Latest news with #OtagoUniversity
RNZ News
a day ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Four-day work week reduces burnout and improves job satisfaction
Paula O'Kane, from Otago University's business school, says global research shows work structures need a rethink. Photo: Dave Bull Working a four day week reduces burnout and improves job satisfaction, a new study has found. The research out of Boston College in the United States tested the effect of reducing employees hours to a four-day week with no reduction in pay. The study held six-month trials reducing the working hours for 2896 employees across 141 organisations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand , the UK, Ireland and the USA. The outcomes of the trials were then compared with 12 control companies that did not transition to the shorter work week. The researchers found that employees with a reduction of eight hours or more per work week self-reported experiencing larger reductions in burnout and improvements in job satisfaction and mental health, as compared with those at companies that maintained a five-day work week. A small change in physical health was also seen, but the researchers said they expected this was less significant because changes in physical health take time to manifest. Paula O'Kane, from Otago University's business school, said it was good to see growing evidence that reductions in working hours could significantly impact well-being, reduce burnout and improve job satisfaction. "While the study centred on a four-day week, the broader implication is clear: flexible and potentially individualised working arrangements can deliver similar benefits," she said. O'Kane said research globally was showing that work structures needed a rethink. "Traditionally, time spent working is used as a proxy for productivity, when in fact better rested and healthier people can be more productive in less time," she said. "Moving forward it would be really good to think about output based measures of production and productivity - making sure that we understand what it is we want our employees to do in a week rather than how much time we want them to spend at work," O'Kane said. She said the traditional 9-5 did not work for everyone and there was a growing body of evidence that non-traditional models of working were in fact working better for people. She said it was also already clear that the younger generation would be demanding more flexibility. "If we look at the students that are coming through university and looking at how they operate their lives, they are going to want flexibility," she said. "We can see it already, they're not going to accept the traditional structures." She said organisations would have to start thinking about organising work structures differently if they wanted to keep attracting top talent in the future. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
University unfazed by dwindling donations
The University of Otago is brushing off another dramatic drop-off in donations to its Foundation Trust, saying donors continue to seek other ways to contribute. The trust's annual report for 2024, released last week, records that the trust received $3.87 million in new donations for the year. That was down from $7.1m in 2023 and $12.3m in 2022. Otago University chief financial officer Brian Trott said there had not been a drop-off in donations, rather there had been a change in giving patterns. Donors were opting to support immediate and short-term projects managed directly through the university ledger and not endowments that would traditionally go to the trust, he said. "In 2024, total donations to the university amounted to $8.3m, with $3.87m donated to the Foundation Trust and $4.43m allocated to university-managed projects. "Overall donations to the university for 2024 were still healthy. The drop in donations to the foundation does not have any immediate effect on operations." The trust provides funding for research, teaching, scholarships and prizes. Dr Trott said the university's development and alumni relations office had active staff who were experienced in networking with alumni and developing "philanthropic and alumni engagement strategies" to support the university's priority projects. Last year, the university attributed 2023's $5m drop in donations to the trust compared with 2022 partially to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, the economic recession and the prevailing cost-of-living crisis but otherwise gave the same reasoning as Dr Trott for there being no real concern — people donating in other ways. In 2023 and 2024 a controversial rebrand, particularly a new logo, together with significant staff cuts led some donors to threaten pulling their donations or endowments. Asked whether rebranding had affected overall donations, Dr Trott said total "donations to the university itself were in line with expectations". Universities New Zealand chief executive Dr Chris Whelan said tertiary institutions — and indeed the whole country as a rule — did not have the philanthropic culture of universities in the United States, for instance. "In world terms, we're not talking big numbers for donations — although every university in New Zealand welcomes them when they arrive." Donations could "fluctuate" depending on what was going on with the university. Many donors were alumni who contributed widely to