A new research revealed dramatic differences in workload demands across industries and occupations.
What’s happening: Reckon analysed 11 key factors across Australian careers to identify which have the lightest and heaviest workloads, examining hours worked, stress rates, overtime conditions, and commute distances across four key areas.
Why this matters: The research reveals extreme disparities in Australian work conditions, with some careers offering 37-hour weeks and low stress while others demand 50+ hour weeks with commutes exceeding 100 kilometres daily.
Australian workers seeking better work-life balance might want to consider a career change after new research revealed dramatic differences in workload demands across industries and occupations.
Reckon’s comprehensive analysis of Australian careers found Commission-Based Wholesaling scoring an impressive 95.80 out of 100 for workload ease, thanks to a shorter-than-average work week of 37.3 hours, low stress levels at 0.58 and strong overtime conditions with a rating of 4.50 out of 5.
Among individual careers, hospitality workers emerged as having the lightest workloads overall. With average work hours of just 37.8 per week, low stress rates (0.40), short commutes (20.9 km) and a workload score of 95.7/100, hospitality roles offer a compelling combination of manageable hours and minimal pressure.
Inquiry clerks and receptionists follow closely, working modest hours (38.4 weekly), experiencing low stress (0.35), and earning a strong overtime score (3.94/5) for an overall impact rating of 94.8. General clerical workers and personal assistants share third place with 92.5 scores, the latter group achieving the lowest stress levels (0.34) across all measured careers despite working standard 38-hour weeks.
The pattern suggests administrative and service roles consistently offer better work-life balance than technical or management positions. Sales assistants round out the top five with 39.6 hours weekly and moderate stress levels (0.37), earning a 92.0 workload score.
Stress Champions
At the opposite end of the spectrum, protective service workers face Australia’s most challenging work conditions. With stress levels measuring 8.52 – more than 20 times higher than most other careers – these roles combine long hours (41.3 weekly), lengthy commutes (38.7 km) and the lowest workload score of just 46.1/100.
The stress disparity becomes stark when compared to farmers and farm managers, who despite working Australia’s longest weeks (52.9 hours) report stress levels of just 0.04. This suggests that while agricultural work is time-intensive, it lacks the psychological pressure characteristic of protective services.
Health and welfare support workers also feature prominently among high-stress careers, with stress levels of 4.58 despite working standard 40-hour weeks. Combined with moderate overtime opportunities (3.32/5) and average commutes (28.2 km), these roles earn a workload score of 68.6.
Distance Matters
Perhaps the most striking finding relates to commute distances, where some industries require employees to travel extraordinary distances daily. Metal ore mining leads with the most punishing combination of factors: workers average 53.7 hours weekly while commuting an average 144.5 kilometres to work – equivalent to driving from Melbourne to Geelong daily.
Machine and stationary plant operators face similar challenges, working 47.9 hours weekly while travelling 71.4 kilometres each way to work. These extended commutes add significant unpaid time to already demanding schedules, contributing to low overall workload scores.
The research suggests geography plays a crucial role in career satisfaction, with mining and heavy industry workers often required to live in remote locations or undertake fly-in-fly-out arrangements that fundamentally alter work-life balance calculations.
Industry Extremes
When examining industries rather than specific occupations, the disparities become even more pronounced. While commission-based wholesaling offers optimal conditions with 37.3 weekly hours and excellent overtime provisions, metal ore mining presents the worst combination of factors.
Petroleum and coal product manufacturing offers surprisingly good conditions, with workers averaging just 37.2 hours weekly and experiencing low stress (0.33), despite longer commutes of 39.1 kilometres. This industry earned a workload score of 93.2/100, suggesting that not all heavy industries impose severe workload burdens.
Food retailing rounds out the most manageable industries, offering the shortest average commute (20.6 km), moderate hours (40.2 weekly), and low stress (0.34) for an overall workload score of 88.6.
The research methodology examined four key areas: workload intensity, life balance factors, workplace flexibility, and household time availability. Each career and industry was scored across 11 specific metrics to create comprehensive workload assessments.
Jess Morris, Head of People and Culture at Reckon, notes the findings highlight significant variations in Australian work experiences that often go unrecognised in broad employment statistics.
For workers considering career changes, the data suggests administrative roles, certain manufacturing positions, and customer-facing service jobs offer the most sustainable work-life balance. Conversely, protective services, mining operations, and senior management roles typically demand higher personal and time commitments.
The research provides valuable insights for both job seekers prioritising work-life balance and employers seeking to understand industry benchmarks for workload management and employee satisfaction.
Source: https://www.reckon.com/au/small-business-resources/balanced-careers/
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