Work, life and workplace flexibility The Australian Work and Life Index 2009 Committee for Economic Development of Australia Hyatt Hotel, Adelaide 30 th July 2009

1 AWALI 2009: How work fits with rest of life in an economic downturn

2 Who did we ask? We surveyed 2700 working Australians in March/April (1435 in 2007, 2800 in 2007) Newspoll ran the survey Randomised survey which is pretty representative This year we focussed especially on workplace flexibility international comparisons education and training What did we find?

3 How do we measure work-life outcomes? How often does work interfere: with activities outside work? with enough time with family or friends? With community connections How frequently do we feel rushed and press for time? How satisfied are we with our work-life balance?

4 Downturn, what downturn? Hours down But not work-life pressures Overall two-thirds broadly satisfied with work-life balance But more are unsatisfied than in earlier years And some more unsatisfied Men have worse outcomes than women But when doing the same hours, women are worse

5 Work-life interference? Many people are affected by work A quarter feel work often or almost always interferes with enough time with family or friends (43% never/rarely) Just under a quarter feel that work often or almost always interferes with activities outside work (43% never/rarely) 17% say work interferes often or almost always with community connections (60% never rarely) Over half often or almost always feel rushed and pressed for time But most – 68% - are reasonably satisfied with their work-life balance Not a ‘work and family’ issue

6 A gendered story Women are reporting work-life interference that is closer to men’s Their work life satisfaction now on a par with men’s

7 Not quite the equality we were aiming for

8 But not equal in time pressure

9 Full-time women going backwards…

10 Part-time work not a lot better… for women

11 Hours critical

12 Rich and poor do worse

13 Rural and regional mothers

14 Flexibility

15 International comparison: how well does work fit with family and social commitments (well, very well)

16 How will we come out of recession?

17 Implications for policy? Long hours and overload Health costs? Organisation and management of work Job design, overload Flexibility ‘Right to request’ Right people are getting it first Plenty of scope to increase Country women and mothers Need to know more Domestic work Reallocation: in our dreams?

18 Back to Jack Welch “There is no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences...You’ll be passed over if you are not in the clutch.”