[Peter&Liz]

New Zealanders are among the western world's most holiday-deprived workers, according to a survey by an online travel company.

Forty-five percent of New Zealanders leave some of their annual holidays untaken, second only to Japan where 92 percent fail to take, on average, almost half of their annual holidays, according to the annual global Expedia Vacation Deprivation survey.

The survey was conducted in 11 countries and included New Zealand workers for the first time this year.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/2336870/Kiwis-holiday-deprived-survey

[CJ22]

Blimey! You can't tell that by my experience. NZ virtually shuts down over xmas. I do get less holiday than in the UK, but only by a couple of days.

In my last job in the UK I got 22 days plus 3 days long service. Here I get 20 days plus 2 days thrown in over xmas. So there's not much in it. I will have used all my holiday by the time my personal year ends, and haven't felt under any pressure not to do so.

[Ana&Steve]

I find that hard to believe against the US. Many jobs here don't even give out holiday/vacation pay or even unpaid leave. Mandatory holiday pay in NZ is almost unbelievable to me, so even if they only take half of it that's twice as much as me.

[BkyMonster]

If they mean going far away holidays I can see that I guess (though really the US has 25% of the population with passports and NZ has under that without...) but really as far as I can tell Kiwis are the masters of the staycation or more local vacation, taking time out for family, and weekends as not-work-time being fairly important. I think there must be a correlation there, taking weekends more seriously means wanting less vacation time during the work week?

[M-Squared]

I think that report was utter rubbish. It tries to make out that Kiwis aren't entitled to much holiday, which is untrue. The fact that some individuals make a personal choice not to take all their assigned hols is completely beside the point. When I first started work in the US, I had to work for a year before I qualified for ONE WEEK of paid time off, for the entire year. Hell yeah I made sure I took those whole five days!

Here, I also make sure I take my 4 weeks. Be stupid not to.

[winka]

Ive had about 2-3 months off per year for the last 5 years...the freedoms of IT contracting and the travel bug.

[ellenmelon]

It's hard to take holidays when you can't afford to go anywhere, even locally...I would imagine that's a reason some people don't bother taking them.

Or they just forget! :)

[Tesall]

I must be a real slacker... the idea of not taking the holidays I am owed has never even occurred to me.
I have noticed I get less holidays here than the UK, but it could be worse... I could live in the USA.... thsoe poor peeps are SERIOUSLY holiday deprived.

[Ngeru]

I would like to see the corresponding sickness statistics. In my experience a lot of people here seem to have a blatant reluctance to use annual leave unless absolutely necessary and save it and hope that they can get some of it paid out. One of my colleagues just cashed up his leave because he had over three months accrued, he is however not adverse to taking a day sick to get the car fixed, move house, help someone else's move house or whatever the 'excuse' of the day happens to be.

One of my OH's colleagues is on forced annual leave at present for three months, because he hadn't taken any for years and years. Another fine example; off work with a broken ankle, being paid by ACC and actually on holiday in Thailand for three weeks.

Where I work, the attitude seems to be why use your leave when a sickie does the trick. Regular Monday and Friday absences of even the most senior staff, seem to go unchecked and nobody seems to come back from leave on the day they were supposed to. Hmm! It's all very loose and I'm sure half of it is not recorded.

I was actually told a while back that I should take some time out sick because I had 170 hours due to me.

[chocolate cake]

I would like to see the corresponding sickness statistics. In my experience a lot of people here seem to have a blatant reluctance to use annual leave unless absolutely necessary and save it and hope that they can get some of it paid out. One of my colleagues just cashed up his leave because he had over three months accrued, he is however not adverse to taking a day sick to get the car fixed, move house, help someone else's move house or whatever the 'excuse' of the day happens to be.

One of my OH's colleagues is on forced annual leave at present for three months, because he hadn't taken any for years and years. Another fine example; off work with a broken ankle, being paid by ACC and actually on holiday in Thailand for three weeks.

Where I work, the attitude seems to be why use your leave when a sickie does the trick. Regular Monday and Friday absences of even the most senior staff, seem to go unchecked and nobody seems to come back from leave on the day they were supposed to. Hmm! It's all very loose and I'm sure half of it is not recorded.

