Since you
read this thread, I believe your IELTS score minimum 4.5, you are ready to get your adventure in Australia, and you have to
speak English. The more practice, the better it will be. Sometime it is nice to
talk in Indonesia, but trust me, it won’t make your English better, even worse.
So now, practice your English.. haha.. my grammar is not very good (I know) but
I have tried my best to write it out.. J
Annual Leave and Sick Leave (AL and
SL)
When you
working with pay the tax, your employer have to give you AL and SL. What is
that?
AL is when
you work couple hour, you earn couple minutes. So you keep saving this couple
minutes to being hours until multihour. For example, I was working 6 month, and
I got 40 hour AL. which, you will get paid when you take holidays. Just say
that after 6 month working, you decide to take a break and wanna explore
Australia, give 2 weeks notice to the boss, and you will get paid for the days
that you off. If you have 40AL then, the boss pay your wages when you on
holiday.
Same with
Al, SL is for when you sick, you still get paid when you sick. Some boss asking
for doctors note that you were sick, some boss did not.
4 Type of Job
1. Full time
You will get
minimum 38 hour
2. Part time
You will get
minimum 19 hour
3. Casual
Your hour depend
on the boss
4. Cash in
Hand
This job you
will get your salary as cash in hand
For full
time and part time, you definitely get AL, SL, and Super Annuation. The minimum
wages for full time and part time is $18/hour Monday to Friday, $21/hour for Saturday,
$28/hour for Sunday. All of those is before tax. For casual, you didn’t get
guarantee how many hour, but you get higher wages approx $22.50/hour before tax.
In casual, you didn’t get Al, SL, but still get Super Annuation. In full time,
Part time and Casual, they will pay you 2,5 times your wages on Australia
public holiday. For Cash in Hand, they pay you cash, is job is illegal by law. But
still, so many places still pay the employee by cash. The wages start from
$10-$15. You did not pay tax in cash in hand job, that’s why it is illegal by
law. And if Taxation Department know it, you, your employee will get fine. The fine
it self its about up to $1,000.
Right Hand
In
Indonesia, we get use to give and receive everything with right hand. It is
rude in Indonesia if you give or receive with left hand. But not in here. You or
other people can give and receive with either both hand. In here, people just
being flexible to move.
Work Culture
In
Australia, you will get paid by hour. So if you are not working in the office,
please do not expect to sit down when you working. Stand up, and smile. You will
be expected to stand up depend on how many hour you work. but every 5 hour
work, you deserve 30 minute unpaid break. Keep trying to do something, keep
your self busy. Remember, they pay you by hour. Just thinking “how if I am the
employer?” because in Australia, it is not just about how to get a job, but
also how to keep the job.
If this is
your first time working overseas, you might start with underpaid wages. Take the
job! Do not picky. You need the money to survive. Even it is just $10/hour, it
is still money. Its really better than nothing. And you can put that job as
your experience, to get a better job. If you get a better job, leave the job
with good impression. Why? Because you might need it as your references. For an
example, one of my friend is very picky on job, so she was jobless for three
month in Perth. Which is Perth is one of ten the expensive city in the world. Noodle
everyday is not very good, don’t you agree with me?
If your
manager did not tell you the wages, ask them. They will never angry about it. Do
not bring Indonesian guilty’s feeling or shy or whatever it is. If you asking
in polite way, they will answer you. This is how to ask “can I please know how
much is my wages?”
Thank You and Please
In Australia,
you will be very rude if you not saying please and thank you in everytime you
talking. Always said “thank you” when
you get something, and always said “please” when you asking or order something.
You do not want to embarrass your self and your country, right? It is easy..
Try it! And you will get the best things return, a smile.
Excuse Me
If some
people suddenly stop in front of you in shopping centre or train station or
every where, just say “excuse me” and usually they will said “oh.. I am sorry”.
And you can reply “that is okay”. You do not touch people for no reason in
here, even it is their arm or shoulder. It is rude in here.
Self Service
In Coles or
Woolworth you will find self check out. It means, you scan the barcode of your
stuff that you decide to buy, and there is so many option how to pay. Card,
cash, or gift cards. Just pick one of the option, and put your stuff to plastic
bag, and leave. Please do not try to steal something. The fine is not worthed J
Driving
You can
driving in Australia with your International license or you can do translate
your local license to Indonesia Embassy. Carry your original license and the
translation with you when you driving. The rule in here is very straight. I am
completely mad when I know the fine, but I realize that the rule is to protect
our self. Here is some of the fine:
Playing phone
when driving: $350
Speeding:
less than 9Km is $100
Driving through
red light: $150
Driver not
wearing seatbelt: $600
And still so
many fine. There is speed camera in Western Australia, so we have to safe drive
and obey the rule.
Please do
not try to drive when you drunk. There is RBT (Random Breath Test) every where.
The police will ask you to stop, and ask you to blow the stuff until they said
stop, and they can check how many alcohol you might had. The limit is 0.05.
when you over the limit, welcome to the fine that up to $2,500. If you not pay
your fine, trust me, Australia keep your record, and it will be harder for you
to apply another visa in the future. Beside, you have to pay the fine up front
with interest on it.
The Weather
Australia
does have 4 season. Summer start December to February. It will 21 degree until
42 degree. Autumn start March to May. It will 14 degree until 25 degree. Winter
start June to August. It will 4 degree until 19 degree. Spring start September
to November. It will 12 degree until 22 degree. So prepare your bikini on
summer, and prepare your coat and boot on winter.
That is
little bit about Australia. Still many more that you need explore your self..
Last but not
least, Welcome to Straya!!!

