Press Release: ALWU
The average legal worker in New Zealand is working nearly a day for free each week, the results of a report released today by the Aotearoa Legal Workers’ Union (ALWU) reveals.
The New Zealand Legal Industry Employment Report 2022–2023 presents the results of ALWU’s latest survey of legal workers, providing a unique snapshot of the pay, working conditions, and wellbeing of those employed in the legal industry in Aotearoa.
The results show that the average amount of overtime worked per week has jumped by 25% since 2021, with the average legal worker now working nearly six hours more than they are contracted for each week.
Working overtime is the norm for the overwhelming majority (78%) of legal workers. Rates of overtime work are highest in large private firms, where 92% of respondents regularly work overtime.
In the vast majority of cases this overtime work is unpaid, with most employment agreements lacking entitlements to paid overtime or even time off in lieu. When overtime is compensated, it is largely discretionary and takes non-monetary forms, such as gift cards.
This data supports anecdotal evidence ALWU has received of firms increasing profitability without greater staffing by increasing “utilisation rates” of existing staff, the report notes.
It is likely that greater provision for working from home following the pandemic has contributed to the growth in overtime by legal workers, as it...
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