I will just say “ nice to meet you” without any body contact. If it’s a male friend I will shake hands and a quick hug, if it’s a female friend I will kiss her cheek and a quick hug. That’s what my mother taught me growing up and everyone in my friends circle also do this.
I suspect I'm a bit older than you (I'm GenX) but whenever I am faced with a "hugs and kisses" type (those weirdos who embrace people on first meeting) I just tell 'em I'm one of the "socially awkward generation" that doesn't do hugs, and then just offer them a normal handshake.
Regarding Aussie slang; I am in my 50s and have lived in Australia since I was born. I still hear new slang words and phrases I have never heard of.
That's not necessarily Australian slang... it's YT/TikTok slang that the younguns have heard on the Interwebz.
@@OzVicBitternot necessarily 😅 when I was pregnant with my son 15.5yrs ago I heard someone ask me “are you up the duff?” My husband answered yes I was like huh? Didn’t know that she was asking me if I was pregnant. Never heard that term before. 😂Maybe cause both sets of my grandparents and dad were born in Italy and I never heard that term before cause I always learnt to speak Italian at home etc.. don’t know 🤷🏻♀️ I missed that Aussie slang. 😂😂😂 I think my hubby knew cause when he went to school he was surrounded by Aussies at school hardly any ethnic groups at his school and his parents were both born in Italy. When I went to school in a different suburb it was full of ethnic communities in the school hardly any Aussies. 😂😂
In my last job, in a hospital, there were many Indian nurses and doctors. They would celebrate Diwali - a Hindu festival of lights - every year and bring in all these wonderful dishes for everyone to eat. It was so lovely to be invited and included in their celebrations. And Indian food happens to be my favourite food!
Healthcare.
US spends almost 20% of GDP on Health Care yet doesn't have Universal access.
The rest of the developed world (including Australia, UK, Canada, New Zealand, most of Europe) spends around 10% or less, yet provides universal access.
Yet I hear some Americans critical of this, thinking their system is the best....
We have Haitians if you haven't noticed.
@@churblefurbles what does that even mean?
@@bodybalanceU2 Not sure but I think it's something about dogs and cats.
@@michaelmcclown5593 so just total BS then
@@churblefurbles (strange to use one particular nationality - to make this oint?? do they send all the MRI scanners bck to Haiti or something, or just the publicly funded milk formula?) while forgetting all the locally sourced ?? trash...)
The handshake is true in many offices settings when you first meet someone for a meeting, but that’s about it. After that it’s pretty casual.
Or for people who you see after a long time. And always a firm one. No dead fish handshakes
@@AvoidTheCadaverwhich you can give if you're fairly straightforward and honest. Backstabbing company men and middle managers can't fake a firm handshake, which is why we learn to judge a man on his handshake
The work place culture i beileve, originates in Australia from its inception as a convict colony. This follows through with a generally a more progressive and egalitarian attitude. The 888 movement was sucessful here first (8 hours work, 8 hours leisure, 8 hours rest). The Union movement was instrumental in this, even setting up a political party (ALP), which has succesfuily implemented the work place reforms, Superannuation, Medicare Health system and even the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). Sometimes, I feel that my American cousins live in a system where the corporations have won too often.
Americans had slavery, same treatment as convicts worked to death, probably a higher proportion of population too in the US. Convicts definitely did not organise for workers rights. 1776 Americans revolted, 1788 the surplus British started arriving here instead. Transportation had ended long before any industrial reform. It was Labour leaders who broke the unions, because they came out of the unions and knew how they worked. In the 70s strikes crippling the country were always on the news all the time. In 1983 Bob Hawke became PM, a former union leader and that was the end of it.
All those institutions are the work of both political parties, not only one
None of the institutions named were implemented by the Libs ,super ,Medicare and NDIS all labor
@@cruiser6260 workers rights and our freedoms, were a direct result of the colonial settlers, if you do your research you will see that not only were they fighting for human rights, they were also very much against capitalism. They believed 'it had been proven in the old countries that people get greedy and take all the wealth', so they wanted democracy but not capitalism. the convicts actually had a pretty good deal from what I can see (in Some ways - not necessarily living conditions but work conditions weren't too bad, and also at different stages of the colonisation period). IN Tasmania as an example, the free settlers would starving because they hadn't had time to do crops and so forth, while the convicts were being fed - the government took responsibility for feeding and clothing them because they were their 'assets' and the free workers building the new nation. Directly after the first and second fleet the convicts were reasonably well looked after. I'm proud to say due to DNA matching and access to more sources I descend from a first fleeter who married a second fleeter. So my first fleeter was emancipated in 1791 after spending four years on a hulk and three years in the colony. when he was emancipated he was given a 100 acres from the governor to farm, but also had to work for nothing at other duties, and could only work his own farm after hours. I don't think he minded too much except for the warring with the Aboriginal folk, he held onto the land until about 1816.
@@thevocalcrone if you're talking about groups of settlers to America, such as the Puritans they sometimes had their own political beliefs, went and did their own thing. Not so for the colonial settlers of Australia. The convicts had no say in anything. Neither did their overseers and soldiers. They all got flogged with a cat o nine tails for not doing what they're told including the soldiers. Their thoughts on philosophy and economy seemed to go as far as the next drink. since the 1808 Rum Rebellion where there was a coup of captain bligh only happened when he tried to stop them importing or making their own alcohol. Not stop the drinking, just keep the govt control of the monopoly. Governors were appointed by the king or queen and answered to the UK. That was their political system. Democracy was not a concept, it was all still monarchy. In the mid 19th century democracy began to emerge in Britain but of course that was only for the wealthy to vote anyway. No democracy in Australia until federation at start of 20th century and still only for big land owners.
