Measuring work-life interaction: the Australian work and life index (AWALI) 2007
Date
2008
Authors
Pocock, B.A.
Skinner, N.J.
Williams, P.
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Journal article
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Labour & Industry, 2008; 18(3):19-44
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Abstract
The relationship between work and life is increasingly on the agenda of public and political debate in many industrialised countries. This article introduces a new measure of work-to-life interaction, the Australian Work and Life Index (AWALI). The article sets out the conceptual underpinnings of AWALI and the methods used to collect it, and presents selected findings from the 2007 data collection. It examines who is likely to experience worse work-life conflict, who seeks to change their working hours, and work-life outcomes for the self-employed. We find that a significant proportion of working Australians experience frequent work-to-life conflict: one-fifth to one-quarter of employees and self-employed workers. Groups at particular risk are men, parents (particularly fathers), and workers in professional or management occupations. Around 40 per cent of those surveyed would prefer to work fewer hours, and almost one-third of full-time women would prefer fewer hours. These findings indicate that work significantly affects workers' lives beyond the workplace, and that many Australians are working hours that they would like to change, even taking into account the effect on income. Furthermore, around twenty per cent of men (seventeen per cent of women) report that work frequently interferes with their community connections, indicating that work is having important effects on social connections, with unknown and unmeasured consequences for the strength of Australia's social fabric.
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