Are we a nation of slackers? Or perhaps, given the nation in the spotlight is Australia, the question should be, are we a nation of bludgers?
Younger Australians might not be as aware of the word, but most over-50s probably do know it. For those who don’t, a bludger is someone who has a poor work ethic.
Which takes us back to the question of whether or not Australians in general are slackers (or bludgers). The prompt for the question is a new survey commissioned by Immigration to Australia (I2A), an immigration assistance and information platform.
The I2A survey took in 1002 Australians with an aim of assessing the post-pandemic productivity of Australian employees.
It also investigated whether the return of 195,000 immigrants to our shores will motivate Australians to work harder as a result of increased job competition.
And broadly speaking, the results suggest it will not.
What does the survey tell us about our work ethic?
The survey’s accompanying media release says over 20 per cent of Australians have shifted their work attitudes and behaviours. It suggests that this change may have been driven largely by the pandemic and the introduction of hybrid working arrangements.
The release proposes the theory some workers have struggled with that change, leading to a drop in worth ethic.
“Some workers may be struggling to adapt to the new normal, and simply no longer put in the effort,” the report reads.
That’s quite a charged phrase: “simply no longer put in the effort”. Some might even consider it inflammatory. The basis for it comes from an interpretation of the survey’s figures.
More than one-fifth (21 per cent) of Australians used the period of low unemployment as a time to develop a more relaxed attitude to their work.
The survey found that:
- 8 per cent of respondents didn’t strive to grow in their role
- 7 per cent took an hour off ‘here and there’ when working from home
- 6 per cent put less effort into their work
- 5 per cent became more demanding of their entitlements or pay at work
- 4 per cent didn’t engage as much with their team and culture-building activities.
Those who took part in the survey were responding to the question: Did you develop a more relaxed attitude to your work during low unemployment? If so, how? The ‘how’ options are those listed in the bullet points above.
While the overall figure was 21 per cent, older Australians were less likely to have developed a more relaxed attitude. For those aged 55 or older, the figure was only 11 per cent.
Will attitudes change as Australia opens its borders?
The I2A survey tackled this topic by asking: With the return of 195,000 immigrants to Australia each year, the competition for jobs will increase. Do you think this will motivate you to work harder in your job?
Respondents were given three answer options:
- Yes, I will work harder in my job with more competition for skilled jobs returning to Australia.
- No – I will continue to have a more relaxed attitude towards my job, no matter the outcome.
- No – I have maintained a high work ethic already in the last year.
A total of 62 per cent gave the third response, with their work ethic still well in place. Just under a quarter (23 per cent) said yes. That leaves only 15 per cent who said they would maintain a more relaxed attitude.
But does having a more relaxed attitude always mean slacking off? Not necessarily, I would argue.
Some of those respondents simply may have changed their mindset without changing their work ethic. Others may have learnt how to do their jobs more efficiently.
And others still may simply have taken the recent events as an opportunity to review their work/life balance. That’s been something most of us have been encouraged to do in the past decade or so.
In many cases, a more balanced work/life approached has led to increased productivity.
Has the number of Australian slackers (or bludgers) increased in recent years? Maybe, but I don’t think this survey definitively demonstrates that to be so.
Some Aussies may simply be working smarter, not harder.
Has your attitude to work changed in recent years? Has the pandemic played a part in that? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Older Australians pessimistic about employment prospects