Australians Doing More Work from Home

December 14th, 2017 Career Advice

The International Career Institute has commissioned exclusive research which highlighted two surprising facts. First, in every four workers, one dedicates a minimum of five hours every week for work after office hours. Second, one in ten workers is spending at least ten hours, or about thirteen weeks per year, completing tasks outside the workplace.

The study participated by 1,846 workers revealed that nearly half dedicate more time doing work outside the office than they did only five years back. Moreover, men are two times more likely to devote 12 hours or more doing so.

Gladys Mae, Director of Student Services at the International Career Institute, stated the appeal of tablet computers and smartphones as well as faster, more affordable broadband the reasons behind workers doing their jobs from almost all locations.

He added that the development was “not always about working more hours”; it concerns providing flexibility to workers too. “There are times when you do have to work on the weekend, but do you want to go into the office or do you want to labour from home and continue what you need to get done? In that case, I see (this trend) as a positive thing.”

A recent graduate of the International Career Institute, 28-year-old Monica Colley from Brisbane, said her iPhone has been a great help to her in checking her work email while on the road. Every week, she dedicates about five hours of work outside her workplace.

According to Ms. Colley, her employer supports a flexible work system, which includes a work from home setup on a regular or ad hoc basis. Specifically, she mentioned: “The policy’s been in place for several years, but I think the uptake increases with each year and all staff are encouraged to do it.”

by Gladys Mae

Gladys Mae served as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute (ICI) from 2010 to 2025. A graduate of the University of San Jose - Recoletos with a degree in Mass Communication (Broadcast Media), she brought exceptional communication and organisational strengths to the role. During her 15-year tenure at ICI, Gladys provided decisive leadership, ensured high-quality student support, and played a pivotal role in shaping a positive learning experience for thousands of students.Before joining ICI, Gladys built a diverse professional background through key positions in the banking and business process outsourcing sectors, giving her a strong foundation in customer service, operations management, and team leadership.