A Christmas gift for the navy
If Australia were as laid back as is commonly supposed, you would think it entirely natural that much of its navy will be placed on two months paid leave at the height of the southern summer. Why head to sea when you can head to the beach? Why get shipshape when you can slip, slap, slop?
But the spirit-of-the-season decision of the Defence Department to institute a partial yuletide shut-down has launched the most unlaid back of rows. Responding to the headline, "Navy Closes for Christmas", the opposition defence spokesman, David Johnston, said he was "flabbergasted". Defence Secretary Joel Fitzgibbon said it was a family-friendly initiative - enemy-friendly, as well, the critics would say - that was "just a way of saying thank you and encouraging them to stay in the service".
It recalls the row earlier in the year when the man at the helm of the Australian economy, the Treasury's most powerful civil servant, Ken Henry, took nearly five weeks leave to care for endangered wombats. Given the controversy, you would have thought he had embarked on a hunting expedition rather than a mercy mission.
Why all this fuss about annual leave and holidays? Perhaps it has something to do with Australia being one of the hardest working countries in the world.
Admittedly, the figures are a little stale, but when the OECD conducted a comparative study of international working habits in 2002, it found that only five countries worked harder than Australia (Korea, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Greece and Mexico). New Zealand came next, by the way.
An Australian study of the same vintage showed that the country harboured the greatest proportion of its workforce working in excess of 50 hours a week in the OECD. As the unions noted at the time, 31% of the full-time Australian workforce worked in excess of 48 hours a week. Put another way, if Australia joined the European Union - and there's a thought - almost of third of its full-time workforce would be in violation of European working time directives.
Australia doesn't do any better on mandatory paid maternity or paternity leave either. It is one of only two OECD countries that does not have paid maternity leave (the other is the US).
Is that another product perhaps of the deeply engrained work ethic, which finds expression in the national anthem, Advance Australia Fair. "We've golden soil and wealth for toil....Beneath our Radiant Southern Cross, we'll toil with hearts and hands". An awful lot of toil, no?
So the summer holidays are almost upon us. Time for a well-earned rest.
PS: Some particularly strong comments on the prospects for a black Australian prime minister or president. Among them, SydneyKate and mbrad102, who said the fair comparison should be with native-Americans rather than African-Americans, who make up a far bigger proportion of the population. True, the record in the US is not great. But America has had a vice-president with native American ancestry, Charles Curtis, who served under Herbert Hoover. More recently, Ben Nighthorse Campbell served in the US Senate, a far more powerful body that its Australian equivalent.
PPS: Loved your film lists. I'm still working through all the titles (saw Unfinished Sky the other night, which I thought was great). Did anyone see the comments of Anthony Ginnane, the new president of the Screen Producers Association of Australia? He said that Australian films are "in the main, dark depressing bleak pieces that are the cultural equivalent of ethnic cleansing". Bit strong, perhaps, but does he have a point? Comments please.
I'm 
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Problem with these 'hardest-working' surveys is they mistake Hours Worked for Productivity. From my years of working in Oz there were a lot of people putting in long hours but only doing a normal days work as you had to do it for appearance sake. No leaving before the boss and all that. There's also a lot of unnecessary red-tape, paper-work and bureauracy to deal with that fills in your hours but doesn't actually achieve anything. And no, that's not a sledge, just an observation.
There's a very strong conservative, even puritanical streak that runs through Aussie society which values hard manual labour and self-suffiency highly (this is one trait that places Australia culturally closer to America than the UK). It's part of the Bloke Culture too, the image of the self-made man, heroically battling away to build his own off the sweat of his own brow. Work Hard, Play Hard, and all that. Anyone who is seen to be riding on the efforts of others, not pulling their weight, getting it easy compared to your own lot is a 'bludger' who's likely to cop a mouthfull.
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And if your doctor, firemen, police, and EMTs felt the same way?
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Doing any job outdoors in this country (well in Qld anyway) IS hard work. Measured in terms of physical expenditure, I reckon your average grounds keeper, tadey or farmer etc works very hard here, there's no other way.
