Quick reads

HRMZ Celebrates Success

The HR Awards 2025 celebrate those in the HR profession excelling in their fields.

Thursday 27 February 2025 was a remarkable evening, with HRNZ and Principal Partner AMP, bringing together over 450 esteemed HR professionals from across the country to celebrate the exceptional individuals and organisations spearheading impactful change and best practices throughout Aotearoa.

To find out more and see the winners, go to page 16 for our full review.

A Third Of Public Servants Work From Home

New data has been released by the Public Service Commission, which reveals that public servants work less than one day a week from home on average. Sir Brian Roche’s report showed that 33 per cent of public servants worked remotely at least once a week, while 55 per cent rarely or never did. The findings came after [then] Public Service Minister Nicola Willis pushed for more inoffice work, arguing remote work should be by agreement rather than an entitlement.

Last month, the PSA challenged this directive through the Employment Relations Authority, claiming it violated flexible work arrangements.

PSA Acting National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons dismissed the Government’s stance. She argued that ordering more office attendance wouldn’t fix the economic harm caused by public sector layoffs and that international evidence supports flexible work as a driver of productivity.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the data provided transparency and that agencies were expected to align with government guidelines. Based on October–November 2024 data, the report also found Friday was the most common remote workday, with 23 per cent working from home that day.

Uptick in Flexible Work Hours

Almost all (99 per cent) Kiwi workers say they have flexible work hours, based on a study developed by Robert Half and conducted online in November 2024.

While many (61 per cent) New Zealand employers expect workers back in the office fulltime, workers say they have been given more flexibility in the hours they start and finish their day. Respondents are drawn from a sample of 500 full-time office workers in finance, accounting, IT and technology, working in private and public sector organisations across New Zealand.

More than half (59 per cent) of workers say their employer has increased flexible work hours, compared with last year, with 19 per cent saying they have increased significantly. About one-third (30 per cent) of workers say there has been no change in flexibility, while 10 per cent say there has been a decrease. Only 1 per cent of workers say they do not have flexible work hours.

“While the New Zealand workforce has largely returned to the office full-time, the enduring need for flexibility had remained,” says Ronil Singh, Director at Robert Half. “The widespread adoption of flexible working hours demonstrates that employers are acknowledging the employee demand for more work-life balance and aiming to develop a more attractive and competitive work environment to secure and retain top talent.”

Workplace Culture Survey Finds Junior Managers Feel The Squeeze

Awide-ranging national report reveals that frontline leaders experience the lowest levels of satisfaction with their job and long-term career prospects, compared with other levels of leadership.

The survey by workplace culture and leadership consultants Human Synergistics found that frontline managers also rated their ability to handle stress poorly, lower than people at all other organisational levels, from individual workers to CEOs. Only 44 per cent of frontline leaders felt supported by their organisation to do well.

The report is drawn from five years of data collected by Human Synergistics’ Life Styles Inventory. This tool uses both self-assessment and colleague feedback to identify individual thinking and behavioural styles among 70,000 workers in Australia and New Zealand during that period, including 24,374 frontline managers.

“Frontline leaders are the linchpin of organisational success, yet our data highlights a concerning reality – they often feel unsupported, undervalued and ill-equipped to manage the pressures they face daily. To thrive, organisations must invest in developing and supporting these critical leaders, as their wellbeing directly influences the performance and culture of their teams,” says Neil McGregor (above), Lead Consultant from Human Synergistics New Zealand.

TAKE A BREAK – READ AND LISTEN

Ready for a mini break from your desk? This book and podcast provide valuable guidance to help you in your HR role.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi RelationshipsMetiria Stanton Turei, Nicola R Wheen and Janine Hayward (eds)

This is the third volume by leading scholars and researchers in a series discussing the complexities of te Tiriti o Waitangi issues. Together, these essays take a dynamic approach to understanding Tiriti relationships, acknowledging the everevolving interplay between the Crown and Māori through time.

The writers address topics such as Treaty principles, sovereignty, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and mana whenua relationships to te Tiriti and settlements. The book emphasises the roles of tikanga and rangatiratanga in fostering genuine progress and envisions a future guided by these principles in advancing Māori–Crown relationships.

This is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the role of te Tiriti in shaping Aotearoa New Zealand’s social, political and cultural landscape.

PODCAST: HR Chats with Te Radar

Yes, we’ve featured HRNZ’s HR Chats with Te Radar in the past, but it’s worth saying that a lot has been happening in this space since we last reviewed it. For those of you new to the podcast, Te Radar chats to some of New Zealand’s leading lights in HR about interesting trends and ideas from the world of human resources.

In the past six months, there have been several new podcast episodes, including a fascinating conversation about organisational culture with Lynda Carroll, founder and CEO of Align Group. As the world becomes more interconnected, there is a chat on global mobility. And Te Radar facilitates a great conversation with Izzy Fenwick, founder of Futureful, on the trends shaping the future of work. Read more from Izzy on page 20 and from Lynda on page 32