This article explores the differences in work culture between Australia and other countries around the world, focusing on working hours, lunch breaks, and the overall approach to work.
While our morning coffee run or lunch break is often a regular part of our day-to-day work, not everyone around the world has it like Australians. Australian workplaces can feature plenty of laughs, egalitarian ideals and a good work-life balance and our approach to work is generally considered 'laid-back'.
But how does our work culture compare to the rest of the world? In Australia, we work on average between 32 and 40 hours a week with the working week officially capped at 38 hours (not including any overtime). However, compared to our Asian neighbours, we've got it quite easy. Herman Tse is a professor in leadership and organisational behaviour at Monash Business School. He says that while we might be at our workplaces eight hours a day, Australians usually work less as we're quite given to having regular short breaks. 'Compare this with Asian countries where the hours are much longer with fewer coffee breaks,' he told SBS News. In China, employees work from anywhere between 40 and 46 hours each week. In India, 48 hours a week is mandated and working a six-day week is common. South Korea has a limit of 52 hours including regular work plus overtime. In the UK and the EU, average work hours can't exceed more than 48 hours a week, although in the latter, the average working week is closer to 36 hours. Australian workers take their lunch breaks seriously. 'The lunch break culture is more to relax and take time to enjoy lunch with colleagues,' Tse said. 'In Australia, you can really take the time off, it's your time to relax. You need to relax so that when you come back, you feel more energised to continue to do what you have to do.' But some lunch breaks across the world are even longer. Some workers in Spain and Greece enjoy the luxury of a three-hour siesta between 2pm and 5pm that includes a long lunch and a snooze before returning to work in the evenin
WORK CULTURE WORKING HOURS LUNCH BREAKS AUSTRALIA GLOBAL COMPARISON
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