The country’s long summer holiday has sparked a national conversation, with arguments about whether the break is affecting productivity, or a vital respite
It sounds idyllic: weeks off work at the warmest time of the year, with relaxation mode kicking in before Christmas and little rush to return to the office until late February.
But in New Zealand, there are concerns that the traditional long summer break could be hurting the country’s productivity.
Simon Bridges, the head of the Auckland Business Chamber and former National party leader, has been contributing to a national debate over the length of New Zealand’s summer holidays, telling Guardian Australia there is a view that the country “shuts down not just for Christmas and New Year but in many cases all the way through to March”.
“Even when businesses are physically back at work many are ‘easing into it’, not properly working until rather later than their actual holidays,” he said.
