Howdy, I’m David and I am currently interning with QualityTrade, a supplier certificate company, in Australia.
Because the company I am interning with is a startup with relatively few employees, I typically only see a handful of employees in the office at any time while most are working remotely from abroad or in their homes. Along with this, I’ve been informed the workplace is at its most casual here in Australia at the moment because of the Coronavirus pandemic’s effects. Australia’s response to COVID-19 was very harsh implementing years of lockdown and strict travel restrictions. This has resulted in many workplaces becoming more casual in attire.
However, now that most businesses are now currently back to mostly normal, many normal Australian customs are still present. While both the USA and Australia are English-speaking countries, there are still many key cultural differences in how business is run. Australians, in general, are more direct; they aren’t afraid to speak their opinion on matters whether or not they are considered less politically correct. It wouldn’t be strange in a company for some employees to ask and talk about topics like religion and political views that would be considered more sensitive in the US. Finally, there is a much larger tie from business to casual matters. Drinking culture is very real and noticeable in Australia partly due to the reduced drinking age of 18. It isn’t strange to attend a post-work drinking party with some co-workers to unwind and relax or go out with the boss for a small drink. This ties into the social aspect of business where you can connect and bond with fellow employees and workers in a bar rather than in the workplace itself. That was a summary of a couple of my initial business impressions during my first week or two in Australia. There will surely be more differences I notice later on in my internship but those were the ones that stood out to me the most.
