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8th
March, 2007
Australia’s workplace habits
are putting strain on families says a report released earlier
this month.
The report from the Relationships Forum Australia - An
Unexpected Tragedy: Evidence for the connection between working
hours and family breakdown in Australia - says that Australia
is the only high-income country in the world which combines
high working hours and a strong tendency for weekend and weeknight
work and which employs a relatively large proportion of the
working population on a casual basis.
It says that there is a “significant body of evidence”
suggesting people who work long and unsociable hours spend
less quality time with family and friends and that most Australian
families are now suffering time pressure as a result of their
work.
The report concludes that long and atypical working patterns
are associated with things such as ill-health, strained family
relationships, parenting marked by “anger, inconsistency
and ineffectiveness” and reduced child well-being. It
says that “unsurprisingly” the decline in family
relational health has led to an increased incidence of separation
and divorce with more single parents now than ever before.
The report drew on the results of a 2006 survey which showed
77 per cent of Australians agreed with the statement that
a government’s prime objective should be the greatest
happiness of the people, not the greatest wealth, while almost
60 per cent said their partner, spouse or family was the most
important thing for their happiness. Yet the survey showed
that at the same time, only 25 per cent thought life was getting
better.
The report, which calls for public discussion of the issue,
says the “cold statistics” concerning the connection
between working patterns and a general decline in wellbeing
among Australians “hide immense human tragedy”.
“The disturbing results of this report compel governments
to sit up and take stock,” said co-author Paul Shepanski.
“Strong family and community relationships need to be
at the top of our national agenda.”
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www.relationshipsforum.org.au
- DAVID ADAMS
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