further a personal area of interest in study or research and therefore gave for scholarships or equipment or funded specific research, Dr Whelan said. During Covid-19, the university launched a wide-ranging campaign seeking donations or funding to help to cover electricity bills, accommodation costs, travel costs back to campus, essential groceries and toiletries for struggling students. During that period donations to the trust nearly doubled, from $6.8m in 2019 to $12.3m in 2022. Established in August 2002, the trust has a target of making a return on investment of 6.5% a year — it distributes about 4.5% of its returns a year. It made returns of 11.14% last year compared with returns of 9.37% in 2023. During the past year, the trust distributed $11.67m to the university, an increase of about $0.56m on the previous year.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
University unfazedby dwindling donations
The University of Otago is brushing off another dramatic drop-off in donations to its Foundation Trust, saying donors continue to seek other ways to contribute. The trust's annual report for 2024, released last week, records that the trust received $3.87 million in new donations for the year. That was down from $7.1m in 2023 and $12.3m in 2022. Otago University chief financial officer Brian Trott said there had not been a drop-off in donations, rather there had been a change in giving patterns. Donors were opting to support immediate and short-term projects managed directly through the university ledger and not endowments that would traditionally go to the trust, he said. "In 2024, total donations to the university amounted to $8.3m, with $3.87m donated to the Foundation Trust and $4.43m allocated to university-managed projects. "Overall donations to the university for 2024 were still healthy. The drop in donations to the foundation does not have any immediate effect on operations." The trust provides funding for research, teaching, scholarships and prizes. Dr Trott said the university's development and alumni relations office had active staff who were experienced in networking with alumni and developing "philanthropic and alumni engagement strategies" to support the university's priority projects. Last year, the university attributed 2023's $5m drop in donations to the trust compared with 2022 partially to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, the economic recession and the prevailing cost-of-living crisis but otherwise gave the same reasoning as Dr Trott for there being no real concern — people donating in other ways. In 2023 and 2024 a controversial rebrand, particularly a new logo, together with significant staff cuts led some donors to threaten pulling their donations or endowments. Asked whether rebranding had affected overall donations, Dr Trott said total "donations to the university itself were in line with expectations". Universities New Zealand chief executive Dr Chris Whelan said tertiary institutions — and indeed the whole country as a rule — did not have the philanthropic culture of universities in the United States, for instance. "In world terms, we're not talking big numbers for donations — although every university in New Zealand welcomes them when they arrive." Donations could "fluctuate" depending on what was going on with the university. Many donors were alumni who contributed widely to further a personal area of interest in study or research and therefore gave for scholarships or equipment or funded specific research, Dr Whelan said. During Covid-19, the university launched a wide-ranging campaign seeking donations or funding to help to cover electricity bills, accommodation costs, travel costs back to campus, essential groceries and toiletries for struggling students. During that period donations to the trust nearly doubled, from $6.8m in 2019 to $12.3m in 2022. Established in August 2002, the trust has a target of making a return on investment of 6.5% a year — it distributes about 4.5% of its returns a year. It made returns of 11.14% last year compared with returns of 9.37% in 2023. During the past year, the trust distributed $11.67m to the university, an increase of about $0.56m on the previous year.
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Kiwi Hamish McKenzie's Substack raises $168m at $1.8b valuation
Substack, the new media company cofounded by New Zealander Hamish McKenzie, has hit business press headlines in the United States today by raising US$100 million ($168m) at a US$1.1 billion ($1.8b) valuation. McKenzie - a former freelance writer for the Listener and Otago University graduate who now lives in San
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
The Women's Health Bus for rural Southland and Otago
A patient's round trip of seven hours for a gynaecological procedure was the spark that started Dr Helen Paterson's drive to treat women closer to where they lived. It took a number of years to get the Women's Health Bus - Te Waka Wahine Hauora - up and running. But now - 6 years later - the bus is taking clinics in rural towns and attending events such as A& P shows. Dr Helen Paterson, is a senior lecturer and Head of Department of Women's Health at Otago University, and she runs the bus with nurse practitioner Alice van Zijl. Helen Paterson joins Kathryn to talk about the health needs they are trying to answer. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