If we are talking about the federation period late 19th C and early 20th c then political and economic philosophy does matter for sure. Remember that before that the only concept of workers rights was to put in jail or shoot anyone organising. Going absent from work was subject to the Bushrangers Act. They achieved tiny improvements for a lot of blood. Eureka Stockade was a miners rebellion where a bunch were shot around about when convict transport ended. 14 hr work days were normal for builders and farm workers. Trying to organise labour was a punishable crime, called treason or sedition.
But the whole federation period becoming independent had a lot of influence of Marxists and socialists. I'm not sure when exactly, maybe about 1910 the labour party held balance of power, not in power but had influence. They used that to expand the democracy. Not to everyone, but getting rid of needing to be a land owner for a start. By 1920s labour first won govt in full. That was all based on unions being allowed and strikes not being illegal. You are correct about some of them not wanting capitalism. They planned to bring in socialism via industry unions instead of trade unions. Heres the problem. There's nothing more capitalist than negotiating more money. They didn't go on strike just wanting the 8 hour day and other benefits, but always more wages too. If owners could use police and military to disperse picket lines and bring in other cheaper workers that often worked. Hence the communists going for industry unions instead of trade unions. All of this was responsible for the white Australia policy, to make sure the cheap labour couldn't be brought in. It wasn't about wanting everyone to have white skin. It was about not getting Chinese, indian and islander coolee labour.
All the people talking in this vid, the Indian man, French woman and American woman are in fact the cheap labour to keep the wages low and property high. They're thankful for the benefits that casual employees don't get anyway, but don't understand that excessive high immigration causes overall lowering of standard of living that way. Unless you're the employer and landlord of course, then it's great. What standard of living and housing crisis?
And you notice that industry unions ended in the 80s and union membership went steadily down since then. That was thanks to Bob Hawke of the ALP who came from the unions so knew how to break them.
Re convicts. What your ancestors didn't get to do was go home to see their native place and family. It sounds like he was an indentured servant not ticket of leave man, still needing to work for free after being effectively on house release. I live in tas and my town Fingal was built as a convict station. Right next to the river there are two small huts side by side. No bigger than a typical main bedroom. That was crammed with convicts who built the esk hwy with the mountain pass. Shackled to work maybe, I don't know. I understand many could do very well though with good behaviour and then being industrious and entrepreneurial.
@@cruiser6260 really loaded essay there.. i'll help you out. I actualyl have about five convicts in my tree.. arriving at varied times. One had a death sentence commuted ot the term of his natural life for rioting in the rebellions and is in fact recognised as having played a pivotal role in shaping modern unionism with about 10 other convicts (Salisbury Swing Rioters). One was most definitely a violent criminal from Scotland and 'recedivist' but i guess living in a bog hole in the ground (ex quarry) no employment and watching your mother starve to death and your father is dead might do that to a person. He was held in Tasmania and definitely had it tough. I could edumucate you on the down turn of unions. It started in the Pilbara with the Iron Ore companies (then Robe River) trying to break the unions back because of strikers in Tom Price. (I was working there at the time). What many don't know and I have to be careful with what i say becuase I guarantee you there would be noone prepared to stand up and be witness so 'it is my understanding that RRIA funded the LNP to ensure that Hawke/Keating were ousted so that they could bring in the new WPA. so it wasn't actually Hawke that stuffed that up.. it was during Howards time. by the time it was early 2000 the poison had spread to the goldfields (as predicted by the unions), and workplace conditions and wages were going down. Back to my ancestors (cos i'm pretty chuffed to have a first and second fleeter). in the early days of colonisation they were treated reasonably good (if they behaved themselves). the rabble were not. I'm currently researching it all otu of curiosity because my ancestor came out on the Scarborogh ..first trip was 'state of the art' .. but there was leadership changes in the UK and the colony by the time the next trip and the captain refused to transport convicts after that because the ships were overloaded and the convicts in poor health after years on hulks before they even left. in fact his departure was delayed because a couple of convicts were busy dying. I think it was the 'Alexandra' that was full of really deplorable criminals.. the hard core, murderous type ones and these are the ones that were involved in skirmishes with the locals - like going out and stealing their canoes to escape and violently attacking them and their women in the process. On the other hand poor old Jane Forbes .. arrested at 14, transported at 16, gave birth to a baby the same year (conceived on the journey over - fathered by a sailor) my ancestor also. Dead by 21, after giving birth to four children and falling into a fire.
Oh and your time in leu is because you do 40 hours instead of 38 so those 2 additional hours add up until you can take a day off 😊
As far as aI know, the 38 hour week equates to 5 week days of 7.6 hours each, plus an unpaid meal break of at least 30 mins after 5 hours of continuous work.
This is the general rule, however, work contracts may cover different hours, overnight, weekends, where penalty rates are applied - in favour of workers.
I don't think you can divorce the bits of Australian culture you don't like (tall poppy syndrome) from the bits you do (the more easy going work culture etc). I think they both come from same cultural attitudes around equality etc.
i think it’s completely fair to like some aspects of a culture and not like others
@@coffeeenutI agree that you can like and dislike various aspects but you still need to understand that both aspects probably derive from the same source and it would be difficult to seperate. As for the poppy syndrome, that has always been around someone bragging about what they have achieved. A quite achiever is much more respected than someone coming across as arrogant.
- that really is part of our "classless society" - you rub my nose in your "good fortune" (without sharing somewhat), there remains a peg or 2 to be removed... ha ha, ie, "get off your high horse" - could be a typical stated, or inferred sentiment. Amusing to dwell in the differences, good and bad..
Also American bosses love to cr@p on their "minimum wage" workers -- don't like it, quit there are 10000 more wetb@cks to fill your place - yes the classism is still rife (but you are free to leave).
Our egalitarianism requires we pull up those who fall, but that means we can't let anyone take too much for just themselves.
Conversion rates mean nothing. It’s relative to local economy
exactly!!
