Australia in bid to lure 'bored' British workers

An estimated 60% of British employees are bored with their jobs and almost three-quarters never leave their office during work hours, according to a study.

The research is part of a recruiting drive to lure young Britons to Australia to fill positions as diverse as koala catcher, beer taster and shark tagger.

Those bored with their work said it rarely pushed them outside their comfort zone, while 71% said they never had an opportunity to escape the office, the poll of 2,000 people for the Government of South Australia found.

Among the most disgruntled are those in Wrexham and Coventry, which were identified by the study as the worst places to work in Britain based on wages and social life.

Those most bored by their work come from Portsmouth, Chelmsford, Southampton, Cardiff and Oxford.

The survey revealed the most boring job sectors to be electronics, administration, retail and call centre work.

The South Australian government launched a new campaign to poach stressed and bored Brits, advertising a range of jobs "in stark contrast to the UK's long working hours, high taxes and increasing retirement age".

It is hoping to tempt 18 to 30-year-olds with the promise of the the "ultimate work-life balance".

Other jobs on offer are for a Fairy Penguin home remodeller on Kangaroo Island, a shark personality profiler at Port Lincoln and a "roo poo" harvester.

All interested applicants need to do is fly to South Australia on a working holiday visa to be in with a chance of snagging their dream role, the government said.

South Australia's London-based agent general Bill Muirhead said: "Life seems to be dealing workers a rough hand at the moment. Not even the recent sunny weather has managed to cheer up the Brits.

"This isn't about one job that everyone has to compete for, but rather about showing people that South Australia offers more exciting work and travel options than anywhere else in the world. And anyone on a working holiday could do them.

"Travellers who want to work have an option. Take the usual trail, do the usual jobs, or go for something that you can't get anywhere else in the world and have an experience you'll be dining out on for years, the sort of experience you'll be telling your grand-kids about.

"This is the first time these jobs have collectively been released and with no previous experience necessary, we're offering people a genuine chance to get away from it all."

Occupational psychologist Kim Stephenson said: "We spend lots of time at work and enjoying it is important to our wellbeing. Work also affects our lives. Stress at work can harm our health, hurt our relationships and prevent us enjoying our leisure time. Boredom, long hours, too much or too little challenge and control are stressful.

"Many people chase material things thinking that will make them happy. Actually, they make little difference. Once you have enough to eat and a roof over your head what makes you happy ultimately are experiences."