Extended Working Hours In Australia

Abstract

Average working hours of full-time employees in Australia are long, and since the early 1980s they have been steadily getting longer. This is a peculiar trend, at odds with both the long-term historical experience in Australia and the contemporaneous experiences in most other OECD societies. It constitutes a major issue for public policy. This article begins by summarising the evidence of extended working hours and the distinctive position of Australia in cross-national perspective. It then aims to push forward the discussion of possible policy responses. In response to the important question of why Australia seems distinctive, the article points to the pivotal role played by working-time regulation. Working-time regulation in Australia has been particularly porous, and it has provided rich opportunities for employer pressures on employees to spill over into extremely extended hours. Just as part of the problem is the inadequacy of the regulatory system, part of the solution must be sought in new regulatory initiatives. The article reviews a recent regulatory initiative in the United Kingdom that may offer some lessons.