February 4, 2022 — 3.31pm
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Chloe* is a 28-year-old manager at one of Australia’s Big Four accounting firms. On a typical workday she might clock off anywhere between 7-10pm, but it’s not unusual for her to be at her desk until midnight or later.
Even though the business day is technically over, the firm’s partners will often contact her through email or Skype. Sometimes she’ll get calls to her personal phone.
As a manager, her direct reports get the same treatment, though she wishes it wasn’t the case.
“It’s just the culture we work in,” she tells the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. “I wish there was way better work-life balance and respectful personal boundaries. But it also comes with the job - it’s an inherent expectation.”
Chloe’s experience is familiar to many Australian workers, irrespective of age or industry. The expectation of being ‘always on’ has prompted some employment lawyers to renew a push for workers to be legally allowed to ignore work calls and emails after hours, although the finer details of how this should be enforced are up for debate.
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