Surprising Things About Working in Australia, From American

I never intended to live abroad, but when I had a chance in my mid-20s to take a work assignment in Sydney, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Coming from the US, I found it easy to fall in love with the city and the lifestyle in Australia. My three-month work commitment eventually turned into four years of living “down under.”

It was a time filled with sunshine, workdays with views of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, and unplugged weekends on the beach.

Although I’m no longer in Australia, there are a few key reasons I wish I could’ve stayed.

My work-life balance was significantly better in Australia

Before I left for Australia, I was often working 10- to 12-hour days. All of my colleagues stayed in the office late, answered emails over the weekend, and generally stayed available after typical work hours.

It felt like I was living to work, but when I moved to Sydney, I found the opposite.

The professionals I met had firm boundaries — they didn’t work after leaving the office, on the weekends, or on vacation. They worked hard, but also regularly took an hour for lunch and rarely stayed online past 5:30 p.m.

In Sydney, my Fridays often included a long lunch and an office happy hour starting around 4. In the States, I never took a lunch break and routinely worked until 6:30 or later.

Back home, there seemed to be an unspoken rule that whoever was in the office the latest was the most committed to work. Here, it seemed people just worked hard to get everything done during typical business hours.

The PTO situation was pretty nice, too

Australians are also generally given four weeks of annual vacation, and I’ve found many of them take every minute of it guilt-free. The vice president in my office even took a three-week vacation and turned his cellphone off the entire time.

A lot of my colleagues took two to three weeks off at a time each year — something nearly unheard of in the States unless you’re going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip or honeymoon.

All in all, leaving work at the office was so refreshing and allowed me to fully recharge over the weekends and when I took time off, which I’ve rarely found was possible in the US.

In Australia, your employer pays for your retirement

Not all companies provide retirement plans in the States or offer to match a percentage of what you invest. In Australia, companies are required through superannuation to pay a certain percentage into employees’ retirement funds.

When I lived there, my employer had to pay 9.5% of my gross salary into my superannuation fund. (These days, the minimum is 12%.)

Since I didn’t have to use part of my salary to contribute to my retirement, I ended up with a bigger paycheck each month. I also built a healthy retirement fund without extra work or sacrifice.

It felt easier for me to be healthy while I lived in Sydney

Generally, Australians seemed to prioritize their health more than we do in the States.

Maybe it’s the work-life balance that gives people more time to be active, or the emphasis on being outside as much as possible in the ample sunshine.

It was easier to slot daily physical activity into my routine because of my fairly balanced work schedule. I also slept more because I didn’t have to wake up before dawn to fit in a workout.

Plus, I noticed small differences between the US and Australia that helped me be healthier without really trying. For example, portion sizes were usually smaller, and I wasn’t automatically served chips or fries with my sandwiches at lunchtime. The food felt fresher, too.

When I moved back to the States, I quickly gained 10 pounds, which I credit to the shift back to larger portion sizes and less active habits.

If my family weren’t so far away, I probably would’ve stayed

I met lifelong friends and had a great time in Australia, but I eventually got tired of having to travel 24 hours to visit family.

So, after about four years, I headed back to the US. If my nieces and nephews weren’t so far away, I likely would have stayed in Australia for longer.

I loved living in Sydney and wish we had some of the same perks here in America, especially the work-life balance.