“Our laws haven’t kept up with modern ways of working. Current rules don’t protect workers’ time or wellbeing. They allow employers to exploit power imbalances in their relationships with workers.”  

New Zealand’s long working hours  

Grey pointed out that many New Zealand workers are constantly on the job, with long hours and overtime common.  

“Technology and remote work have erased the line between work and home. Workers shouldn’t have to go to a staff meeting on their day off, take their laptop to the beach in the weekend, or take a call from their boss at 10pm if they aren’t on call,” Grey said.  

Data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) revealed that New Zealand employees are working 1,751 hours a year, slightly higher than the OECD average of 1,740 hours.  

“We work some of the longest hours in the OECD – and burnout, anxiety, and stress are on the rise,” Grey said. Â