Stressing the need for breaks

Kiwis in need of cheaper holidays are flocking to campgrounds like Motutere at Lake Taupo. Photo / Supplied

Workers afraid they will be next in line for redundancy as the recession causes more job losses are spending longer in the workplace, hoping it will help them hang on to their jobs.

Work-life balance expert professor Michael O'Driscoll, from Waikato University, says there's evidence New Zealanders are working longer hours as pressures mount on organisations to be more productive and profitable, and that flows down to individuals.

"All of us are starting to feel those pressures," says O'Driscoll. "When jobs are scarce, people will go the extra mile to hold on to their job."

And Kiwis were already working hard before redundancy waves began crashing. A 2007 United Nations study found New Zealand was fourth-highest among developed nations for the greatest percentage of workers putting in more than a 48-hour week.

Around 23.6 per cent were doing more than 48 hours, compared to 20 per cent of Australian workers. The work-life imbalance may be making us stressed and sick, and affecting family life.

"It's not just working harder, but concerns about job stability that contributes to stress," O'Driscoll says.

Jo Harrison, a partner at executive recruitment firm Kerridge & Partners, says stress intensified by the economic downturn has led to a string of suicides among top executives around the world.

She warns employees and managers to watch for signals that people are stressed out.

O'Driscoll believes there has been more recognition at a business level of the importance of work-life balance.

"Organisations have a responsibility for the welfare and wellbeing of employees," he says. "But it needs to be a joint approach.

"A lot of organisations are doing their best to enhance that level of balance, and individuals need to take stock of themselves and think what their own priorities are. It means making hard choices, like not taking work home at night."

For stressed-out workers, sometimes there's nothing else for it but to take a break, but for people already struggling to make ends meet, luxury holidays are no longer an option.

But R & R need not cost an arm and a leg. So you can't afford to go skiing? How about a day on the slope at Snow Planet near Albany for $54 per adult ($148 for a family of four), with apres-ski at home in front of the tele?

Holiday accommodation too pricey? Take it with you, in the form of a camper van for $75 a day. Some firms even have a relocation scheme in which you can pay as little as $5 to $10 a day to drive a van from one part of the country to another.

The Auckland Regional Council offers baches for rent ($120 a night, sleeping six) in some of the most spectacular coastal locations.

ARC campsites are a mere $5 to $10, Department of Conservation basic camps are free, and its standard camps cost $3 to $10 per adult.

Leslie Preston, general manager of Bachcare, says her company has holiday homes on its books for as little as $70 a night for two bedrooms, or a home to sleep up to 10 people for $100. "That's phenomenal value. It's better value than a backpackers."

Preston estimates that bookings have risen at least 10 per cent since the recession started.

John McCann, general manager of Top 10 Holiday Parks, confirms the recession has not harmed business.

He reckons the company's turnover is up 10 per cent, and New Zealanders not overseas visitors are flocking to camping grounds around the country.

10 WARNING SIGNS

Jo Harrison, a partner at executive recruitment firm Kerridge & Partners, says there are clear signs for employees and managers that people are stressed out. They include:

* Lack of ability to make decisions
* Memory lapses and uncharacteristic errors
* Increased time spent at work, either trying to meet deadlines or to impress the boss
* Employees feeling they have to do everything themselves
* Withdrawal - arriving late for work, leaving early, extended lunch breaks and absenteeism
* Elusiveness or evasiveness
* Aggressive behaviour, such as shouting in the office
* Bullying
* Out of character behaviour
* Increased consumption of alcohol.