Changing patterns of working time arrangements in registered collective agreements in New Zealand

Abstract

Internal numerical flexibility (working hours, overtime and shift arrangements) is an important measure of the overall flexibility of the labour market. New Zealand's industrial legislation on working time arrangements is permissive and allows the parties to collective bargaining considerable freedom. However, awards and agreements have generally limited the 40 hour week to certain clock hours worked between Monday to Friday. Overtime and shift arrangements provide for work outside these clock hours. The research reported in this paper examines changes to working time arrangements in registered collective settlements in the 1987/88 wage round. Over 30 percent of registered settlements contained a change to their working time arrangements with agreements being significantly more likely than awards to contain such a change. At least one more flexible working time arrangement was introduced in over 80 percent of those settlements.