Quick reads

IS WFH KEEPING US WELL?

A recent Frog Recruitment poll shows that 67 per cent of those surveyed admitted to spending time on life admin tasks while working from home.

In the survey of 1,020 New Zealand employees, one-third revealed they shave more than three hours a week off their housework and hobbies, with 40 per cent prioritising washing and laundry and a quarter focusing on cleaning and tidying up.

“If employers are worried about the productivity of a remote workforce, these statistics will fuel those fears,” says Frog Recruitment Managing Director Shannon Barlow.

“However, they need to consider the bigger picture, such as the impact on employee satisfaction and engagement.

“Giving workers the chance to get on top of life admin can pay big dividends when it comes to workplace wellbeing. Trying to juggle full-time work with running a household in our increasingly pressured world can be overwhelming for many people, and allowing them to get on top of it supports their mental and emotional wellbeing, reduces burnout, and improves workplace productivity.”

The poll also explored the financial considerations of working from home and found that one-third of workers are saving over $100 per week on travel, parking and meal costs.

Changes To Work Visa Scheme

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) announced large-scale changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme in April. These policy changes have far-reaching implications for businesses. Under the AEWV scheme, a range of verification steps are involved in the application process, including accreditation, Job Check and work visa steps, as well as post-accreditation checks. According to INZ’s website, 212 active investigations on accredited employers are currently under way, 255 employers have had their accreditation revoked and 82 have had their accreditation suspended. Revocations and suspensions can occur if there are breaches of accreditation standards. INZ points out on its website that “the vast majority of employers are doing the right thing and treat their migrant workers fairly and well”.

For more information on the changes and what they may mean for your organisation, see our article on page 22.

GREATER RECOGNITION OF MOTHERHOOD EXPERIENCES NEEDED

New research released in April examines the lived experiences of mothers in leadership positions and finds that more recognition is required to achieve true gender balance at leadership levels.

The research, conducted by Dr Amanda Sterling, explores mothers’ experiences in leadership, and how those experiences (eg, of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and care of very young children) could challenge what we consider ‘normal leadership’. Amanda goes on to say that if organisations applied this understanding, it would open up greater opportunities for the inclusion of women in leadership roles.

“Research shows us that motherhood is still the biggest dropping-off point for women in leadership,” says Amanda. “Therefore the biggest challenge organisations have to solve, if they want more female leaders and wish to be truly inclusive, is how they support mothers within those higher-pressure leadership roles. This research reveals how explicitly recognising, and actively supporting, embodied experiences within leadership could lead to better outcomes for women, as well as the organisations that employ them.”

The full report is available here.

Over 65s staying in work longer

A recent study by AgeCalculator.com using OECD labour market exit age data shows that New Zealanders are staying in work longer, with the average age rising to 67 years in 2020, up from 61 in 2000. A mandatory retirement age was eliminated in New Zealand in 2000 allowing older people to continue in paid work. Although government superannuation kicks in at age 65, people are staying in work longer.

As Retirement Commission policy lead Michelle Reyers says, “New Zealand has got a number of policies in place that actually encourage older people to continue in paid work that don’t actually exist in other countries. And this is really giving people flexibility and choice to decide when they’re going to exit from paid work.”

TAKE A BREAK – READ AND LISTEN

Ready for a mini break from your desk? These three books and one podcast provide valuable guidance to help you in your HR role.

Career Unstuck by Charlotte Blair

Whatever stage of your working life you are at, this book aims to identify what’s keeping you stuck in your career and evaluate your mindset and beliefs. The author seeks to help you reimagine what work and life could be and provides tools to help you play to your strengths and find the work you love. Each chapter has a summary and ends with actions and questions to consider. Mini case studies are also included of people’s journeys along the way.

Across the Board – Institute of Directors New Zealand

This podcast challenges some of the stereotypical thinking on what goes on in the boardroom, how governance affects our lives and why we should take notice, now more than ever. Across the Board is presented by Institute of Directors CEO Kirsten Patterson and award-winning documentary producer Sonia Yee. Topics covered in the seven-episode series include how directors set the benchmark for success, the importance of climate governance and the cultural makeup of boardrooms.

An Australian and New Zealand Human Resource Management Guide to Work and Health and Safety by Lynnaire Sheridan

This book presents a historical overview of work health and safety, outlines its main theories and principles and then explains how it can be operationalised through adopting and enacting a safety management system. It puts workers, and their health, at the centre of work, health and safety management while recognising the organisational constraints within which work, health and safety practitioners operate. The book is openly available without cost here

Courage to BE YOU by Joe Pane

This book is about transforming how we think about uncertainty so that we can reach our potential. Joe Pane shares how, by mastering five core areas of life, you can create reliable access to certainty and how to apply it to difficult situations in life.