Post-holiday is no time to quit
Back in the office and feeling glum? You’re in good company, writes
An economy for the 99 per cent, which showed eight people owned the same wealth as 3.6 billion of the poorest people on earth.
Those billionaires include Bill Gates, Zara founder Amancio Ortega and Warren Buffett.
The report’s release coincided with an annual meeting of political leaders, including Trade Minister Todd McClay, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
The report showed that the richest 1 per cent of New Zealanders owned one-fifth of the nation’s wealth, while 90 per cent of the population owned less than half.
The number of the wealthiest Kiwis increased by almost 20 per cent in less than a year between October 2015 and June 2016, jumping from 212 to 252.
Oxfam New Zealand executive director Rachael Le Mesurier said it was a shock to discover such inequality.
‘‘The gap between the extremely wealthy and the rest of us is greater than we thought, both in New Zealand and around the world,’’ she said. ‘‘It is trapping huge numbers of people in poverty and fracturing our societies, as seen in New Zealand in the changing profile of home ownership.
‘‘New Zealanders love fairness, not inequality. The Government should be tackling inequality here and globally, by cracking down on tax avoidance wherever it is and using that money to make our country, and the global economy, a fairer place.’’
The report highlighted the disparity in wealth – an individual’s total assets – rather than disposable income. Oxfam said the New Zealand findings were consistent with other countries, and blamed the mega-rich and big business.
The report revealed figures that show the inequality gap is wider than previously thought, Oxfam said. Seven out of 10 people lived in a country that had seen a rise in inequality in the last 30 years.
For women, it would take 170 years based on current trends to be paid the same as men due in part to women facing high levels of discrimination in the workplace.
It showed the world’s wealthy were accumulating wealth at such a rate that the first trillionaire could be just 25 years away.
Finance Minister Steven Joyce said incomes for the bottom 10 per cent of earners had grown at the second-fastest rate within member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) since 2010, NZME reported.
Speaking on RNZ, Joyce said it was important to point out the analysis focused on two successful Kiwis who had made most of their wealth outside New Zealand.
‘‘[New Zealanders] like to see people get ahead,’’ Joyce said.
‘‘The main thing is actually ensuring that every New Zealander gets the opportunity to do the things they want to do.
‘‘And some of them want to go into business and be successful and I have met many hundreds of those around the country who want to follow in the footsteps of those guys and be successful on the world stage.
‘‘Others don’t have those motivations; they want other things like the best for their families, or sport … The whole point from a government perspective is to ensure that people have that opportunity to succeed. Everybody wants to know if somebody starting out in New Zealand can make a success of their lives.’’
Joyce said the Government was working on measures to ensure people and companies pay tax.
He said OECD income data showed New Zealand has one of the best records in terms of increases in wages among the poorest 10 per cent of incomeearners. However, there was still a lot of work to be done, he said. –Fairfax NZ OPINION: If you headed back to work yesterday, this week is going to fill you with utter dread.
Take heart: Here are five things you can do to survive this week with the least amount of despair.
1. Keep a low profile
Chances are your inbox is overflowing, so don’t go telling too many people you’re back on board.
Take your time to delete, delegate and prioritise without any added pressure such as backto-back meetings. If you’ve had notes and packages dumped on your desk over the break, you’ll need to tidy up your workspace to help your mind feel clear.
While you’re at it, remove your ‘‘out of office’’ messages and check your voicemails.
2. Be kind to yourself
You’ve been out of your usual routine for more than three weeks so going back will feel strange.
Remember to breathe deeply a few times, drink water regularly, eat a lovely lunch and take a walk, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to achieve much in your first few days back.
3. Think positively
Yes you’d rather be on holiday now, but take a moment to reflect and be grateful you’ve had the experience of going somewhere new or spending quality time with your family.
Pop a photo of your favourite holiday memory onto your screen saver and smile as you think of where you were and who you were with – this will increase your endorphins, which are a great weapon in combating the blues.
4. Pause and reflect
Don’t make any drastic decisions (like quitting) just because you’re feeling miserable today. Examine your working life and jot down ideas for how to make 2017 sparkle.
Think about ways to enhance the aspects of your job that you enjoy. Can you structure your time so it suits your natural rhythms more effectively? For example, if you’re a morning person, make a plan not to start your day going through your emails, but schedule the more challenging tasks while you’ll be at your most productive and creative. Could your boss allow you to work more flexibly – say, different start and finish times or working from home?
Recent Australian research by Telstra research showed that about 87 per cent of Gen-Yers and 84 per cent of parents say they would feel better returning to their current role if it was more flexible. With today’s technology making it easier than ever, 2017 could be the right time to start that conversation with your boss.
"The main thing is actually ensuring that every New Zealander gets the opportunity to do the things they want to do." Finance Minister Steven Joyce, above
5. Switch off
One of the reasons we feel so relaxed while on holidays is we give ourselves a break from everything, so find ways to give your brain a rest throughout your working week.
Read more for pleasure, go dancing or learn how to mosaic. Pleasure and taking breaks helps your mind restore and refresh, which will in turn increase your productivity at work. If these ideas fail to stimulate any happy hormones and you just want to wallow for a while, that’s OK too. After a few days or a week you’ll be over it. And if you’re not, it might be time to start planning that next holiday. –Fairfax Jacqui Manning is a Sydney psychologist.