The modern Australian society is very demanding of people in their workplace, but at the same time, offers benefits through employee welfare. Often, time spent at work is greater compared to other activities, so proper working conditions have become extremely important. There are several reasons that offer explanations to such a trend which relate to safety, health guarantees, and leave or pension support.
The society and working regulations are the moving force in any job. This can be attributed to social and the demands of people. Previously, working conditions were poor, but people had no choice. Australia was one of England’s colonies, and it would seem that the same rules and laws would be in both countries, but this was not the case.
Welfare in the workplace is a concept that is rather recent. The global economic crisis has hit all countries, and those with strong worker base had a better chance to get back into shape. It has sharply reduced the volume of production, which led to the breakdown of finances, caused widespread destruction and bankruptcy of industrial, commercial and financial firms, not to mention mass unemployment (Turnell, 2002).
Something had to be done to increase the quality of working conditions, and a system of benefits was implemented. From one perspective, it allowed people to have better support, which resulted in a stronger social fabric. The United Kingdom was among the first places that offered people better working conditions. Employees were provided with a healthcare plan; they were guaranteed pay or treatment in case of accidents or health problems.
Some places offered paid vacations, which greatly increased morale, and people delivered higher work output. When comparing the United Kingdom and Australia, it is clear that the UK had a much better economy and industrial support. As it was considered a part of Europe, the social development was on a much higher level. Whereas in Australia, people relied more on farming, and there were no particular work or social benefits.
The main reforms have been carried out in the employment sphere, and a large number of laws covering all aspects of social, economic, and political life became crucial to society. To combat the main problem—poor working conditions and organization, as well as to improve the material conditions of the population, the following measures were taken: the introduction of unemployment insurance and public works, as well as medical support.
For political reasons, the government paid special attention to the increase in employment among young people and the offering of employee welfare and benefits “sweetened” the deal. To reduce social tension, it has been decided to organize simple public works, not requiring significant capital expenditures.
These and other measures, in addition to its direct purpose, stimulated purchasing capacity, implementing the inflationary mechanism of the economy. Construction of new factories, together with proper working conditions, helped strengthen society. A new system of insurance provided more secure and reliable job placement and stability in the economy.
In the modern days, Australia is considered of the countries with best working conditions. Even though not everyone can afford to diversify and live a luxurious lifestyle, the guarantees and benefits given to employees provide what is needed for the families. Australia is a very fast-paced environment where industrialization has created many opportunities and avenues for people to work. There is a large number of professions that exist, and so, people can choose any type of activity they like.
This happens not because people are forced to work but because there is true enjoyment in work, especially with all the benefits. A person can take pleasure and pride in their profession, and this is very much representative of society. The education provided is very differential, which gives people a selection of jobs they can dedicate themselves to. Almost all organizations and businesses are governed by the same policies and regulations where people are provided welfare and employment benefits.
Not only has work become more interesting, but it is now a place of social life and self-representation. People are appreciative of their jobs and thankful to have one. Of course, financial reasons and the natural pull of society to have more resources is another factor. As social life creates conditions that require more money to be spent on life, people feel the need for better conditions and benefits (Patton, 2003).
In the last years, Australia has seemed somewhat of a shift in the employment rates. A lot more people are choosing part-time employment, and this leads to fewer benefits. The personal goals of an individual play a significant role. There are also some statistics that show the migration of people back and forth between Australia and the UK (Ho, 2004). This and person’s wants and needs upset the balance between the economy and employment.
A determination to have a better way of life, to have a higher quality of products acquired and services enjoyed will, without a doubt lead to more hours spent at work. Australian society allows for a great number of pleasures, and people are very attracted to the different activities they can participate in. One of the negative aspects of social movements is that employers and organizations cannot keep working benefits constant.
The present economy and market are very unstable, and people have to greatly rely on their jobs, even in the absence of benefits (Burgess, 2005). Even if it is low paying or has an increased amount of hours, it is much better than being unemployed or constantly seeking a place to work. This creates great stress on a person, and often, there are health side effects. In this case, the worker’s compensation and welfare are needed the most.
Australia is one of the most developed and highly industrialized countries, but still, sometimes there are moments when jobs become scarce and so, people realize how important it is to have a well-paying job (Campbell, 2008). While society demands people to hold on tight to their jobs, a loss of work by someone close plays a major role in people being supported by the organization.
