Interested to know more about New Zealanders’ attitudes and behaviours in relation to their work life balance? We’ve included a summary below from our latest Healthy Futures research.

Work life balance

Work life balance is a challenge for many employed New Zealanders. Less than half describe their current work life balance positively - especially so for mid income earners and people with young children.

Unsurprisingly, 88% of New Zealanders believe finding the right balance is important, although this has slightly decreased from 2022.

Achieving the right balance

Flexible working hours and switching off from work are important to maintaining a positive work life balance, however high workloads and financial pressures hinder this. Fewer people are sticking to their agreed work hours than two years ago, potentially reflecting increasing work pressures for many employed New Zealanders.

Going on holiday

Although holidays require a significant financial sacrifice for more New Zealanders this year, the majority of us are planning to travel overseas in the next year. Holidays are widely seen as a way to connect to other cultures and provide an opportunity to see friends and family.

Holidays can also be stressful. There has been an increase in the number of people who feel less stressed after a holiday and more people find planning a holiday stressful. This could be linked to the financial pressures facing New Zealanders today.

Covid-19 is no longer a worry for most New Zealanders when travelling overseas, mirroring the removal of international travel requirements and restrictions.