The Effect of Long Hours on Family and Community Life: A Survey of Existing Literature

Australian workers are increasingly working long hours in comparison with employees in other OECD nations. This is taking place at a time when the structure of Australian families and the labour market is changing. There is a considerable international literature on the impact of work on family life. However, there is a much smaller - though growing - body of research addressing the specific issue of the effect of long or unreasonable hours on family life, which is the focus of this review.Dr Pocock argues that the literature suggests that extended hours of work have serious negative effects on the institution of the family, on relationships and upon civil society and community. More specifically she contends that there is a tension between the demands of employers for workers to stay at their paid jobs.