Indoors it's another matter - the Aussie office workers, and retail people I've come across don't seem particulary hard working or productive. The laid back approach to life appears to extend into customer service, driving standards and office productivity.
Takes a bit of getting used to, but I'm trying.
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Having worked in many countries especially Australia, and being Australian myself I can certainly say that Australians do indeed work very hard and also efficiently. The decision to shut down a whole country's defense force is probably unique to a country like Australia. Australia is a huge, mainly sparsely populated and in reality impossible to defend. A country the size of America and Russia with a navy less than one tenth of the size...
In today's world with Indian warships sinking Somali pirates and lunatics flying planes into buildings, surely common sense would make any rational person pause before sending an entire branch of the military off on two months vacation (more holidays than non-military Australians receive). Having said that though, if pirates or terrorists landed in their boat somewhere around Wepia in Queensland, they would probably get bored, turn around and go home.
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Having working in New York, London and Sydney, I agree that Australian working practices have more in common with the US than they do the UK. The UK culture of going to the pub on a Friday afternoon in the summer and having a few drinks, is almost non-existent in Australia, wheras the kind of "don't leave until your boss does" US attitude is very prevalent in Sydney. I agree with odysseus_nz in this respect, I find that I was actually much more productive in the UK, knowing that I would be able to wind down on a Friday, and have most weekends free. To be honest the Australian style of working seems to be more suited to Asians, who have the hunger, the work ethic and the proximity to Australia all in their favour.
Having said that, I have worked in Sydney for 5 years in Aus and have only worked in Melbourne for a couple of months. Melbourne appears to be somewhat closer to the Aussie sterotype than Sydney, in that people are generally more friendly and work isn't taken so seriously.
I work for a global invesment bank in Sydney, and can honestly say that the work / life balance at my firm is all about work and not much life. It's not uncommon for me to work a 60 hour week, and each year I put in at least a couple of 80 hour weeks.
Of course, the up-side to living in Aus is that when you do get some time off, you can go down to the beach or to one of the beautiful national parks, however, these luxuries have their price!
So, I'm not suprised at all by these stats, and for all you in the UK thinking of coming to Aus for an "easy ride", think again!
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x41andyg. It's not the WHOLE ADF that is being stood down; it's that part of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) not involved in operational duties. The problem causing the stand down is one of a lack of recruits. No matter how much the federal government spends, young Australians just don't seem interested in the ADF. In the long term this problem will have to be addressed and unpopular options to ensure that the strength of the ADF is maintained will have to be implemented.
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I think you will find that one of the main reasons for this generous period of leave is to save money.
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quoting from the PS
.....'the US Senate, a far more powerful body than its Australian equivalent."
I think Gough Whitlam might feel otherwise. It was the Senate's decision to keep sending Supply back to the Lower House which led to Kerr's dismissal of Whitlam.
The Australian Senate is particularly powerful and modelled on the US Senate, not the British system
I agree with the comment that the Australian work culture has more in common with Asia, which is after all where many of our commercial interests lie these days.
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x41andyg, white papers from the Department of Defence actually discuss the merits of Australia's size in defending the continent. It is the subject of professional opinion that an invasion force wouldn't attempt an incursion from the north, as the hostility of the terrain and the sheer distance from the major centres of the south east corner make such a task next to impossible. The alternative would be to attempt an amphibious assault on the population centres of the south east, which would mean sailing across oceans which the defence force has well covered, thus minimising the risk of a surprise attack and giving plenty of time for counter-assault arrangements to be made.
Australia's size, remoteness and uninhabitness (if there is such a word) are not challenges to defending the country at all.
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The navy guys are probably a bit peed off at being dry side for 2 months. Maybe..lol The $ always runs out.
The reason being that the OZ guys are dedicated, hard working and competitive. And
India [ignorant me no body told me] has a navy. And are one up..thinking in cricket terms here. Which i never played.
Wanna get their sea legs back.
If you want to get recruits, advertise. Simple.
