WA accountants on the money

WESTERN Australian bean counters work harder than all of their national counterparts (except Queenslanders), according to a new study by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. The national survey of 600 accountants, predominantly in the 21-30-year age bracket, found that a third of respondents worked more than 50 hours per week, yet only 20 per cent believed they had a poor work-life balance. Nearly 25 per cent of workhorses from Queensland worked weekends and evenings, followed by 22 per cent of Western Australians. The most common reason cited for poor work-life balance was the expectation to work long hours. Working for one of the Big Four, in mid-tier public practices, or in commerce meant working longer hours than those in small public practices. The gender divide was fairly even, with men working 46 hours and women 44 hours in an average week.