Comparison of Work Culture in Australia Versus Other Countries

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While our morning coffee run or lunch break is often a regular part of our day-to-day work, not everyone around the world has it like Australians.

Australian workplaces can feature plenty of laughs, egalitarian ideals and a good work-life balance and our approach to work is generally considered ‘laid-back’.

But how does our work culture compare to the rest of the world?

Working hours

In Australia, we work on average between 32 and 40 hours a week with the working week officially capped at 38 hours (not including any overtime).

However, compared to our Asian neighbours, we’ve got it quite easy.

Herman Tse is a professor in leadership and organisational behaviour at Monash Business School. He says that while we might be at our workplaces eight hours a day, Australians usually work less as we’re quite given to having regular short breaks.

Table compares Australia's average weekly working hours with some other OECD countries

Credit: SBS News

“Compare this with Asian countries where the hours are much longer with fewer coffee breaks,” he told SBS News.

In China, employees work from anywhere between 40 and 46 hours each week. In India, 48 hours a week is mandated and working a six-day week is common.

including regular work plus overtime.

In the UK and the EU, average work hours can’t exceed more than 48 hours a week, although in the latter, the average working week is closer to 36 hours.

Lunch breaks

Australian workers take their lunch breaks seriously.

“The lunch break culture is more to relax and take time to enjoy lunch with colleagues,” Tse said.

“In Australia, you can really take the time off, it’s your time to relax. You need to relax so that when you come back, you feel more energised to continue to do what you have to do.”

Group of young business people is enjoying a lunch break at the job together. Business, people, company

Lunch breaks in Australia are usually a time where people can switch off from work. Source: iStockphoto / LuckyBusiness/Getty Images

But some lunch breaks across the world are even longer.

Some workers in Spain and Greece enjoy the luxury of a three-hour siesta between 2pm and 5pm that includes a long lunch and a snooze before returning to work in the evening.

French workers and schoolchildren also enjoy a mandated two-hour break between 2pm and 4pm.

Tse contrasts this to Asian countries, where he describes lunch breaks as “very fast” and work-focused. Eating at the work desk is common, and there’s an expectation to continue working with minimal breaks.

In countries such as Japan, there’s often social pressure to skip lunch breaks altogether, despite workers there being legally entitled to a 45-minute break.

But workers in China get a daily a two-hour break for a quick lunch, followed by a power nap to keep afternoon productivity high.

Coffee

While a morning coffee run is widely accepted in Australian work culture, it may not be all that common in many other cultures around the world.

“The coffee culture is something quite unique and strong in the Australian context,” Tse said.

“Not only do employees relax or recharge, but it’s also an opportunity for them to mingle with their colleagues, build relationships and try to understand each other better.”

In Australia, coffee is also used as a way to break down social hierarchies.

It’s pretty normal to chat with a senior manager over a cup of coffee. Some even have their performance reviews in a cafe.

But this isn’t the case around the world.

Tse says that in South Korea, coffee tends to be a lower temperature and less hot because they often don’t have time to really enjoy it, instead opting to drink it straight away.

Compare this to Australia, where higher coffee temperatures encourage more lingering social connections. “We have to wait longer to finish our coffee before going back to work,” Tse said.

Office hierarchy

Australian workplaces are fairly ‘flat’ compared to many other places in the world.

Tse said Australia has a “lower power distance” work culture, which indicates a less rigid or authoritarian system. Workers in a lower index might feel more able to express opinions or critique.

“We want to promote fair, egalitarian goals and values within the organisation,” Tse said of the Australian work culture.

Tse said this differs a lot from other countries including the US and the UK.

Due to a “higher hierarchy”, it’s common for workers in the US to call people in a higher position by a formal title, rather than their first name.

“The social hierarchy is very unique and quite interesting in Australia as we are focusing not so much on the power and influence difference — it’s more about the value of people.”

Humour

A big part of Australian culture is our humour, and unsurprisingly, this extends to the workplace.

Tse says that as a result of our humour, we’re more laidback, less formal and more inclined to share things about our personal lives with our colleagues.

A recent survey conducted by recruitment firm Indeed found humour to be one of the top five traits most liked by Australian workers in their colleagues.

Chart shows top 5 traits most liked in colleagues by Australian workers

“We see humour as a way to connect with one another,” he said.

But in other cultures, humour at work could be a big no-no.

“Jokes at work aren’t [considered] professional. You need to show you’re serious about your work.”

Tse highlights Asian cultures, where telling jokes can be interpreted as meaning you’re a less serious person without a strong work ethic.

Work-life balance

One of Australia’s strongest work culture traits is our desire for a good work-life balance.

This means Australian workplaces are more inclined to adopt flexible working arrangements so employees can enjoy their life outside of work.

This has flow-on on effects for how Australians view annual leave, in that they generally feel entitled to their four weeks of leave and are more inclined to use it, compared to many Asian countries and the US.

However, Nordic countries are on top when it comes to work-life balance.

Regularly taking out the top spots in the , workers in Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway are happiest because of better work-life balance and fairer wage distribution.

Workers in Sweden, Denmark and Norway are entitled to more annual leave than Australia, at 25 days of holidays per year. In Finland, the number could be as high as 30 days.

Compare this to China, where annual leave is calculated on the length of employees’ service.

Workers who’ve been with a company for under 10 years are only eligible for five days of leave per year, while those who’ve been there from 10 to 20 years get 10 days.

Similarly, Japanese workers receive 10 to 20 days of leave depending on how long they’ve been with the employer. Vietnamese workers are entitled to 12 days of leave and Indian workers receive between 12 to 15 days of leave.

In the US, there’s no mandated national requirement for paid holidays. Instead, it’s up to businesses to create their own policies. On average, however, US workers get 10 days annual leave per year.