Australians have had a pretty rough trot over the last two years, but one of the (only) silver linings of the pandemic has been the drastic shift in work culture — one that has enabled thousands of Aussies to begin working from home and embrace the possibility of a more flexible lifestyle.
Of course, the elusive work/life balance is a concept that is great in theory, but in practice, many Australian companies are still falling woefully behind — which has led to an increase in "job hopping", with Aussie workers quitting their pandemic jobs for greener pastures.
As Australian society and the workforce prepares for a potential "mass exodus", Aussies are discussing what they truly value when it comes to a work/life balance — as well as their reasons for quitting in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Here, we've collated some of the most interesting responses:
1. "After getting the opportunity to work from home during COVID-19 lockdowns, I wouldn't go back to an office full-time. I hate the commute and having to spend eight hours somewhere, even if there isn't eight hours of work to do."
2. "[I want] a strictly defined split between home and work. I don't want work that bleeds so easily into time that has nothing to do with work. When I clock off, that should be it until I clock back in."
3. "I recently had a choice of two jobs. Took the one that paid a third less, purely for the work/life balance. Less commuting means more time with the family. Though I will admit, I'm very lucky to have that choice."
4. "I hate the whole 'family' mentality. Worked with a person that put in a heap of overtime over the years, then landed in ICU, had to have rehab etc. But when their sick leave was up, they had to come back in. If their overtime was actually tracked, they'd probably have been able to take more time. Pretty ugly family if you ask me."
—u/starcaster
5. "I value the ability to leave work at work. I was a teacher for a few years and the time required after-hours was insane. Work became all-consuming from the time I woke up, to the hours I spent lying awake in bed at night, thinking about tomorrow. Burned right out and had a nice little nervous breakdown."
6. "Worked from home smoothly through the pandemic with no issue. Company went through a merger. New management are micro-managers who force our team to only WFH once per week."
"Last time Queensland went through mandatory indoor mask rules, there was a company-wide email stating 'having to wear masks at your desk isn't an excuse to work from home'.
Well, guess who just got herself a fully remote interstate job. Handing in my notice later this week and I plan to tell them exactly why I'm leaving.
We're a team of four and literally three of us have been looking for new jobs. I can't wait to see management's face when there's only one staff member left."
—u/GinkandTonic
7. "Family when it comes to their advantage, strictly business when you need a hand. Never ever work for a business that claims they're 'family', it's a huge red flag."
—u/dingobattler
8. "The business treats your employment as a number on a spreadsheet, you should treat your employment with them the same way. I exchange my time and expertise for money. That's it."
9. "The answer is self-employment. I have freelanced for the past couple years, it's gotten tough since COVID-19 and I feel pretty burned out. A lot of people are absolutely fed up and at breaking point, but there's nothing healthy or normal about full-time work, especially when it's for another."
10. "Wages should align with inflation by law and inflation includes the rise in property prices and product shrinkage. And you should get paid for all work done (thinking about the teachers, who do hours and hours of unpaid, after-hours work)."
11. "[I value] my downtime being respected; employees' wages not being used as punishment or coercion to accept call-ins or unacceptable work conditions."
"Managers' friends shouldn't get preferential treatment, particularly better rostering or getting more hours over people that have worked there longer than them. Also, them getting preference whether they want to work weekends or holidays for extra pay to block other employees from those opportunities."
—u/Hypno--Toad
12. "I'm literally quitting a job that warns me roughly $140K a year, to start a job for $60K a year. I do have the potential to make more money through commissions, but, off the bat, it is a big pay cut, purely because my manager is a fucking prick and we get treated like shit."
—u/Lhommeruse
13. "I just want reasonable pay and a normal work week. If anything, a 3–4 day work week would be ideal. I need more time at home. I want to be a present father who gets to take part in the simple stuff like doing the school run and cooking dinner. I have my own projects to attend to which contribute to my happiness."
14. "I think the real potential that 'the great resignation' is trying to achieve exists in dreaming big. Many of us are going to need at least $95,000 a year (Kahneman's happiness number adjusted for inflation) and then to save that like hell."
"We need a science-based approach to hours worked and not some punitive idea that workers have to struggle through 50 hours because the boss does too, or because it adds character. I've been at companies like that and every last one has a culture of bullying. If you're an aspiring business owner carving yourself out a second job, hey, this world gives you everything you need already if you can save big."
—u/SaltpeterSal
15. "My work has just announced we are on permanent flexibility. We can come to the office every day, sometimes or not at all. The new CEO was very open about it being a retention measure. Works for me, I'm saving thousands in public transport and 10 hours a week by working at home."
16. "I spent the last eight years in offices as a digital marketing specialist; that needs to change, it's soul sucking. I want to spend my life doing things I enjoy with interesting people. This is honestly the least I could try to do with something as sacred as my 'one and only' shot at this life."
—u/denkleburger
17. "I hate working from home. Work and home life becomes blurred together. There's an entire part of the house I actively avoid outside of work hours due to trauma. I feel stressed just sitting at home."
18. "My values haven't changed. In fact, COVID-19 has just solidified my thinking. I had a very unstable childhood, so job stability was always my number one. I started at my current workplace 20 years ago. I now have good pay, enjoy my work, can WFH and if I wanted, there is plenty of opportunity for advancement."
19. And finally, some wisdom from the ages: "I'm 50, recently retired and lamenting my life choices. My life lessons: Family and and true friends are the most important things in life. Everything else is secondary. I sacrificed everything being a working professional, career soldier."
"Sure, I retired early, but to what end!? What friends and family are there to spend retirement with? Choosing a management path made it much harder, as those who had 'friend potential' were staff — professional distance and all that. Who wants their boss hanging around for after-work drinks into the wee hours? You gotta make ends meet, but keep your eye on what's important — because your boss will dump you on the side of the road if it suits. You need to be clear on where your focus should be."