‘Feels so positive’: Expat reveals the biggest culture shocks after working in Australia for a year

A young expat who has been working in Australia for a year has revealed the working norms in Aus that have left her completely shocked.

After working in Australia for over a year, an expat from Singapore has shared the biggest culture shocks she’s experienced.

Luna, 29, works in media in Melbourne and has been surprised by Australia’s chill workplace culture.

Firstly, unlike in Singapore where a typical working day ends at 6pm, Aussies knock off at 5pm.

“The one that stood out the most is how everyone leaves on time. In Singapore, especially in small and mid-sized companies, I hardly see anyone packing as the clock strikes 6pm,” she said.

The young worker said, in Singapore, leaving work before your boss does back isn’t exactly the done thing if you want to get ahead.

“There’s a certain unspoken stress that comes with leaving the office before your boss leaves,” she told news.com.au.

“There was once, at my first job, when I left on time my then-manager remarked, ‘Wow, you’re leaving early today’.”

Luna has been working in Australia for a solid year. Picture: TikTok/ytbubbletea

She said Aussies respect work-life balance. Picture: TikTok/ytbubbletea

The 29-year-old stressed that she didn’t go in completely blind and had done some research before coming to work in Australia, but it was still a shock.

“I love the emphasis on work-life balance. Nobody disturbs me when I’m on vacation, and even if someone emails me after working hours, they do not expect a reply until the next day,” she said.

The young worker said the cultural norm in Australia is that you should take leave and “enjoy it” and not be contacted while you’re away. She was stunned to discover that there also a law around this,

In August 2024, Australia introduced the Right to Disconnect law, which ensures employees can refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employer or others outside of their working hours, unless refusal is unreasonable.

Luna claimed it is proof that Aussies really “respect the boundary between work and personal life”, which she appreciates.

She said Aussies really focus on working and personal boundaries. Picture: TikTok/ytbubbletea

She said people are chill at work and talk to each other like they are friends. Picture: TikTok/ytbubbletea

The worker has also been amazed to discover the concept of long service leave, where if you’ve been at a company for over a certain amount of time, you get extended paid leave.

It varies depending on where in the country you are working. For instance, in the ACT, you receive it is just over six weeks of long service leave after seven years, but in NSW, you’re entitled to two months after a decade.

Luna has also been astounded by how casual Aussies are at work and said the “chill vibes” have been a nice surprise.

She has found it wild that people will say the F-word in the office and co-workers talk to each other like their friends.

The 29-year-old also said she was taken aback by how relaxed the Aussie office culture is, even if someone makes a mistake.

“Everyone is very chill about things going wrong. If you’re running late, text your boss. Need to work from home? That is all good. Made a mistake? No worries we will fix it together,” she said.

“Work culture feels so positive and less toxic in Australia.”

She said that people are chill if you’re running late. Picture: TikTok/ytbubbletea

She said she was surprised to learn Aussies eat lunch alone. Picture: TikTok/ytbubbletea

Luna has also observed that, in Australia, it is normal to bring food in for lunch and eat alone, whereas back in Singapore you always buy lunch out and grab food as a team.

“I kind of like this better as it encourages team bonding, but of course, it is annoying when there’s someone I dislike in the team,” she said.

Another downside about working in Australia is that she’s been stunned to learn that she has to pay 30 per cent tax in Australia, while back home, she only paid three per cent in tax.

There’s also the fact that she’s found it hard to connect with her co-workers, but she’s getting better at it.

“The part I’m finding challenging is finding common topics with people to chat about. Coming from a different culture and country, I consume different media, watch different shows etc,” she said.

“Plus, Aussies are chattier than Singaporeans, so I struggle with trying to hold conversations. I’ve been trying to bridge that gap by listening to Aussie podcasts, watching Aussie reality TV shows, and following Aussie news.

“I also noticed that people in Melbourne always complain about the weather so I do that now as a small talk topic.”

She said Aussies love to complain about the weather. Picture: iStock

Luna’s work observations have divided people online, with some claiming Australia has an amazing work culture and others not being so convinced.

“There are still many problems with Aussie workplaces including subtle racism and micro-aggressions,” one said.

“Australia sucks! Saying that as an Aussie,” another noted.

“I’d pay the tax just for the work life balance,” someone else said.

“Been in Australia for over a decade and I could never go back to the work culture in Singapore. Toxic places do exist in Australia and it’s a different kind of toxicity, but everyone does respect others time outside of work,” one said.

“I got scolded once for calling an Australian colleague at 4.30pm. They really take their 9-5 seriously,” another shared.

“Okay, I don’t know where you are working, but this has not been my experience in Australia working in law. It must vary widely between industries,” someone else said.

“This made me feel kind of blessed to be an Aussie. I didn’t realise our work culture was so good,” one chimed in.

Originally published as ‘Feels so positive’: Expat reveals the biggest culture shocks after working in Australia for a year