KEY POINTS:
The nine-to-five work day still rules in New Zealand but things are slowly changing.
The Survey of Working Life, released today by Statistics New Zealand, found that of the 2,138,900 people employed in the March quarter 73.6 per cent were permanently employed, 12 per cent self-employed, 7.7 per
cent temporarily employed and 5.7 per cent were employers.
Of the employed people, 62.7 per cent said they usually worked during standard working hours - 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday.
Two per cent said they had no usual working time and 35.3 per cent said they worked outside standard hours.
Of those working outside standard hours, 26 per cent said they had family, health, sleeping, or social difficulties due to their work hours.
Just over half (50.5 per cent) of the people questioned said they had done some weekend work in the last month, usually Saturdays.
However, flexible working hours were benefiting workers.
Forty eight per cent said they had flexible hours in their main job and 6.2 per cent said they had some flexible hours.
Self-employed (82.1 per cent) and employers (73.9 per cent) were more likely to have flexible hours.
Most people (84.1 per cent) reported being satisfied, or very satisfied, with their main job and 75.8 per cent said they were satisfied, or very satisfied, with their work-life balance.
The remainder were dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied, (8.8 per cent) or neither (14.9 per cent).
Temporary workers were more likely (34.9 per cent) to be aged 15-24 and young people and females were likely to have shorter job tenure.
Over a quarter (28.1 per cent) of people worked long hours - more than 45 hours a week. Men and those in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries were more likely to work longer.
Most people found their work stressful, 17.5 per cent said it was often or always stressful and 40.9 per cent said it was sometimes stressful.
Two-thirds of employees were entitled to four weeks paid annual leave, 14.9 per cent were entitled to more than four weeks and 6.5 per cent received a pay increase rather than annual leave.
Two per cent said they were entitled to less than four weeks and ten people did not know their leave entitlement or did not receive any leave.
Just over one-third of people belonged to a union. Most employees, 57.9 per cent, were on an individual contract, 26.8 per cent were on a collective.
Women and permanent employees were more likely to belong to a union.
- NZPA