- yes and the "country tax" - ie. how much the multinationals are shielded to engage in extortion does affect affordability of many items (lowball to wipe out the wage competitiveness, then highball once an import monopoly is "secured"...Price wars, turning all of the west into "service only" industries - the good times may not last too much longer.).
I'm a conversion rate, according to my ex 😐
Does matter somewhat with online international purchases these days, which MAY wind up shipped from somewhere local, but it's purchased internationally.
Yes. She said that.
Where I work we have a cook up now and again, there's one this Friday actually. Where everyone takes food to work to share and because of all the international backpackers everyone tries food from all around the world, they're really good.
Your comment about not receiving overtime as a retail manager is common as most likely your on a salary and not a wage (theres a difference) so generally salaried employees would get time in lieu for any overtime worked which is the case throughout my hotel career as I was always on a salary so never got overtime either. Usually managers are offered salary and any front line staff are on a wage.
fair point!
Managers in Oz are a different beast than the bottom line worker. If not covered by an Award, they are often on negotiated contracts, and their responsibilities might involve longer hours, but they get paid for them.
@@davidstokes8441many managers are salaried and don't get paid for overtime don't generalise
@@JJ-vy2rh Overtime is a contentious issue. In my field, Local Government all overtime had to be approved by the supervisor prior to taking it, and yet there were times of emergency - floods, motor vehicle accidents, people lost in the desert where I or other community managers had to drop everything and address these issues, which often mean long hours for which we ere not paid.
IT person .. had a salaried position once .. ended up working 14 hour days .. don't do that again
Became a first time parent this year and had 14 weeks Parental Leave, plus an extra week over the Christmas/New Year period as the office shuts down. So effectively 15 weeks. Not too shabby since I'm a guy.
Job related, as shit employers here don't give out anywhere close to that. Too many still going with 2 weeks
What? Was that for your cesarian stiches to heal?
Yes on the handshake - more so for guys
The handshake thing is definitely true (especially for blokes). Not in a formal "I'll judge you if it's weak" way though, just "How ya goin mate" with a friendly shake.
Depends on the individual.
@@CuriousEnthusiast956 most Aussie blokes respect a friendly handshake when you first meet
@@k0mm4nd3r_k3n The good ones yes. But not with the bad ones, especially in the big cities when you have a far bigger population.
Definitely do judge a man by his handshake. It can't be faked.
If they crush your hand and call you 'champ', best to steer clear of the individual in the future!
In the APS (Australian Public Service) standard work hours would be 8:30 to 12:30 then 1:30 to 4:51 (or 5pm in some departments). But hardly anyone works that way, because we have flex time, where you just have to clock in 7 hr 21 min a day and if you work more than that, you build up flex time, which you can take later.
When you reach middle management, you get something else called TOIL, but that's slightly different.
It's a good system in my opinion. I'm not encouraged to work more than my standard hours, otherwise I build up a flex balance, which I'm entitled to take.
The APS is very hierarchical, but I can call a senior manager, say, John instead of Mr Smith. That's just how it is in Australia. We're not big on formalities like that.
The handshake thing varies but I feel like since covid, some people have gone funny about handshakes. It's not uncommon though.
After work drinks is not uncommon but again it varies. The teams I've worked in rarely do it because most people just want to go home after work.
When attending Australian conferences, it is normal for more formal (International) English be used in speech and written communications (presentions). That is abstanence from using slang. The further north you go the more work culture changes. For many years, I worked in the bush where you think first, prepare information, tools and instruments and then go out to finish do the job. High speed pressure to finish as soon possible can result in higher risk of not properly finishing the job.
OMG so this! Even applies in office settings I reckon. My job involves errrr, solving mysteries per se, and we have 1 office here in Brisbane, the other in Melbourne. My productivity is slightly lower, because I read through customer emails & cases carefully, take heaps of notes about what has been done/ what is to be done next & request ALL the information needed from the customer at the outset. Reading southern colleagues notes bloody infuriates me, they just shoot off an email "Oh it's under investigation" without setting customer expectations, or getting ALL the information needed. Bloody pisses me off, and cases take so much longer with the back & forth with a customer!
A lot of people have commented on the long history of unionism in Australia. There's also Australia's founding culture developing in the 19thC, a very different era to America's roots in the 17th and 18th centuries.
But also Australia for most of its history had labour shortages, which has given employees and unions more bargaining power than most countries. Recently shown during covid lockdown when even a two-year hiatus in immigration resulted in serious labour shortages especially on farms, but across the economy in sectors like hospitality and retail.
In fact going back to our origins, transportation of convicts to Australia was criticised in Britain as an incentive to crime because wages and lifestyle even for convicts were much better in Australia than for the British working class and transportation was free passage to better pay, savings, property, a healthier lifestyle and access to luxuries like tea, sugar and tobacco almost unobtainable for the British underclass.
Wow. You have opened the eyes of this Aussie. I never realised that saying "What?" in reply to another person is verboten, but you are right. We would only say that if we are in such a state of shock that social niceties have gone out the window and we are thinking " I can't believe what i just heard". Or if we were outraged. We would say it this way "What?!?!" When Aussies hear this word as a reply said in a normal voice, we feel we are dealing with someone who is stuck up and can't be bothered, with a F*** you attitude. Especially in retail this would be a complete turnoff in a customer/staff interaction.
The “what” is so accurate.
I’d accidentally do this as a child and be reprimanded for it. “What?” as a reply is usually seen as rude/confrontational here…
glad i’m not alone!
@@coffeeenutit definitely means more “what did you (disrespectfully) say?!” As in, how dare you say that, or I am challenging what you’ve said. We teach kids from when they’re young not to just say “what?” Even “sorry, what was that?” could come across the same way with the right inflection. But so could “pardon?” But “what was that” is acceptable with the right tone and expression.
My partner is American (I’m Australian and we live in Australia) and he really struggles to take days off unless he’s too sick to move. He works from home so he’s not infecting anyone but I have to keep reminding him that your body needs rest to heal!