MEN, GALS, NEEDED TO TACKLE
PIRATES...NOW!
No charge.
pete
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I love these studies - to have Greece down as one of the top five, most hard working countries should cause a few alarm bells to ring.
In terms of working hours, where you work has less impact than who you work for.
Investment banking for a global bank from London to Shanghai will mean long hours though not as long as a sweat shop in Delhi.
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Inr elation to x41andyg, others and not really the navy story, I've been in Oz for almost 9 months hailing from Edinburgh and now consulting for a Gov Dept. I did not come for an easy ride but basically for a change of scenery. I found the hours to be longer and the holidays shorter which was a surprise; granted the beach is 20 mins down the road and the weather is not exactly what i'm used to. Seems to balance out for me. On another note, wages seem to be that little bit higher (for me) obviously this various widely in differing professions.
Re: the Navy, the Govt are skint and feel nobody will attack them, especially over the festive...!
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This is in response to the PS discussion of native american's role in the US as compared to aborigines in Oz.
I am a US engineer and I have lived and worked in Australia while working on two projects (one where I worked outside Melbourne, the other at Nhulunbuy/Gove in the NWT). The worksite in Gove was at a bauxite plant in the middle of an aboriginal reservation. There were certainly aborigines around but I did not meet one working at the plant and none of the people that I interacted with technically were anything other than Anglo.
In contrast, I did a project at the Four Corners power plant on the Navajo Indian reservation in New Mexico. The plant engineer I worked with on a daily basis was a Navajo (and I remember at least one other Navajo engineer) and, I'd estimate, about 1/3 to 1/2 the plant workforce were
Navajos.
I am certainly not going to defend the US treatment of native americans but, from my personal experience, they are much better integrated into the US society and economy than aborigines are in Australia.
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Personally I think the government released this whole Navy on leave article to get brownie points and hoped it would be seen as being kind. Instead it's been contrued as not thinking correctly.
Gotta feel for those Navy gals and guys who will probably now see their leave taken away as the government mis-read the populace. It has already been noted as well that the only sailors and officers on leave are those not required to patrol and in prior years they got 6-weeks leave, this is just a 2-week extension.
Paid maternity leave will arrive in Australia within the next decade, maybe the next election or the one after, I'll put my $100 I didn't get to bet on the Melbourne Cup on that bet.
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Well, only those ships not on active duty are getting this extra time off so it's not really such a big deal. The Navy in particular has been struggling to recruit enough staff so it is all about showing a more attractive area of employment. The opposition party are having a bit of a reality crisis and havn't yet come to terms with their election loss. The deposed PM Howard gave them a pep talk, urging them to "rage against opposition" and basically that's what they have done ever since, no matter the topic or how correct the government is, the opposition "rages".
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I have worked my whole career in Sydney and am soon to be retired. There has always been a culture among middle-class professionals I've known that working long hours is essential, a status symbol. I guess that is why the practice of choice for many families has evolved to be one professional job and one "school hours" job. In a country without a source of cheap domestic labour (rightly so) and with an older generation who desire a life involving more than babysitting (again rightly so!) it is extremely difficult for two parents to work the hours expected in so many roles. Also we have an extremely limited tradition of using boarding schools.
I am a teacher and we are rarely accorded professional status by the community. I believe that is very much because we do not work the upfront hours of others and that is resented by much of the community. Our occupation is seen as a "school hours" job, not a profession.
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Its just a ruse. We are secretly about to invade Nauru before it sinks below the oceans. The Japanese tried to do the same thing before Pearl Harbour.
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Anyone who takes these surveys seriously must be a joker. In Britain we are always being told we work more hours than anyone in Europe and the unions are trying to get us to pack it in. I can well beleive the Koreans work like ants but the Greeks-you must be having a laugh.
As regards the navy- let them have their holiday, whats the point in fannying about in boats all day long anyway!
