Kiwi Workers Still Know How to Switch Off

Working Hours and Private Time Blurring in Asia but Kiwi Workers Still Know How to Switch Off

07 September 2015: A study by HR and recruitment specialists Randstad, has found the lines between working hours and private time are blurring in Asia Pacific (APAC) countries, with 65 per cent of workers saying their employer expects them to be available outside regular office hours. This compares to 53 per cent in New Zealand and 57 per cent globally.

The Randstad Workmonitor report (Wave 2 2015) explored employee sentiment around working outside of normal hours. Technology is blurring the line between work and play. The rise of the smart devices means employees are rarely separated from work, with emails, apps and the ability to access documents at anytime from anywhere.

Steve Shepherd, Randstad APAC Employment Market Analyst, believes this puts pressure on employees work-life balance, as employers increasingly expect them to be available during personal hours.

Working Outside of Office Hours

In APAC, 65 per cent of workers are expected to be available outside of office hours, with China (89 per cent) having the highest expectations. This is almost 10 per cent higher than the rest of the world (57 per cent) and almost 15 per cent higher than Kiwi workers (53 per cent), which had the third lowest employer expectations behind Australia (41 per cent) and Japan (46 per cent).

“It comes as no surprise employers are expecting employees to be available around the clock. With technology impacting the way we work, particularly as we move towards a more global workforce, employees increasingly find themselves working outside of the traditional office hours,” says Shepherd.

Although employer expectations of out-of-hours (OOH) work in New Zealand are low, more than half of Kiwi workers (62 per cent) don’t mind handling work related matters in their personal time. In fact almost two thirds (64 per cent) of employees are happy to respond to calls and emails at a convenient time.

“It’s important for both employers and employees to recognise the difference between work-life balance and work-life blend: when your work life enters your personal life and vice versa. Technology makes it easier for employers to offer employees the opportunity to work from external locations, such as the home, providing them with increased flexibility. However, it’s important to note that this flexibility, which enables work-life blend, is not a substitute for work-life balance,” says Shepherd.

“Employers and employees need to strike a balance between work and personal time, as too much work and not enough downtime can have a negative impact on the workforce. It can lead to burnout, lost productivity and a decrease in satisfaction.”

However, the rest of APAC, excluding Japan (35 per cent), are even happier to handle work matters OOH, with 60 per cent willing to work during personal time and 76 per cent choosing to respond at a time convenient to them.

Additionally, there is a higher sense of urgency in APAC regarding responding to work-related calls and emails immediately OOH. In APAC, 61 per cent of workers are happy to action items as soon as they receive them, particularly in India (82 per cent). In contrast, only 56 per cent of global workers and 44 per cent of Kiwi workers would respond immediately.

However, Mr Shepherd believes reacting immediately is not necessarily the best way to keep on top of workloads.

“It’s important employers do not take employees willingness to work during their personal time for granted and work them into the ground. Employers should look to reward those that go the extra mile and ensure they are able to manage their work life balance. Employers could offer benefits such as extended lunch breaks or time off in lieu to protect their employees from over working,” says Shepherd.

“From an employee’s perspective, it’s positive Kiwi workers are not getting into the habit of responding immediately when they should be offline, as this will only raise expectations that they are available 24/7. By responding at a convenient time, it shows commitment but also allows employees to enjoy their well-earned downtime and manage their workloads accordingly. However, when working with their APAC colleagues, it will be beneficial to understand the way in which they work and the pressures they face. This will help to solidify those relations, especially if expectations are set early on.”

In addition to finding out how much work is impacting employees’ personal time, the report also investigated whether the opposite was true. The results have shown a clear correlation between expectations to work OOH and whether employees resolve personal matters at work. The higher the expectations are to work OOH, the more likely employees will address personal matters at work. Overall 71 per cent of workers in APAC say they sometimes deal with personal matters during work. This drops to 64 per cent globally, as expectations to work outside of office hours are lower.

However, both New Zealand and Australia buck this trend. With both nations having low employer expectations for employees to work OOH, the majority of employees should not be bringing personal matters into work. Yet, 73 per cent of employees do sometimes address personal matters at work.

Working on Holiday

Holidays are considered precious by most, as it is a time to relax, unwind and forget about work for a couple of weeks. However, 58 per cent of employees in APAC say their employer expects them to be available by phone and email during holidays, with China again being the highest (81 per cent).

The same expectations and pressures can’t be said of Kiwi workers, with only 30 per cent saying their employer expects them to be available during their holidays. Although this is better than APAC and even the rest of the world (58 per cent and 47 per cent respectively), it defeats the purpose of using the time to recharge your batteries.

“Although expectations around working on holiday are increasing, it is important employees keep this time for themselves. The number of days we have for holiday are limited. Employees must ensure these days are used to separate themselves from work and unwind,” says Shepherd.

“Employers should also not put pressure on employees to remain connected during their holidays. Not only will putting pressure on workers impact the time they have to recharge but it could also cause resentment and have a negative impact on employee satisfaction.”

However, 38 per cent of Kiwi workers say they like to handle work-related matters on holiday, as they want to stay involved whilst they are away. This rises to 46 per cent in APAC, with India being significantly higher than any other country – 75 per cent. As much as employees want to stay involved it is important to let go and switch off.

“As much as some Kiwi workers want to stay involved, holidays are an opportunity to let go of tasks. It’s not just for their sake either. When employees take leave, it presents an opportunity for other members of the team to work on tasks they may not have had the chance to previously, providing them with vital experience. Additionally, by switching off entirely, employees can show how important they are to the team. As they say, ‘you don’t know what you have until it’s gone’.”

“Expecting employees to work out of office hours lowers employee satisfaction and engagement, which could lead to businesses losing their best talent or see a high turnover of staff. In the long run, this will cost more than hiring a new employee to remove the necessity of working out of hours, which will also see employee satisfaction increase and provide an opportunity to upskill an employee into a managerial role.

“To avoid this outcome, employers should look to identify those employees who are working increased OOH and recognise them for their contribution to the organisation and work with them to ensure they incorporate work-life blend and balance into their role,” concludes Shepherd.

Global Graphs of the Randstad Workmonitor are available at http://www.randstad.com/press/research-reports

-ENDS-

The quarterly Randstad Workmonitor

The Randstad Workmonitor is published quarterly, covering 33 countries around the world, making both local and global trends in jobseeker confidence and mobility visible over time.

The quantitative study is conducted via an online questionnaire among a population aged 18-65, working a minimum of 24 hours a week in a paid job (not self-employed). The minimal sample size is 400 interviews per country, using Survey Sampling International. Research for the 2nd wave in 2015 was conducted between April 17 – May 4, 2015.

About Randstad

Randstad is one of the world’s leading recruitment & HR services specialists, passionate about matching people with organisations that will develop their potential and matching organisations with people that will take their business to the next level. The Randstad Group employs over 560,000 people every day with the aim of 'shaping the world of work'. For further information visit www.randstad.co.nz.

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