Not to mention that many people are single parents, and they have to support themselves and they’re heavily relying on organizational benefits or welfare. Overall, the majority of people are of the type where the environment gives them no choice but to work hard to get by and provide for their family. This is a sad reality of the modern world that has many negative effects not only on a person’s physical health but on their psychological well-being also (Dixon, 2002).
One of the most important criteria in the system of benefits and employee welfare is that management and applications must be effective and practical. The unique set of procedures is special to each organization, and the environment must be adjusted to. The unique nature of Australian society demands proper benefits, training, worker facilities, and a pension fund. Presently, the pension age for women has been increased and is now the same as for men, which is 65.
It is clear that the first sign of an ineffective organization is a loss of quality in employee welfare. The assets and stability in the company are directly involved in providing a healthy environment for the workers, so there is much interdependence in the treatment of employees, their working efforts and well being of an organization. A disorganized structure will have immediate effects on the functioning of the corporation as a unit.
Many times, there is a miscommunication between the management and the employees, which is another area of poor welfare. The management has duties that are related to the distribution of roles and finances in the company, and a portion should go to bettering the environment (Stegman, 2001).
The main focus is on the creation of conditions, which can be used for the benefit of the organization. Employees, in turn, have a goal of making a salary for themselves but also supporting the company, so that it keeps running, thus providing them with a workplace. To improve mutual dependence, there could be meetings for closer interaction with all the departments and prioritizing on the needs of the workers.
Personal views of every worker in the company add to the greater understanding of the matters and areas that might need improvement in the common welfare. A chance to try several positions within the organization could allow for a better choice of personnel, with a better set of skills, as presently Australia has many unskilled and unqualified people (Waring, 2001).
Organizations in the past would have a similar general pattern and structure, but conditions were much worse. The fact that there will always be people and organizations, which provide a service or a product, makes welfare a crucial consideration of any work. For a very long time, people have been creating cooperative relationships, which would allow for an easier and quicker gain of finances. But as the culture and society changes, so do the needs and demands in the employment benefits.
The economy and the global market have developed with unexpected rates, together with debts and spending, so people must have better work security. The relationship between the company and its employees is determined by the inner world, which is directly influenced by the market in the city, country, and other partnering organizations (Sol, 2005). The needs and wants of many people establish a framework between businesses and the public.
The benefits of proper and respectful employee welfare lead to many advantages, as a group decision can be seen in the effectiveness and productivity of several people, working on the same task. The unification of goals and plans makes the work easier and faster. It is a well-known fact that Australia is a friendly and helping nation, so the unity of people is reflected in the benefits of the workplace (Michelson, 2008).
As evident, there are several reasons why people require employment benefits. The balance between the working environment and the success of a company depends on management and workers. The higher the quality of employment conditions, the more prosperous both people and organizations become.
Reference List
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Campbell, I 2008, ‘Pressing towards Full Employment? The Persistence of Underemployment in Australia’, Journal of Australian Political Economy, no. 61, n.p.
Dixon, J 2002, The State of Social Welfare: The Twentieth Century in Cross-national Review, Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport, CT.
Ho, C 2004, ‘Migrants and Employment: Challenging the Success Story’, Journal of Sociology, vol. 40, no. 3, n.p.
Michelson, G 2008, New Employment Actors: Developments from Australia, Peter Lang, Hochfeldstrasse, Switzerland.
Patton, W 2003, ‘Psychological Distress and Burnout in Australian Employment Service Workers: Two Years On’, Journal of Employment Counseling, vol. 40, no. 1, n.p.
Sol, E 2005, Contractualism in Employment Services: A New Form of Welfare State Governance, Kluwer Law International, Bedfordshire, UK.
Stegman, A 2001, ‘Labour Market Flexibility and the Output-Employment Ratio in Australia’, The Economic and Labour Relations Review : ELRR, vol. 12, no. 2, n.p.
Turnell , S 2002, ‘Australia’s ‘Employment Approach’ to International Postwar Reconstruction: Calling the Bluff of Multilateralism’, History of Economics Review, vol. 36, n.p.
Waring, P 2001, ‘The Third Way, Employment and the Workplace in Australia’, The Economic and Labour Relations Review : ELRR, vol. 12, No. 2, n.p.