Women 'worst victims of work-life squeeze'

The Australian Work Life Index shows people are consistently unhappy with the amount they are working, and young women with caring responsibilities report being the worst off.

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Young women with caring and household responsibilities are the most likely to be dissatisfied with their work-life balance, as some industry groups seek to review awards and penalty rates.

The University of South Australia's Australian Work and Life Index for this year shows that one in four women are often or always unhappy with the level of work interference in their personal lives.

Women with children or other dependents report being the least satisfied.

Shift workers, too, report a high level of dissatisfaction.

Yet some industry groups are calling for a reduction in penalty rates for working nights, weekends or public holidays.

Fair Work Australia has heard a number of submissions from organisations like the Accommodation Association of Australia and the Hair and Beauty Industry Associations during its scheduled review of award rates.

They argue axing or reducing penalty rates will result in more jobs and better services.

But the ACTU says penalty rates are a reward for working unsocial hours, and employers will struggle to find people to fill these shifts if the extra cash incentive is scrapped.

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2 min read

Published

Updated

By Shalailah Medhora

Source: SBS


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