Flipping through the in-house magazine on a recent Qantas flight, I was astounded to learn that Australian’s currently work an average of 55 hours a week.
That’s one and a half times the standard set out in the National Employment Standards of 2010, which is based on the 38 hour working week introduced in 1983.
Sitting next to me on the plane was an older gentleman who regaled me with tales from his childhood, when his parents would pack up their family from the far western corners of the state to escape the summer heat, and enjoy a four month beach holiday. Four months!
The station governess would accompany the family for the duration of the holiday to ensure the children continued their schooling, and kept a watchful eye over them as they played on the beach.
It was a much simpler time without the distractions of the internet and mobile phones to keep you constantly plugged into the business.
Modern technology has made it easier to continue to operate well into the night.
In fact most workplaces provide their staff with tools that make it possible to keep working and impossible to clock off – think smart phones, laptops, GPS guidance or “free” dinners if they stay past 7pm.
These incentives are often bundled together and presented nicely in a salary package with a value attached accordingly.
So it should come as no surprise that our average working week has skyrocketed.
But in this world of ever increasing efficiencies, what value do we place on downtime? Even the most intensive industries shut down for maintenance, so why don’t we do the same for ourselves?
Some organisations are already starting to take a leading role in this space. Take Netflix and Virgin for example. These companies offer unlimited annual leave and find their employees are more productive in their time at work and almost never take more than the four weeks they are legally entitled to.
Closer to home, I recently learned of a relatively new practice known as siphonless or bankless irrigation, which is becoming popular in the rice and cotton industries.
By removing manual siphons and focusing on engineering, growers can maintain production capacity while reducing their labour costs, thus removing the need for constant staff management and ultimately improving the grower’s lifestyle.
While Australia battles some of the most ferocious natural disasters on record – floods in the north, fires in the south, and drought in the middle – I encourage you all to give yourselves a break when you can.
It may not be a four month holiday and you might not get to the beach at all, but by stopping and resetting you will attack your challenges with fresh energy and optimism, and your efficiencies with be boundless.