Breaks: In Australia, breaks are typically around 30-45 minutes, contributing to the standard 38-hour workweek. If you're in a white-collar permanent role, most companies care more about your output than tracking hours. This can vary by industry but isn’t as influenced by state regulations.
Salaries: We've had a long period of strong unionisation and an egalitarian culture, which led to balanced wages. Unfortunately, this is being eroded by the influence of US cultural imports, leading to more wage disparity.
Communication: With high immigration, particularly from East and Central Asia, there are often clashes between the high-context communication styles common in those regions and our more direct approach. This video is aimed at helping bridge those differences for that audience.
Hierarchy: Just like with salaries, our egalitarian background shapes how we view hierarchy. While hierarchies exist, using hierarchical authority is seen as a much more aggressive management style here than in other countries.
Laidback: People often see us as laidback, but we do care-it's tied to our dignity culture, much like how we handle hierarchy. For lack of a better word, people can "lose face" by being seen as caring unnecessarily about something. It’s all about balancing a relaxed attitude with just the right amount of concern.
What: Saying "what" isn’t generally considered rude, but it depends on the context. Here, we tend to say "sorry" a lot more often, almost like the Japanese use "sumimasen"-it’s just a cultural thing to soften our interactions.
Drinks: Yep, we’re famously known for drinking a lot, sometimes problematically. This does vary by industry, though.
Wow. Really great reply. Thanks.
Best job I had was 12hr shifts 6am -6pm only 3 shifts per week ie Wed Thurs Fri for a full weeks pay!! 3days On 4 days OFF!! hows that for work/life balance :) Hardly anyone took sickies or even annual leave (6weeks + 3 days AL) because you didnt need to
oh wow! must’ve been nice
Where is that job? Are they hiring? lol
I work 7 days a fortnight 6*12 hours shift and one 8 hour shift on a rotating roster. I get 6 weeks of recreational leaves, 2 weeks of accrued time leaves, and 10 sick leaves in a year in Brisbane Queensland. I love my job.
My friends in US get only one week of leaves and 2 sick leaves a year. They hate it when i tell them about my work/life balance 😂.
@@Prince077AussieCome to sea we work 12 hours 28 days straight and then get 28 days paid leave at the end of every swing
9:16 one of my doctors insists on a firm handshake at the start of every visit. I just go with it 🤷🏻♀️. I was born in Australia but I’m disabled so I’ve never worked. I’ve often thought I’d be dead many times over if I had to pay for all my health care like in America
You wouldn’t be, you’d be on Medicare in the States.
Welcome to Australia Ashleigh, ive met many Americans here and all of them have been delightful and not dumb at all. Cheers!!
The "what?" does sound harsh and abrupt almost like saying "huh?" Usually we'd say "sorry what was that?" Or as you said just "sorry?"
Thanks for loving Australia
I know I wrote this on your last video but I was again surprised to hear how well you pronounce Melbourne!
Really enjoyed your video.
Glad to have a cat lady having a good time with us Aussies.
In australia i think it is more up to each company.
Most companies give you 7.5 hours each day 5 days a week which gives you 30 mins unpaid lunch and 15 minutes paid morning tea.
Some companies give you 8 hours each day, 5 days a week which gives you 30 minutes unpaid lunch and sometimes 2x 15 minute breaks for morning tea and afternoon tea.
When you work 10 hour days they sometimes give you 1 hour unpaid lunch and 2x 15 minute brakes.
When you work some factory job doing 12 hour shifts in extremely hot environments during summer, they give you a 30 minute or 1 hour lunch and multiple numerous spaced out 15 minute brakes. The fridge and freezer in the lunch room is stuffed with Water based Icy Poles to take as many as you need. Dairy Ice Creams are usually not a good idea and not supplied due to heat and curdling in ones stomach.
In winter they stock up on hot beverages.
It really depends on the company.
Unpaid lunch,haven’t had one in 35 years. Strong union.
@@DeepseaSteve Unions are good when they exist, but not always. Several over the years were useless and were far more trouble than they were worth and screwed their workers over so no one touched them and they disbanded.
@@DeepseaSteve just went over it again,
I think the unpaid lunches is a Casual Agency Worker thing. You get paid 7.5 hour days. That .5 was the lunch break.
Full time jobs pay lunch breaks. You get paid 8 hour days.
I think tea breaks are only if you are in a union and its strong. Most people just get a lunch break.
@@Reginaldesq No i think it is only Full Time Employment that pays for lunch break.
If you are a Casual Contractor for an Employment Agency, they do not cover Lunch.
I think there is a problem with the contracts and they deliberately knock off 30 minutes as a minimum to avoid Tax Break or Law or some other reason. It keeps everything just below a certain threshold. If it goes over that then Laws kick in and require more things to be included.
I am a public servant in NSW and our standard week is 35hpw. I work in payroll and we have had to push through a backpay from Feb in this weeks pay so I had to work all weekend, and to 10pm on Fri and Monday. All of those excess hours I can claim as overtime. I mentioned to my friend in Texas that I was working on weekend and getting paid overtime and she was shocked, almost envious. She works as an admissions officer at a University so they often are required to go to events on weekends and she doesn't get paid overtime for it. It seems if you are on an annual salary in USA you appear to give up entitlement to overtime as opposed to being on an hourly rate of pay. I am sure that is generalisation but I doubt I would have put in as many hrs as I did if I wasn't going to be paid for it.
Hi! (Aussie here, German Dad and Convict/ UK ancestors on my Mum's side!) My Mother taught my sister and I to say 'pardon', or 'I beg your pardon', and I taught my children!
I work in a school and we follow regulatory legislation to a 'T'! It's imperative that we all act with the highest professionalism in order to protect the students and promote positive learning, strong mental health, and child well-being. That said the students can express themselves safely, wear what they want and call us (the staff) by our first names. There's mutual respect encouraged and learned within our lovely school.
