Time, Work and Law: A New Zealand Perspective

New Zealand is popularly perceived as a laid back place where individuals might choose to live to enjoy a slower paced life style. However, the reality is that New Zealanders work some of the longest days and the most hours per annum in the OECD. In this article, it is argued that existing legal mechanisms for limiting work time are rooted in increasingly obsolete work patterns premised on strong unions and a workforce of permanent full-time employees who are supported by an unpaid female workforce who carry the burden of reproductive care work. However, in New Zealand, as elsewhere, these legal mechanisms have been undermined by de-unionisation, the emergence of precarious work and the growing numbers of women in the workforce. Consequently, the ability of workers to limit their work time has been significantly compromised. In the final part of the article, it is suggested that a Guaranteed Basic Income could, given the changing nature of work, be a more effective and flexible mechanism for controlling working time than current law.