Harvesting is a busy time for vineyard staff. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Harvesting is a busy time for vineyard staff. Photo / Brett Phibbs
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Wine Industry Wellness Week isn’t about sampling the wares of the vineyard, it’s a chance to share ideas and support each other, spokeswoman Kathrin Jankowiec says.
Jankowiec said it was typical for wine industry workers to just keep on “getting stuff done” without taking a break.
“You knuckle down and you just carry on and you tough it out,” she told The Country’s Jamie Mackay.
“I think we’re all very passionate in the industry and you really pour yourself in.”
Jankowiec said the industry had many seasonal changes that required a lot of effort to get through, which put workers under stress during peak times such as harvesting.
However, over time the industry expanded at a rapid pace and the highs and lows blended into one, she said.
“I think the pressure points carried on, it wasn’t just harvest that was a peak ... it carried on throughout the year.”
This is where Wine Industry Wellness Week comes in.
The event, run by Marlborough winegrowers, is in its second year and is an opportunity to focus on what keeps people well.
Jankowiec said there were already a lot of good initiatives underway in local wineries and Wine Industry Wellness Week was a great time to share those ideas for everyone’s benefit.
Wine industry representative Kathrin Jankowiec. Photo / Farmstrong
An example was six-day working weeks at harvest, instead of the traditional seven, she said.
“You work 12 hours a day and obviously, it does become quite tiring by the end and we all know that feeling, that at some point you start crawling to the finishing line and you’re just not as fresh anymore.”
Jankowiec said this could result in cloudy judgment.
“It becomes quite unhealthy, so a lot of people have now looked at ways to mitigate these kinds of long hours.
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“One of the great wins that came out of it was that people have started to implement six-day work weeks.”
This showed what could be done when those in the industry got together to share ideas, Jankowiec said.
Jankowiec said Farmstrong had also got in behind Wine Industry Wellness Week by providing tips and tools to help staff manage the ups and downs of working life.
“Farmstrong has been fantastic in supporting the Marlborough Wellness Week.”
Also in today’s interview: Jankowiec explained her teaching background and how she ended up working with the wine industry in New Zealand.
