Workers sacrifice pay for improved lifestyle
Wellington teacher Cameron Stewart took a $12,000 a year pay cut in July after a torrid first term marred by Covid-related disruptions.
His hunt for a better work-life balance led to a lower paid public service job that gave him more family time and allowed the keen musician to get back to occasional jam sessions with old university mates.
Despite the rising cost of living, some workers are prepared to earn less and prioritise things that matter to them, and Frog Recruitment managing director Shannon Barlow says the greater emphasis on wellbeing during the pandemic has influenced that.
A recent Frog Recruitment survey of 1107 workers found about a third of older workers prioritised their work-life balance, compared to 41% of under 25-year-olds.
‘‘For them prioritising your own health and ensuring work-life balance has been normalised, whereas at the other end of the [age] spectrum it’s a relatively new concept.’’
Just 17% of the younger group were prepared to ‘‘go above and beyond’’ in their job, compared with 43% of 25 to 50-year-olds, and 54% of those aged 50-plus.
Barlow says that is not surprising. ‘‘[The more mature group] have had years and years of it being a habit, this perceived expectation that you need to put in those extra hours and effort to get ahead.’’
After 61⁄2 years teaching, Stewart’s decision to take a break was driven partly by Covid-19 – coping with students and teachers constantly in and out of the classroom, lack of relieving staff, responsibilities as a dean providing pastoral care, and the sheer difficulty of getting to and from Wellington Girls’ College during the protest camp at Parliament.
His new job working as an adviser with the Ministry of Education meant he could work remotely from Christchurch when family there needed support after bereavements.
Stewart, 33, also enjoyed being able to switch off completely from work.
‘‘The biggest thing was that separation between work and home ... the fact that I could shut my computer down at the end of the day and that was the end of my day.
‘‘I’ve got back into music a little bit, I’ve been able to do things around the home more and be a better partner.’’
The lower income meant going without a few things. ‘‘Maybe not treating ourselves as much as we would have done, but that hasn’t been as necessary because I haven’t felt like I needed to do something like that to pick me up.’’
But Stewart missed teaching and is heading back into the classroom to teach social studies at Onslow College next year.
With no management responsibilities the pay rate is still about $10,000 below his previous teacher salary, but he has no regrets.
‘‘It was the right thing to do. I have a completely new set of skills, I’ve been able to take some time to reassess the really important things in my life, and to concentrate on my own wellbeing.’’