Someone I know recently returned from a teaching job in the US and he said that the staff follow laws and legislation in US schools but based on utter fear because the threat of being sued by parents is so real. Everything he did his boss reminded him of this, and he ended up leaving because it was so stressful. I'm not sure if this was just his experience or if this is normal?
German mum and convicts/UK/Irish ancestry on my dad’s side here!
@@suem7515 Ha, cool! I'm Irish as well, but thought my description was too long. John Keily (Kelly), my many times Great Grandfather, came to Australia as a convict with his Family aboard The Cambridge in 1827.
@@Lisselle. I did wonder if it was too long but with Dwyer as a maiden name (we lost the “O” on the ship over, apparently 🤣) I really couldn’t leave it out! We also have Tully and McLean in my dad’s family tree. My mum’s maiden name was Grimm (yes, as in the Brothers Grimm).
Do you work in a Steiner school perchance?
@@veggyking3024 Hey, no, I don't. But our school founders originally took what they thought was the best of Steiner and Montessori. It has evolved a lot since then.
The last company I used to work for, I would always address my E-mails to the CEO as, "To who it may concern", because by the time you pressed send, there could be somebody else warming that chair.
One of the big things growing up here is the encouragement to travel abroad and experience how other's live. Sometimes it shows you what could change and be better but most of the time it shows you how lucky we are to live in here. It's not perfect and there are many problems but we're still a lot better off than most and we can all learn to be kinder to each other.
Hey girl - welcome to Australia I hope you stay. We are very lucky in our country. Honestly we are better off in so many ways
The handshake tends to be a corporate/masculine type thing. For example if you worked in an office in the city & someone high up came from overseas or interstate there would likely be lots of handshakes. Also at weddings, when men are in formal attire they tend to shake hands when introduced to each other.
Us Aussie's are unique ppl. We love our own interpretation of the english language. I love our Multi cultures, mind you we have had issues with peoples acceptance and tolerance. In the workplace, yes I always greet with a handshake ( for someone new or new to me). We have a great worklife balance in Australia, well I do anyway. So glad your enjoying Australia Ashleigh.
Fascinating Ash - great video and all the very best 👍
thank you!
Kat here from Australia. Great video!! Was born here. I've found that handshakes are more a thing I've received from men rather then women for some reason (generally speaking but there are exceptions)
The 38 hour week is just that - two hours less than the 40 hour week. Many workplaces remain on an eight hour, five day work week and take a three day break every four weeks. Some of those workplaces allow workers to accrue those "extra" days off and add them to their annual leave - that means an extra two and half weeks leave (some of these workers just say they have 8.5/7.5/6.5 weeks leave depending on their base entitlement of 6 or 5 or the minimum 4 weeks annual leave).
This was interesting to hear your perspective...I did the opposite. I'm Australian and lived in the US (Los Angeles) for 5 years. I was lucky and didn't find the workplace culture to be too different...maybe some people took it a little too seriously and worked too long, but for my position as a video editor, we were well cared for and protected by our managers. I was also working at a startup style place with unlimited PTO which I loved as I didn't have to accrue paid time off. Hours were 9-6 which I didn't like at first but we had an 1 hour break (in Australia I only ever got 30min working 9-5) and most of us wouldn't start work till like 10am anyway cause the office culture was super casual 😂I feel like the most different thing is the "at will" employment where any party can terminate. However I feel like in some ways I prefer it to the 4 weeks notice you have to give/receive from an employer in Australia. Like, they're firing me, I don't want to continue working for them for the next 4 weeks!! I would do a crappy job if I knew I was being fired in 4 weeks lol
I'm curious what slang you struggled with? I feel like older people tend to use the traditional australian slang more than younger people (at least that's my experience anyway), and if you spoke to me you wouldn't hear it at all as I'm not a fan of it lol 😂
Very interesting vid! Thanks for sharing 🙂 - Andy, Melbourne.
Love hearing what people think about my country.
In Australia minimum wage for full time employee is approximately $21 per hour plus 50% loading on overtime, plus 50% loading working Saturdays and 100% loading working Sundays or public holidays plus employer must pay an additional 12% of an employees gross wages into the employees superannuation fund (pension fund) plus 5 days sick pay plus 20 days paid annual leave plus 10 days paid public holidays plus 17.5% extra pay on holiday pay.
The current 2024 Australian minium wage is $24.10 per hour. The employer also has to contribute an additional 11.5% to the employee's retirement pension fund know as superannuation in Australia
$24.10 is the current minimum wage
@@vanessamather7858for those over 21. Those under 21 are exploited.
17.5% is only for shift workers (as far as I am aware) to compensate for no shift loading on annual leave. Also some industries no longer have weekend penalty rates. Also many places only use subcontractors so they can get around the rules. Just pointing out that conditions can vary a lot.
Funny watching this as an Aussie working in an office in Thailand. All the same benefits, plus more (free meals, transport, health insurance). Salary is 30-50% lower. But the cost of living is 70-80% lower. So you come out on top every way.
