Photo: Supplied/Employment Hero
Workers are feeling high levels of stress with high burnout rates as households grapple with financial pressures.
A survey by Employment Hero - a human resources, payroll and benefits software company - found 61 percent of people felt burnt out because of work in the past three months, up from 53 percent two years ago.
The survey canvassed the views of about 1000 New Zealanders.
Some 32 percent of those surveyed indicated financial stress and the cost of living was the main cause of stress, followed by 14 percent reporting overwhelming workload and working out of hours.
Employment Hero co-founder and chief executive Ben Thompson said younger people appeared to be feeling more financial stress than their older colleagues.
Employees feeling the pinch at home could have an impact on business, he said.
"If employees are stressed, then it is [likely] having an impact on business. You're going to see higher rates of leave caused by stress.
"It also has an impact on performance just because people aren't at their best."
Employers could help by offering workplace flexibility, such as the choice to work from home, Thompson said.
"The other thing is technology is connecting employment to finance," he said.
"Employers can now offer group buying power and give their employees discounts and benefits that otherwise as a small and medium-sized business they would never be able to do."
The survey also found more than three-quarters of staff were satisfied with their managers, and 84 percent felt there was a strong sense of camaraderie at work.
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Generational divide
There was also a clear generational divide in the findings, with younger workers feeling more burnt out.
Of Gen Z staff surveyed, 70 percent felt burnt out because of work, followed by Millennials on 64 percent, Gen X on 48 percent and Baby Boomers on 32 percent.
The order was reversed when people were questioned about how happy they were with their mental health, with Baby Boomers leading the way and Gen Z at the bottom.
Younger people often earned less as they were at the start of their careers, so felt more financial stress, Thompson said.
"If you're entering the workforce you're at the lower end of the pay spectrum, but groceries cost just as much for you as they do for a high-income earner."
