However, an increasing number of Australians are falling into a slavish devotion to their jobs that has experts worried about their long-term health.

Small business owners like Mr Konstas have always worked long hours, but an increasing number of Australians are joining them in their slavish devotion, with a recent survey finding Aussies rank third in the world for going a full year without taking a single holiday, behind the United Arab Emirates and Brazil.

The 77-year-old starts work at Mark’s Fish Shop at 8am every day of the week and stays until at least 10pm every night. The 100-hour work week would be a Herculean task for a man half his age, but Mr Konstas said he was used to the routine, which he had kept for about 50 years.

“What would I do if I stopped work?” Mr Konstas asked.

“It’s part of my life, I enjoy it and I’m very close to my customers, they’re like a family.”

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the number of employed people who work from home has rose to 30 per cent in recent years. Nearly half of the 3.5 million people who often work from home in their primary employment say they do so to “catch up” on their heavy workloads.

Jardines Cafe owner Rob Illsley said mobile phones were making people more available to their employers outside of work hours, suggesting Australia adopt a European move to ban excess overtime.

“It’s easier than ever for businesses to take advantage of workers who want to make their bosses happy,” Mr Illsley said.

“I can control my hours, but for people who worry what their boss thinks or have deadlines it can be a problem. People need to be able to switch off and be well rested.”

Since January 2, French workers have had the “right to disconnect”, meaning they can legally ignore work emails outside of their normal working hours.

“Employees leave the office, but they do not leave their work,” French MP Benoit Hamon told the BBC.