I was a train driver (that's railroad engineer to you) in NSW and WA from 1979 to 2019 and in around 1990 I investigated going to work in the US. I was quite taken with the size of American trains, the various liveries the locos wore, the scenery like Donner Pass and the Keddie Wye, etc., so much more interesting than ours but that didn't pan out. FF to around five years ago (about the time I retired) and I joined a FB group for rail employees. It has people from all over but the vast majority are American and the way they talk, their jobs sound like absolute hell. Constant furloughing (I'd never heard of the concept and had to ask what it was) where you might be laid off for a year or two, you must have another job or previous skill you can earn a living from until the railroad (Union Pacific, BNSF, etc.) calls to say they need you. They ask things like 'what's a good brand of boots to buy' and I always reply with 'The ones your employer gives you' knowing they don't. I never had to provide anything I needed for work. Honestly, I'm so glad that getting a job over there proved to be very difficult because I had the best job ever. Five weeks per year annual leave, superannuation (I retired with $1.3m), for the last 10 years of my career I worked 14 days on, 14 days off still with 5 weeks annual leave. Also long sevice leave. Once in 2009, I took 7 months off with full pay. They also talk about railroad retirement as if it's different to everyone else's. I asked, and it is way better so God knows what the rest of society gets. Probably not very much. They're always asking about how to access it, saying they can never get hold of anyone in that office. Getting access to my money took all of one phone call and filling out a form they sent me. I did 30 years in my first job which gave me and my wife unlimited free travel by all government services in NSW for life. We even get interstate travel at a reduced rate. Last year, we rode the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide for half price. In my last 10 years, I did fly in - fly out in WA for one of the iron ore companies. I live in Newcastle and all flights were paid for by the company and I quickly rose to Platinum level with Qantas. I've used my points to pay for flights all over the place including our trip to Alaska next year (will be forth time in US and third time in Canada). We get access to all One World premium lounges world wide and have been in the Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai (it will blow your mind) three times. All at no cost to me, courtesy of my employer. I racked up enough status credits to get Lifetime Gold so the lounge access and priority boarding, etc. will continue even though I'm retired and no longer flying more than occasionally. I can't imagine any American railroad engineer getting any of that.
We are indeed the lucky country. We need to remember Paul Keatings contribution that moved us all to Super and put us in similar retirement positions to you. This is the "easy" country, but we certainly are the Lucky ones.
As a native aussie, I almost expect that any place I work at will have significant diversity. My first job out of uni was with a small startup of about 15 people {which later grew to about 40). There were 4 Australians in the whole company, me and 3 others. The rest were Irish, Russian, South African, Georgian, Swedish.
In my current company, there are 7 native Australians in my office, out of about 50 people with the rest being Chinese, Filipino, British, Japanese, Indonesian, Indian, Turkish, Dutch, Irish, Burmese, Thai, middle eastern, African, (don't really know specifically so just lumping them altogether), Hungarian. Including our R&D department and production, that grows to include German, Malaysian, Swedish, Sri Lankan, Swiss, Italian, Russian, Korean, new Zealand, Vietnamese, Polish, Romanian. Pretty much every continent south America is represented (only because the last of them left the company earlier in the year)
We used to have Finnish, Brazilian, Colombian, US, Singaporean, as well but they have since left.
If anything those born in Australia like myself are actually in the minority
Indians are notorious for shutting out other races in favor of their own when they get a foothold in management. This is also happening in Canada.
I started work in retail in QLD back in 1980 & was in retail/service for over 30 years until I had to stop work due to illness. In that time the face of retail work completely changed. It used to be full time jobs were the norm & casual jobs were available, but not the usual. In the 80s that began to change so that casual positions took over. Often the managers are the only full time staff. So, less security for employees, no sick leave, holiday pay, etc. Not great for older workers with families where retail jobs are the main source of income. I remember my friend who was a manager explained to me that it was in her contract that she got a set annual income & would not receive overtime no matter how many extra hours she had to work. Her pay rate compared to what I was on, working on average 30 hours p/w for the same company, I didn't think it was worth all the extra issues she had to deal with. At least back then we had all the additional holiday pay rates etc in place. Were the ones that were abolished or reduced under the last govt put back in place? Retail has always had the weakest union representation.
Honestly, as someone with employment law experience the first video you watched really confuses a number of issues especially about where you get help and how the regulatory framework operates. Fair Work Australia is not what the video thinks it is. Googling FWA will actually take you to a private law firm that will charge you for advice...what you wanted was the Fair Work Commission (a tribunal) and the Fair Work Ombudsman (someone you can call for information/ assistance in enforcing your rights). Only reason I mention this is that visa holders are often some of the most exploited workers in Australia and least likely to know where to get support.
good to know! thank you
@@coffeeenut The Fair Work Commission was known as Fair Work Australia when it was established in 2009 (replacing the Industrial Relations Commission). Even though the name change was 10 years ago, many, perhaps even most, people still use its original name.
Oh, I don't think you will ever leave. 😊 The work culture here is so much better. Actually, life in general is better. I love the lack of hierarchy and hustle culture when compared to the US and Europe.
Well, slavery WAS a thing in the US, and only used in the Australia's Queensland cane fields in the 19th and 20th centuries, so more localised. There was a big movement early in the 20th century in Australia for a 5 day week, too.
Usually a 7.15hrs a day - 2 x 10min breaks - 30mins - 1hr lunch
This is in an office job
Plus in Australia we get
4 weeks leave a year
Superannuation
The new minimum wage per hour is $24.10 on weekdays for Full-timers. Weekend rates are higher too, but personally, I prefer to work casual cuz it’s fewer hours of work and more $ for me. More time for my family too.
Which is offset by no sick leave and no annual leave. So you need to pick which one best suits
@@qfjoeqfjoe - Those benefits are included as wage. (technically - though some industries with high casual numbers do have shifty bosses.)
Casual minimum rate is now $30.25 plus Superannuation for ALL WORKERS (25% plus 10% into Super - for regular folk 20 days sick and another 20-25 days holiday is 17% of the year -add 14% holiday loading - total benefit (if taking all sick pay / leave) is~16.5%, NB, in many industries if you are taking all your sick leave, you may be deemed "not a good fit" - it is regarded as "for emergencies" not fishing trips - bike-riders are excused as they break bones all the time... - skiiers, once a lifetime is ok)
Casual people naturally often work less hours - or have a second more regular job, possibly with unsocial hours (otherwise they would be part or full time, the pay office doesn't see it as a great thing to rely on casuals all the time..)
38 hour week.
Every 4th week you get on RDO or LDO
Rostered day off or Liesure Day of based on a 8 hour day, 5 day Monday - Friday.