I was actually told a while back that I should take some time out sick because I had 170 hours due to me.

Mmm be interesting to see the sickness stats.

Certainly holiday entitlement is generally less than UK and hours longer.

[CJ22]

I would like to see the corresponding sickness statistics. In my experience a lot of people here seem to have a blatant reluctance to use annual leave unless absolutely necessary and save it and hope that they can get some of it paid out. One of my colleagues just cashed up his leave because he had over three months accrued, he is however not adverse to taking a day sick to get the car fixed, move house, help someone else's move house or whatever the 'excuse' of the day happens to be.

One of my OH's colleagues is on forced annual leave at present for three months, because he hadn't taken any for years and years. Another fine example; off work with a broken ankle, being paid by ACC and actually on holiday in Thailand for three weeks.

Where I work, the attitude seems to be why use your leave when a sickie does the trick. Regular Monday and Friday absences of even the most senior staff, seem to go unchecked and nobody seems to come back from leave on the day they were supposed to. Hmm! It's all very loose and I'm sure half of it is not recorded.

I was actually told a while back that I should take some time out sick because I had 170 hours due to me.

You say that as if it's a bad thing
:exit

[Ngeru]

You say that as if it's a bad thing
:exit

Indeed, and that's a big factor in why some of us like it here and some of us don't, eh? Fraid in this regard I am a tad old skool and do not have the attitude that I am ripping of the company by pulling a sickie, more that I leave some other poor sap to pick up the pieces in my absence. In this regard, I personally find Kiwis on the whole pretty slack and lacking in integrity; having very little care or sense of responsibility for the mess they leave behind.

It doesn't gel with me and probably why I will never fit in 100% here because it piddles me off SO much, I don't find it particularly big or clever. Arriving at work first thing on a Monday morning to find a post-it note from your boss stuck to your screen, which must have been left on the previous Friday. I quote:

'If this is Monday and this note is still stuck to your desk, then I guess that means I have Monday Flu and will not be in. PS. By the way blah, blah is arriving at 8.30 could you please see to them and do blah, blah, blah..... Would you also make sure that blah blah is done'

I think the per capita productivity of this country bears this out.

[incredible hulse]

Agree on the holiday front - we have people who literally have 5 months accrued leave owing. Very poor management to be honest to allow it to happen. Personally I need to take my annual leave to relieve the boredom of work here and refresh the cobwebs.

Totally agree on the work output front

[ellenmelon]

I'm lucky (?) that the work ethic in my industry is pretty darn good! Can't speak for others though...but totally agree that the work ethic here isn't consistently good, especially in places with a lot of middle management (from my limited experience with the latter).

[Tesall]

Indeed, and that's a big factor in why some of us like it here and some of us don't, eh? Fraid in this regard I am a tad old skool and do not have the attitude that I am ripping of the company by pulling a sickie, more that I leave some other poor sap to pick up the pieces in my absence. In this regard, I personally find Kiwis on the whole pretty slack and lacking in integrity; having very little care or sense of responsibility for the mess they leave behind.

It doesn't gel with me and probably why I will never fit in 100% here because it piddles me off SO much, I don't find it particularly big or clever. Arriving at work first thing on a Monday morning to find a post-it note from your boss stuck to your screen, which must have been left on the previous Friday. I quote:

'If this is Monday and this note is still stuck to your desk, then I guess that means I have Monday Flu and will not be in. PS. By the way blah, blah is arriving at 8.30 could you please see to them and do blah, blah, blah..... Would you also make sure that blah blah is done'

I think the per capita productivity of this country bears this out.

I hate to break it to you, but if this is the reason you wont ever fit in 100%, then you wontr fit in in ANY western country. The UK has an epidemic problem with fake sick days, estimated conservatively at costing the economy 1.7 billion last year. The NHS would have to be the poster child for fake sick days.
I am not saying NZ doesnt have an issue with this, of course it does, but every country does and if this is reason you dont fit.... you wont fit anywhere.

[benandclare]

So off topic, but are we saying to take a "sickie" is ok if your not ill?