Arnold
CibbuanoIs your job taking over your life?
September 14th 2006 00:31
Australians are now working longer hours than ever when compared to statistics from previous decades. In the global rat race, we are also working some of the longest hours compared to other developed western nations. We are also showing growing trends in divorce rates, depression and financial commitments. It seems as though consumerism and the competitive work ethic have started to have a sizeable impact on the way Australian’s manage their work and lifestyle balance.
Most university lecturers will warn their final year students that their first few years after graduation are their toughest. As a recent graduate, they’re still developing their skills for their chosen profession and are expected to demonstrate a high level of commitment to their new employers. A form of gratitude for giving them their first leg up into the industry. Even in the lucrative fields it may be years of hard work and long hours before a worker will start earning a sizable salary. The medical and law fraternities are notorious for pushing the time commitment of their newly graduated employees. Engineering careers are not too far behind.
The telecommunications, computing and technology sectors are newly emerging industries that are pushing the bounds of time commitment due to the nature of the work. IT careers are often stereotyped as computer play careers. The jobs are perceived as hobbies and thus for the people involved in the industry it is very easy to blur the line between a normal working week and your hobby time spent playing with computers and systems. Furthermore, as most technical support and network maintenance must be done after hours when the networks users are not using the system, many network and computing technicians will find themselves working odd hours around the needs of their employers.
The finance industry is another field catching up in the all consuming after hours grab. When once local markets would close and the majority of financiers would head home for the afternoon, technology has opened up the local economy to a global economy. There is only a very small window in any give 24 hour period when a global market is not open for trade. As long as there is a market open, there is little excuse for a financier not to be looking for a way to increase their capitalizations.
With changes in workplace employment terms and sick, holiday and time in lieu are all on the decrease. Contract style employment makes firing and hiring much easier for larger companies. The pressure on employees to perform and not be overly demanding has increased. It has become much harder for the average Australian to meet the demanding time schedules of workload and social/family life. Tomorrow I’ll look at some strategies for reclaiming your life.
Most university lecturers will warn their final year students that their first few years after graduation are their toughest. As a recent graduate, they’re still developing their skills for their chosen profession and are expected to demonstrate a high level of commitment to their new employers. A form of gratitude for giving them their first leg up into the industry. Even in the lucrative fields it may be years of hard work and long hours before a worker will start earning a sizable salary. The medical and law fraternities are notorious for pushing the time commitment of their newly graduated employees. Engineering careers are not too far behind.
The telecommunications, computing and technology sectors are newly emerging industries that are pushing the bounds of time commitment due to the nature of the work. IT careers are often stereotyped as computer play careers. The jobs are perceived as hobbies and thus for the people involved in the industry it is very easy to blur the line between a normal working week and your hobby time spent playing with computers and systems. Furthermore, as most technical support and network maintenance must be done after hours when the networks users are not using the system, many network and computing technicians will find themselves working odd hours around the needs of their employers.
The finance industry is another field catching up in the all consuming after hours grab. When once local markets would close and the majority of financiers would head home for the afternoon, technology has opened up the local economy to a global economy. There is only a very small window in any give 24 hour period when a global market is not open for trade. As long as there is a market open, there is little excuse for a financier not to be looking for a way to increase their capitalizations.
With changes in workplace employment terms and sick, holiday and time in lieu are all on the decrease. Contract style employment makes firing and hiring much easier for larger companies. The pressure on employees to perform and not be overly demanding has increased. It has become much harder for the average Australian to meet the demanding time schedules of workload and social/family life. Tomorrow I’ll look at some strategies for reclaiming your life.
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Comment by Jas
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Comment by Ahmed
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seriously though I find it odd that our work has to be like a chore. Can't I finish my games technology degree and become a computer games programmer and enjoy it? Or am I supposed to not enjoy it so it's classified as work?
Comment by Ruth
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