Or if you agreed with your Supervior you could work it as time in lieu or 8 hours as overtime
The weekly hours of work in Australia gradually changed from 40 to 38 in the 1980s. It used to be the case that there was a mix of State and National awards covering private sector workers. These days, State awards only cover State public service employees and maybe a very small number of State government business enterprises. So, there is a great deal of uniformity in working conditions across Australia. 38 Hour week. Minimum 4 weeks annual leave. Usually about 20 days sick/personal leave. Plus 12 days public holidays.
Great to see your vlog Ashleigh
thank you!
A 38 hour work week is standard in Australia. It can be done in various ways I used to work for 9 1/2 hours shifts a week which was brilliant however most people work 5 days a week 7.6 hours shifts.
The 38 hour week was thanks to the unions in Melbourne and then was taken up by other countries around the world. There is a monument in the city dedicated to this.
In Australia, while 38 hours a week is often quoted, most full-time employees actually work and are contracted for (and paid for) 37.5 hours per week. This equates to 7.5 hours per day. For those working a 9-5 schedule, this typically includes an unpaid half-hour lunch break and two paid 15-minute breaks. So yeah, we don't get a paid lunch break, hence the 7.5hr instead of 8hr day x 5 days a week...
I worked for a trade union as a membership officer… and we worked a 35hr week,mover a 9 day period. So we had a paid Rostered Day Off every two weeks. It was great for scheduling medical appointments, or going to the movies during the day, or shopping etc.
The reality for work hours depends on your work. I get paid a salary and my contract hours are 35 hours per week. I work Flex Time and I can carry my hours up to 40 hours extra each month. So that is 48 hours a week.
I always work far more than that and lose extra hours every month. I am pretty certain every single one of my colleagues do the same. However I can take up to 5 days extra over my holidays from my accumulated flex hours each year plus a flex day or 2 each month (that usually doesn’t happen).
Most jobs I’ve had in Oz (except when I had flexitime in the public service) were 1.5x rate for the 1st 2 hours overtime, then 2x times after that each day. In exchange for getting a minimum of 4 hours overtime earning 7 hours pay, up to 20 mins overtime was unpaid (shiftwork when someone in the following shift is late), but in exchange even if I do just 30mins overtime I get the full 7 hours pay. Saturday was at 1.5 rate all day, while sunday was double time (2x). Working on a public holidays meant double time plus getting an extra day added onto annual leave. Being shift work we got 5 weeks annual leave at a minimum. Unused annual leave could accumulate, but one had to take a minimum of 2 weeks a year. There was one paid sickday a month, & unused ones could accumulate. One could take more paid sick days than that, but not with unused ones accumulating. Taking more than one sickday a fortnight meant a Drs Certificate was required, but still paid. There is a limit after which it’s unpaid sickleave but I can’t recall what that was. Also paid long service leave of 3 months after 10 years in the same job, then 3 months every 5 years after that. Unused long service leave can accumulate too. FWIU People on the newer award got 2 months instead of 3 months.
You forgot about home cuisine days where everyone brings in a sample of their cultural food for everyone to try. NSW in Oz 🇦🇺
This is interesting, but we shouldn’t congratulate ourselves too hard. I worked in Germany (employed locally as a German would be, not as an expat) and much of continental Europe has it much better still. Way ahead of us in terms of hours per week worked, more generous annual leave entitlements, limitless (in theory) sick leave, and the first place in the world to ban contact by employers outside work hours.
Office jobs wise, the standard work week is 37.5 hours, and in terms of a break it's anywhere from 30 minutes as a minimum through to an hour (but you are encouraged to get up from your desk and stretch your legs every once in a while). This does vary though, I've had a job in the past where 40 hours per week was the norm, but we got an hour for lunch, where I've had other jobs where the 37.5 hour week was was the norm (work over that and you accrue what they call flex time, which you can use toward leave) and you can choose to have a half an hour break and leave half an hour early (start at 8:30am and leave at 4:30pm) or take the full hour and leave at 5pm.
"what?" is reserved for when someone says something stupid, offensive or they're pissing in your pocket. I usually say "come again" when I need something repeated, not sure how it translates to "can you repeat that", but it does.
There are definitely businesses and employers that will abuse workers and try skirt around rules. And while we can go to the Fair Work bureau if it’s bad enough, that is also fraught with issues such as losing your job and possibly ruining your reputation in an industry.
The most common poor treatment by employers is making staff work unpaid hours by having them come in early or stay late but not registering it on the time sheet. Or for full time workers completely abusing the “time in lieu” clause but having you work additional, sometimes ridiculous hours, but never actually giving you that time off in return. And if you don’t clock in and out at your work and don’t keep a record of your hours, it’s impossible to prove any wrongdoing. So always keep a record!
Some jobs will also give you your allowed days off but look down on you if you actually use them. Office culture is also leaning towards people never really taking breaks and eating lunch at their desk if they eat at all. And if you’re out the door at exactly 5 every day then your work ethic will be questioned. It’s a bit ridiculous sometimes but it very much depends on your employer and the culture of your workplace. A bad manager or boss makes things unbearable.
Lived here in Australia my whole life - never met any person who was called by a single letter/initial. Literally none.
It seems to me that most people don't care how you greet them, and I don't think a handshake (no matter how firm) is necessarily formal at all.
having been to the US a few times, the one thing that stood out was as soon as i speak the reaction was wow your Australian
It's encouraging to see that you and these other migrants had similar positive experiences despite working in different cities, companies and coming from different cultures.
38 vs 40 hours answer...
Many businesses provide an optional benefit of an ADO/RDO (Accrued, Additional, or Rostered Day Off), to achieve this the worker works 8 hours/day but gets paid for 7.6 hours.
5 days x 7.6 hours = 38 ... this is where the 38 hour/week comes from.
