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What constitutes 'reasonable hours' remains undefined in workplace legislation, but a rise in litigation, alongside changing expectations, mean it's an area requiring more attention, a lawyer says.

Elizabeth Ticehurst, an of counsel with Biztech Lawyers, says the fact a former employee of CommBank-owned startup Unloan has alleged he was forced to work up to 60-hour weeks across multiple roles, only to be made redundant when he objected, has created new buzz around overtime.

But 60-hour weeks aren't uncommon in some industries, and are "quite common" when a startup is still getting off the ground, Ticehurst says. "There aren't a lot of funds... and there's a lot of pressure on employees." In many cases those employees are young, and the "hustle culture" has everyone working around the clock...