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Have to agree with Jacko555, as an Australian - and Queenslander to boot - who recently move to London I was taken aback by the pub culture here. I was shocked to see the pubs doing a roaring trade during the week at lunch time - drinking on a work day?! My English colleagues also take more time to do holidays - short breaks throughout the year - unlike my old Aussie colleagues who might just take one 2-week holiday in the entire year. I think the British practice is more sensible - we should work to live, not the other way around.
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PS comment about the movies:
I would never have described Aussie films as "dark, depressing pieces". If anything, I'd describe Aussie films as being visually bright, in-your-face and, normally, a comedy (typically pitched at the 'toilet joke' level of humour).
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On The film comments front:
My Producer was at the SPAAmart conference, where these comments were made - and as we were at the market with a dark horror project - it was an ominous comment!
And in general - he is right. I think a big part of why Oz (and NZ) films of late have been heading this way, is the fact it is so hard to make your first feature in Australasia. Also the average age of a first time director is rising, and as one gets older, the more dark and psychological themes tend to appeal, rather than the sunny, comedy material found in 'Muriels Wedding' or 'Eagle vs Shark'.
As for ethnic cleansing..well .. I think films reflect society and in these post 911 times, directors want to make 'serious' films - and looking at the Qantas film awards in NZ - where the two top films were about a rapist and a serial killer - this is borne out - but both films are very, very good movies. So I think bagging dark films entirely is a bit harsh!
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Australia is indeed a land of contrasts. With a prime minister (Rudd) speaking fluent Mandarin and claimining an IQ of 132, you would think that the country was extremely well-served by intellectual types. But a man like Rudd is the exception rather than the rule. That is because Australia, like many other comparable small to medium-sized countries, suffers the classic "brain drain". There are nearly a million Australians working overseas who left for better pay, conditions and recognition of their skills. For those remaining, the rather anti-intellectual "protestant work ethic" introduced in the 1980s, has become ingrained and that would explain the long working hours, bordering on workaholism. I much preferred Australia in the 1970s, when it was truly laidback and where parties were preferable to work. Things are rather dull now, in comparison.
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Having worked in London and Glasgow before emigrating to Sydney. I can only agree with odysseus_nz and others. In the UK its common for people to work very productively between 8 and 6pm including lots of banter between work colleagues. Then regular after work drinks before commuting home. Some of the hardest workers I worked with in the UK were Aussies and Kiwis.
However my experience in Sydney is that there is far less banter and even less productivity. Most workers have strong families and mates from school and thus don't see the workplace as a place to socialize much.
Bonds to and commitment between work colleagues are therefore often weaker.
With Australia dominated by far fewer companies in each market than in the US or Europe, perhaps there is less pressure on Australian management to constantly deliver greater productivity, leading workers to be judged by hours worked rather than individual performance. This is also reflected in the lack of people skills that many Australian managers display.
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Nick, please research Australian history before making glib comments. We have already had two Aboriginal senators: Neville Bonner (Liberal) in the 1970s and Aden Ridgeway (Democrats) more recently.
It is also untrue to claim that the US Senate is "a far more powerful body that its Australian equivalent". In fact the Australian Senate has its constitutional powers, rights and privileges modelled on a combination of the US Senate and the British House of Commons; although the US Senate is marginally more powerful, the Australian Senate is the second most powerful upper House in the world.
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#13
I think the aboriginies and the native americans are two very differnt kinds of people from the start.
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What a joke having lived and worked in New Zealand, I've never come across an easier relaxed days as those worked in Antipodean companies. This isn't anecdotal either countless other friends of myne have worked in Australia and found it to be the same. All my friends worked in the urban cities, so it is quite possible that those who live in rural areas work very hard; as is blindingly obvious the case in agriculture and mining.
To say that Aussies in the cities work hard is a joke. They have the correct balance it is not a criticism as it often was a joy to work in these companies. But comparing it to the pace I've found in London companies it's like a holiday. The aussie way of doing things is not necessarily a bad way. If the aussies were subjected to the cost cutting measures and efficency drives found in the private sector of the US and UK in the last thirty odd years they wouldn't cope.
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That is a very christmas gift for the navy...
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