Since 2005 the Department of Labour, and key stakeholders from business and unions, have been working together on a programme of work focused on enhancing workplace cultures and practices. The outcome sought through the work programme was to ensure that New Zealanders have genuine choice about the way they work, enabling better balance between the time and energy they commit to paid work and other life activities such as study, leisure, community activities and caring for others.

An important aspect of the work programme has been the national surveys of employers and employees. The research summarised in this report, and the 2006 survey research, was undertaken to provide a comprehensive national picture of work-life balance and our working arrangements.

Work-life balance is different for everyone. But as this report shows, there is a consistent demand for greater workplace flexibility and employers are responding to the demand by offering a greater range of flexible work options. Employers know that assisting their staff to have a better work-life balance will help their business to increase productivity, address skill shortages, and retain staff.

This report tells us how New Zealanders feel about their work-life balance and identifies trends that are developing over time. This research enables us to track our successes since 2006 and will also provide a benchmark for reviewing the impact of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007 which came into effect in July this year.

This report sits alongside and complements other research being carried out across government, and by other organisations, including the Department of Labour's Working Long Hours in New Zealand Profile of Data from the 2006 Census (2008), the EEO Trust's Work-Life Balance, Employee Engagement and Discretionary Effort Pilot Research (2007), and the Families Commission report, Flexible Work Arrangements: New Zealand families and their experiences with flexible work (2008).

While the formal Work-Life Balance Programme, led by the Department of Labour, has come to an end, the government's interest in improving workplace flexibility and developing enabling workplace cultures that value work-life balance continues. I am heartened to learn through this report that the great majority of employers also see the value in workplace flexibility and that overall satisfaction with work-life balance appears to be improving.

The foundations for even greater improvements have been laid and I encourage employers and employees to continue to work together to embrace solutions for increasing work-life balance and thereby improving our quality of life and our living standards.

Hon Trevor Mallard,
Minister of Labour
October 2008