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Moving to New Zealand, Part 8 - Work Culture in New Zealand

Part 8 - Work Culture in New Zealand

Work Culture in New Zealand I've mentioned the work culture here before, but as some of you know, I have jumped into the business world here in New Zealand and have given it a full body search. I remember when we first arrived here in New Zealand. If you look back, I actually complained about the laid-back, double-edged sword nature of the New Zealand business world. When you want to relax, it's great to be in NZ - however, when you want to get something done, it can be very frustrating. Working in a major office for the government here has given me the opportunity to really peruse the culture. As always, I'll give it to you in bullet point style: As stated earlier, the average New Zealand male works about 39 hrs per week. Now that I've been exposed to the NZ business world, I'd actually say that the statistic is probably a bit high. Why? Again, because of the laid-back nature of the Kiwis. 15 minutes breaks turn into 30 - 45 min. 1 hour long lunches turn in an hour and a half to two hours (no joke). Again, its nice if you're the one working, but if you want something done, you might have to get a little mean to make it happen. People aren't stressed. Whoa!! What a shocker!! Obviously, in the U.S. business culture, you'll get quite a few people who are simply drilling themselves to the ground with work - holding their caffeine drips in one hand and their cell-phone in the other. Not so in New Zealand. Most everyone is very relaxed. It seems almost like people have come to a gathering of friends, and then suddenly they realize, “Oh yeah, I'm at work.” The technology is a bit behind. I had it said to me that on average, the NZ business world is 10 years behind the US. Personally, I don't think that's entirely accurate, but I will say that my work place is using Windows ME, which is just about the worst operating system ever created, in my humble opinion. The Lotus program we use would probably be laughed at in the states, but it works (sometimes). The money isn't a lot, but it is not horrible. It has been said before and I think it deserves repeating, “You'll make your same salary in New Zealand. The catch is, it'll be in New Zealand dollars.” This idea holds fairly true. If you are making $50,000 USD, you'll probably make $50,000 NZD. So, keep that in mind. Kiwis like alcohol. When I was in Australia, I was told I would never find a group that liked beer more than the Aussies. Well, I think they've met their match with the Kiwis. Every Friday, instead of employees going to a bar after work as in the US, they bring the bar to them. No joke. One Friday I was so shocked to see my fellow employees, still “on the clock,” holding a bottle of beer, wine, or champagne. I laughed at the thought of this ever happening in the US.

So, working in New Zealand has its benefits and drawbacks. I would say though that if you can find a job that pays well, you'd really enjoy working here. Unfortunately, one really must make a decent wage to have what most Americans would call a comfortable living. The prices are high, so keep that in mind. You'll never make as much as you will in the US, so forget that idea. New Zealand does have plenty of things to offer however, and it's quite a fun ride to be on.

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Part 8 - Work Culture in New Zealand

Work Culture in New Zealand  I've mentioned the work culture here before, but as some of you know, I have jumped into the business world here in New Zealand and have given it a full body search. I remember when we first arrived here in New Zealand. If you look back, I actually complained about the laid-back, double-edged sword nature of the New Zealand business world. When you want to relax, it's great to be in NZ - however, when you want to get something done, it can be very frustrating. Working in a major office for the government here has given me the opportunity to really peruse the culture. As always, I'll give it to you in bullet point style: As stated earlier, the average New Zealand male works about 39 hrs per week. Now that I've been exposed to the NZ business world, I'd actually say that the statistic is probably a bit high. Why? Again, because of the laid-back nature of the Kiwis. 15 minutes breaks turn into 30 - 45 min. 1 hour long lunches turn in an hour and a half to two hours (no joke). Again, its nice if you're the one working, but if you want something done, you might have to get a little mean to make it happen. People aren't stressed. Whoa!! What a shocker!! Obviously, in the U.S. business culture, you'll get quite a few people who are simply drilling themselves to the ground with work - holding their caffeine drips in one hand and their cell-phone in the other. Not so in New Zealand. Most everyone is very relaxed. It seems almost like people have come to a gathering of friends, and then suddenly they realize, “Oh yeah, I'm at work.”  The technology is a bit behind. I had it said to me that on average, the NZ business world is 10 years behind the US. Personally, I don't think that's entirely accurate, but I will say that my work place is using Windows ME, which is just about the worst operating system ever created, in my humble opinion. The Lotus program we use would probably be laughed at in the states, but it works (sometimes). The money isn't a lot, but it is not horrible. It has been said before and I think it deserves repeating, “You'll make your same salary in New Zealand. The catch is, it'll be in New Zealand dollars.” This idea holds fairly true. If you are making $50,000 USD, you'll probably make $50,000 NZD. So, keep that in mind. Kiwis like alcohol. When I was in Australia, I was told I would never find a group that liked beer more than the Aussies. Well, I think they've met their match with the Kiwis. Every Friday, instead of employees going to a bar after work as in the US, they bring the bar to them. No joke. One Friday I was so shocked to see my fellow employees, still “on the clock,” holding a bottle of beer, wine, or champagne. I laughed at the thought of this ever happening in the US.

So, working in New Zealand has its benefits and drawbacks. I would say though that if you can find a job that pays well, you'd really enjoy working here. Unfortunately, one really must make a decent wage to have what most Americans would call a comfortable living. The prices are high, so keep that in mind. You'll never make as much as you will in the US, so forget that idea. New Zealand does have plenty of things to offer however, and it's quite a fun ride to be on.