New England Online >Culture & Society > Daily Life > Working Life
Working Life in New England
As utopian as New England is for many, the majority of its people must work in order to make a living. For most people, this involves a career in one, or sometimes two or more, professions. So, for the average New Englander, working life commences after they complete study and continues for forty-five to fifty years until they retire. Although there are plenty of breaks and leave periods that a worker can look forward to over those years.
New Englanders enjoy fair and equitable workplace conditions. The right to join a union is enshrined in the constitution, and protection against unscrupulous employers is further protected by the Industrial Relations Commission, although a good working relationship between unions and bosses mean that its services are seldom called upon. Likewise, employers are able to utilise powers backed by the commission to deal with a problem employee.
By law, all workers – employers and employees alike, must belong to a guild. Guilds ensure that the professionalism of its workers is maintained and that every worker has access to the tool required to do their job. These guilds also serve as social outlet for many workers, with annual guild dinners being a notable event in the social calendar of many. A nationwide sense of community cannot function unless it includes the workplace.
The Working Week
Depending on where someone works, the working week can be quite different. As a standard, around 76% of the workforce work between thirty and thirty-five hours a week, with law forbidding most people for working over forty hours. Most people work seven or eight hour days, which leaves an extra day free for people to relax and catch up on other matters in their life.
Most areas of employment run to a staggered working week, with some people working Monday to Thursday and others working on Monday to Friday (or Saturday) but having one or two days off in between. In general most sectors keep to the following schedule:
| The Average Working Week by Industry | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Sector | |||
| Industry | Sunday | Monday - Friday | Saturday |
| Civil Service | Closed | 9.00 - 17.00 | Closed |
| CSAs | Closed | 9.00 - 17.00 | Closed |
| Private Sector | |||
| Industry | Sunday | Monday - Friday | Saturday |
| Primary | Closed | 6.00 - 15.00 | 6.00 - 12.00 |
| Manufacturing | Closed | 8.00 - 16.00 | Closed |
| Services | 10.00 - 16.00 | 8.00 - 18.00 | 9.00 - 17.00 |
Public Holidays
Public Holidays are a time for relaxation and time away from work. Few (if any) businesses are open on this day, allowing for most of the population to escape the usual routine and enjoy some extra time with family or friends.
New England has divided it's holidays into two groups: secular and religious. Secular holidays are gazetted, and therefore most people have to take them (very few refuse). At present there are eight secular holidays every year. Religious holidays are optional, meaning that a person (or in many cases a workforce will vote on what days it would like collectivley) can choose what days they would like to take as a holiday. There are about 120 religious holiday dates noted, and a person can choose up to eight of these to take every year.
| Secular Public Holidays in New England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Name | Significance |
| 1 January | New Year's Day | The first day of the year |
| 19 February | Independence Day | The date of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Australia |
| 22 March | Exhibition Day | Celebrates the agricultural produce and expertise of New England |
| 25 April | ANZAC Day | Marks the bravery and sacrifice of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Celebrates the economic and social achievements of workers |
| 8 September | King's Birthday | Birthday of King James II |
| 1 October | Treaty of Wellington Day | The day that the Treaty of Wellington came into effect in 2012 |
| 31 December | New Years Eve | The last day of the the year |