Over the course of 4 weeks all these 0.4 hours (difference between 7.6hrs paid & 8hrs worked) add up to an extra day that you've worked but not been paid for and you get that back in the form of an additional day off - 12 of them a year or one/month, sometimes forced on a particular day, sometimes at the employees request/discretion depending on the business needs.
*although there are 13x4week periods in a year we also typically have 4 weeks holidays and you don't accrue these 0.4hrs/day while on leave
Hope that helps.
In business a firm handshake is important, but it’s more between men than anything. It shows that you’re a solid and reliable person. Very common in finance and IT.
38 hours generally was Mon - Thurs 8hrs
Friday was 6 hours. Lunch is 30min with a 10-15min break per 8 hr shift.
As some one who has worked in regional Australia for over a decade, diversty in the workplace is less than in urban areas. Hospitality in my area did not adhere to workplace fairwork practices, and a few tourism establishments and hotels have spawned cartel behavior. Can you believe they have no public transport from an International airport?! This is so Hotels and coach companies take advantage of this lack of infrastructure.
The reference to direct communication - I suspect it may relate to the audience of the video you are watching, where they are coming from. As an Australian that has worked with offshore teams, other countries can have very different work culture, eg hierarchy, not direct, and people get a little work culture shock when they start working with Australian teams.
The firm handshake is probably because this fella is Indian, and has met Australians in a business setting.
Certain cultures give a very limp handshake (Sudan, Eritrea, India, Bangladesh etc...). Which makes sense because that's considered polite and non-threatening.
I was always taught that a firm handshake and eye contact is a way of showing that you're up-front and honest.
That said I'm half French, so a kiss on the cheek is sometimes my go to.
The preference is to use 'sorry' or 'pardon' if not understanding something, however 'what' is used, but would be far more common in a trade related setting than an office place. Or used amongst people you know in a social setting.
interesting! thank you
The 38 hour week position in Australia possibly differs depending on industry you are working in. I note a number of explanations here that are not wholly true for some areas I am familiar with.
I have worked in the health sector as a Nurse and as a manager. Nursing shifts 24/7 are often 8 hours and 10 hours if at night and also in some roles are M-F 8 hours 08:30 - 17:00 with 30 mins unpaid lunch. The 38 hour week equivalent is usually working a 19 day per 4 week cycle. Therefore 8hours X 19 days = 152 hours so 3 weeks of 5 days and one week of 4 days. The extra day off is accrued hours sometimes referred to as an ADO (Accrued Day Off). My most recent experience is that nurses work much longer hours than this, both overtime and without pay.
They deserve more.
Just join the union and for about $10 aweek you have back up to make sure you're getting paid properly.
In the company I work for we work a 37.5 hour week so 7.5 hours per day and we get 1 hour for lunch. Employees can take tea breaks or smoke breaks as they choose but are expected not to abuse. We get 4 weeks paid annual leave and 12 paid personal leave days per year e.g. sick leave, which is cumulative, so if you don’t use it in a year it adds to your balance and is carried forward. After 27 years with the same company I have 6 months paid personal leave available to me. Long service leave where I work is 8 weeks after 13 years of continuous service, then it works out to about 4-5 accrual days per year, which you can use freely. I am salaried so I am expected but not forced to work reasonable overtime when required, which I’ve decided for me is not more than 5 additional hours per week. If we are made redundant, our severance is 20 weeks pay. Superannuation is included at 12% of gross earnings and is paid by the company out of our total remuneration package. We all get a CPI increase each year of 2.5 to 3.5%, but bonuses aren’t guaranteed. I think most Aussie workers are generally paid well.
Yes, i shd change my habit of saying what, use sorry or pardon instead. Thanks Ashley, i lived in LA US for 15 yrs , so picked up some US habits
I work in early childhood education in NSW and a standard work shift is 8.5 hours, with an unpaid 30 minute break (we’re allowed to leave the premises). I also get a paid tea break which is 15 minutes
We have work beers every friday, we run a "beer club" to fund it and we just have beers and yarn for a couple of hours
Usually a 38 hour week is actually 40 and the left over goes to an RDO ( registered day off) once a month that you’re paid for.
Handshakes not so common since Covid
They are coming back :)
Handshakes have always been more common between men. If you’re male and don’t offer or receive a handshake you’d be seen as very rude. But for woman it’s not unusual not to shake hands, though it is seen as respectful and polite.
I live in Australia. One time I went to Hawaii and an old man started talking to me. I couldn't catch what he was saying and i said "Sorry?". He then said what do you have to be sorry for? Don't apologise when you've done nothing wrong. 😅😅
Foundational conditions are provided under the Fair Work Act, which applies nationally. Full time is 38 hours, which is usually worked as five days of 7.6 hours, with the remaining time between your start and end time being an unpaid break (plus mandated paid breaks of ten minutes for the first four hours and entitlement to a second break once you’ve worked five hours). Any hours over this must be paid as overtime, but your hours can be averaged over two, four or five weeks.
The Fair Work Commission annually reviews both the minimum wage and pay rates under Awards. These describe the minimum conditions for each occupation or sector (eg nurses who are not under a specific Agreement fall under the Nurses Award, which provides a minimum of five weeks’ annual leave each year to compensate for shift work).
I’m gen x Australian, and a bit old fashioned if I’m honest, but I do judge a handshake, especially when meeting people professionally
His perspective on speaking directly with the boss comes from his original country as most Asian countries workplace have a different hierarchy where they would never have the opportunity to liaise directly to superiors.
Not only do we get some sweet annual leave, but we are ENCOURAGED to take it by our managers, AND we actually get paid EXTRA to do so in the form of leave penalty rates!
I (native German) moved to Australia in 2008 thinking the English they taught me in school for 6 years would help at least. Not going to lie, the first couple weeks were a bit rough and I thought my English teachers taught me some other language by accident. 🤣 But the very inclusive work culture helped me adapt quickly and most people are very understanding and patient. 👍