Half of all full time employees ‘donating’ free hours of work to employers every week
The most comprehensive study ever undertaken of the modern Australian workplace has found that more than half of all full time employees are doing unpaid overtime each week.
Australia at Work – a five year longitudinal study of 8,343 employees, carried out by Sydney University’s Workplace Research Centre – also finds that fewer full time workers are doing a standard working week than at any time in the last five years.
Unions NSW has released the research to coincide with today’s Go Home on Time Day.
“Effectively, half of all full time workers are donating their labour to their employer each week, so today, we’re encouraging them to regain their personal life and clock off on time,” Unions NSW Secretary, Mark Lennon said.
“Unpaid overtime pervades our workplaces, communities and families, intruding on personal relationships and damaging wellbeing.
“Go Home on Time Day is a great opportunity to win back the most precious resource any of us have, time. All employees should be entitled to a decent work/life balance.”
Australia at Work finds that almost one in four workers (24.6 per cent) work in excess of 50 hours per week, with a further 26.1 percent working between 41 and 49 hours per week.
The groundbreaking research shatters myths peddled by the business community and the federal Opposition that the Fair Work Act is an impost on employers.
“For months, the Coalition and the business community have been complaining about the Fair Work Act, ignoring the experience of millions of Australians who toil away doing unpaid and antisocial hours every week,” Unions NSW Secretary Mark Lennon said.
“Anyone saying the pendulum has swung too far in favour of employees needs a grip on reality.”
Australia at Work also finds a significant problem of under-utilisation of part time employees.
According to the study one in five part time employees (20.6%) would prefer to work more hours.
“The fact that full time employees are overworked and part time employees are underworked shows that managers are getting the balance of hours wrong,” Mr. Lennon said.
“The only effective way to combat the imbalance is through having an active union in the workplace to advocate for the interests of all employees.”
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