Workers with long commutes less satisfied with their job: Aussie report

SYDNEY -- Employees with long commutes are much more likely to be dissatisfied in their job, a new Australian survey on Tuesday has found.

The results of Melbourne University's Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey also found that Australians are now making longer commutes than ever before.

"On average, they had a commuting time of around 3.7 hours per week in 2002, and now we're up to four and a half hours a week," co-author of the report Dr Inga Lass said.

"They spend on average 66 minutes a day traveling to and from work."

"Among this group, it's the Sydneysiders who have the longest commutes. (They) spend around 71 minutes a day traveling to and from work."

Tracking 17,500 people in 9,500 households since 2001, the HILDA Survey also revealed a number of other trends in modern Australian households.

"Among the majority of couples, at least one partner experiences high levels of work-family conflict, that is, when work demands negatively impact on family life," Lass said.

"In 2001, fathers had significantly higher levels of work-family conflict than mothers, since then, we've seen their conflict scores decrease, while that of mothers' have risen."

It is, therefore, no surprise that the report found the more hours a parent works, the higher their work-family conflict score.

"Once we account for working hours, it is mothers who have the highest levels of work-family conflict," Lass said.

"In other words, most working mothers achieve a better balance between work and family spheres by working only part-time hours. But while part-time work frees up time for family, it comes with repercussions on earnings, career trajectory, and superannuation balances."

The HILDA Survey also concluded there has been a sharp rise in fixed-term contracts among most age groups, but most markedly among workers aged between 25 and 34 years.