New Zealand Listener Issue 30 2018

Not for nothing is “the office Christmas party” an annual source of dread and satirical memes. As alcohol disinhibits people, it can blur important workplace boundaries, with disastrous consequences. Why is it that many, probably most, employees are working longer and harder than ever, with fewer resources, yet nationally, productivity is sluggish? An important part of the answer can be found in Dame Margaret Bazley’s report into sexist culture at law firm Russell McVeagh, which lights up several dark corners of our workplace culture. Apart from her suitably condemnatory account of bullying, belittling and sexual assault, the public-service doyenne found many employees were stressed by being made to work insane hours and “reward” themselves with binge boozing. The ethos of “work hard, play hard”, which had hitherto excused much of the behaviour…

Not for nothing is “the office Christmas party” an annual source of dread and satirical memes. As alcohol disinhibits people, it can blur important workplace boundaries, with disastrous consequences. Why is it that many, probably most, employees are working longer and harder than ever, with fewer resources, yet nationally, productivity is sluggish? An important part of the answer can be found in Dame Margaret Bazley’s report into sexist culture at law firm Russell McVeagh, which lights up several dark corners of our workplace culture. Apart from her suitably condemnatory account of bullying, belittling and sexual assault, the public-service doyenne found many employees were stressed by being made to work insane hours and “reward” themselves with binge boozing. The ethos of “work hard, play hard”, which had hitherto excused much of…

WINNING CAPTION Hone Hurihuri, Gisborne FINALISTS Sarah Ferguson: “Yoohoo, Meggie! Want some tips on being a royal?” – Rex McGregor, Auckland Princess Beatrice: “Steady on, Mummy. I’m the flying saucer, you’re the satellite dish.” – Kath Jones, Waikanae Fergie: “So I said, show me someone who can wear a wok better than me.” – Anne Maguire, Arrowtown Fergie: “Hi, Your Majesty! Long time, no see!” – M Cannon, Palmerston North Beatrice: “Muuumm, I swear if you do the floss dance once more in public, I’ll die!!!” – Alice Gallaway, Queenstown Beatrice: “Behave yourself, Mummy, or they won’t ask you to the next one.” – Maureen Scotland, Golden Bay Fergie: “Oh bugger, must have dropped the bottle!” – Brian Coutts, Dunedin Caption Competition {caption@listener.co.nz} TO ENTER Send your captions for the photo above to caption@listener.co.nz, with “Caption Competition No 290” in the…

When executive producers Philly de Lacey and Tina McLaren at Screentime put a proposal to the decision-makers at New Zealand On Air for $2.9 million to fund a feature-length Sunday Theatre drama on the Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) tragedy in April 2008, they must collectively have presumed that all those affected by the deaths of six students and a teacher had by now worked through their grieving and “moved on”. So the families, their close friends, the students then at Elim Christian College, the OPC’s trustees, its chief executive, staff and instructors would not find it too distressing to see a re-enactment (admittedly, brilliantly filmed) of the plight of each student told by their instructor to jump into a raging torrent then downstream catch a rope by which they…

When executive producers Philly de Lacey and Tina McLaren at Screentime put a proposal to the decision-makers at New Zealand On Air for $2.9 million to fund a feature-length Sunday Theatre drama on the Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC) tragedy in April 2008, they must collectively have presumed that all those affected by the deaths of six students and a teacher had by now worked through their grieving and “moved on”. So the families, their close friends, the students then at Elim Christian College, the OPC’s trustees, its chief executive, staff and instructors would not find it too distressing to see a re-enactment (admittedly, brilliantly filmed) of the plight of each student told by their instructor to jump into a raging torrent then downstream catch a rope by which…

WINNING CAPTION Hone Hurihuri, Gisborne FINALISTS Sarah Ferguson: “Yoohoo, Meggie! Want some tips on being a royal?” – Rex McGregor, Auckland Princess Beatrice: “Steady on, Mummy. I’m the flying saucer, you’re the satellite dish.” – Kath Jones, Waikanae Fergie: “So I said, show me someone who can wear a wok better than me.” – Anne Maguire, Arrowtown Fergie: “Hi, Your Majesty! Long time, no see!” – M Cannon, Palmerston North Beatrice: “Muuumm, I swear if you do the floss dance once more in public, I’ll die!!!” – Alice Gallaway, Queenstown Beatrice: “Behave yourself, Mummy, or they won’t ask you to the next one.” – Maureen Scotland, Golden Bay Fergie: “Oh bugger, must have dropped the bottle!” – Brian Coutts, Dunedin Caption Competition {caption@listener.co.nz} TO ENTER Send your captions for the photo above…