Australians are giving more and more time to paid work.

Many employees draw much meaning in their lives from their paid work
whether it is from their pay, the tasks they do, the difference these
tasks make to others or their communities, the skills they exercise,
the things they make or learn, or the relationships, laughs or social
connection work brings. What kinds of meaning do we draw from work, how
much does it matter, and how does meaning vary between people, over the
life course, and compared to other things we do and are?

This lecture will reflect on how the meaning of work varies between jobs and by
socio-economic status. It will consider how the terms, conditions and
contexts of work add to, or detract from, the meaning of work in our
lives. The lecture will argue that particular terms, conditions and
contexts matter a great deal to the meaning we draw from work, and that
what the makers of these terms and conditions do - employers, unions
and governments - can help make work more meaningful in lives that are
increasingly shaped by the stamp of work.