COHORT pt. II: The Strife of the Student Worker

A senior business class at Auckland Technical Institute, 1970. Auckland University of Technology

A long time ago in the Land of the Long White Cloud, our university student bodies consisted entirely of those we now refer to as “boomers.” (A shudder-inducing concept, to be sure). 
 
This group of students was eager to learn, eager to excel, eager to get on the piss – and even more eager to graduate and never have to write a single essay ever, ever again. 
 
All in all, they were just the same as you or I. The key difference? Many of them managed all of the above, whilst enjoying a freedom known only to the blissfully unemployed; the child-like simplicity of going to school, going home, and not worrying about much else beyond that.

This was, of course, a privilege largely attributed to the comprehensive bursary system in place from 1962 onwards, which, according to Te Ara Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, covered the majority of university fees and associated boarding costs. 
 
The purpose of this bursary, as previously explored, was to encourage an increase in full-time student enrolment. In short; the government’s intention was to make life easier for students by ensuring that part-time employment was largely unnecessary to survive.
 
Back in the 80’s, the average weekly income country-wide was around $230, and shared flats were a dime-a-dozen. My mum, for example, paid only $16 per week for her portion of rent in a 4-bedroom home. According to her, student employment in those days was typically limited to the summer months and semester breaks.

Students study on the lawn of the old UCSA Building. University of Canterbury, 1980's

So, while many still held down part-time jobs while studying, the motivation to do so was not born of economic necessity, but rather the desire to have a wee bit more disposable income available at week’s end. 
 
By contrast, students today were shown in a recent New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations study to be spending, on average, 56% of their weekly income on rent in a shared flat, and working an average of 10-13 hours per week on top of study. 

Currently, the only comprehensive dataset on student employment publicly available in New Zealand is Stats NZ’s 2019 Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) Report, which compares tax administrative data with tertiary enrolment data from the Ministry of Education. 

Some of the key findings from that report are as follows: 

• In 2019, 81% of university-enrolled domestic students worked while studying at any time during the year. 
• The employment rate among full-time study participants was 48%, and 76% for part-time study participants.  
• The top two industries employing domestic university students are Retail Trade (18.6% of working domestic university students) and Accommodation and Food Services (13.6%) 
   

Now, the academic demands associated with student life alone aren’t easy – take it from me, an actual, real-life student – but adding part-time or full-time employment into the mix can be, to put it plainly – absolutely bloody hellish. 
 
According to Wellington student Holly Dashwood, an ideal world would see students devoting their time and attention exclusively to study, without being required to work just to afford their weekly fruit and veg.  
 
However, thus is the current reality of student life. Working their way through their studies is, for the most part, a necessity for students not receiving financial support from family. 
 
At least, that is the case for those studying in New Zealand. For students elsewhere, however, it is an entirely different story. 
 

Students on the steps of James Hight Library at the University of Canterbury protesting the increase of student fees by Labour. 1990, Christchurch Star

Previously on Cohort, I looked into the current cost-of-living crisis sweeping the country, and its detrimental effect on our student population. 

Subsequent findings showed that ultimately, with student debt amassing at 16.3 billion dollars and only 33% of students qualifying for a student allowance, the only viable option for some students is to take out loan living costs on top of working, thus building upon pre-existing debt. 
 
Compare this to the 24 countries worldwide offering free or discounted university tuition fees across the globe, and Andrew Lessells of the New Zealand Union for Students’ associations (NZUSA) says New Zealand’s tertiary sector is “practically medieval”.  
 
So, could it be possible that New Zealand is falling behind on the times? 

To see a model that works elsewhere, you need only turn your gaze across the Baltic; Finland, specifically, is considered a shining example of student welfare with free tuition for both domestic and international students. 
 
New Zealand shares a great many similarities with Finland, as two countries of similar land mass, terrain and population density. However, our Scandinavian counterpart boasts a system that serves to alleviate financial pressure on those who study there. 

The average cost of living for Kiwi students, according to The University of Auckland, is approximately $1,520 – 1,920 per month. Comparatively, Edunation puts the cost of living for Finnish students at around $985-$1,480 New Zealand Dollars – relative chump change when considering Finnish students’ fees-free study (and enviable lack of accrued debt).  
 
In addition, KELA – the Finnish equivalent to Studylink – also offers students financial assistance in the form of grants to cover basic necessities, and accommodation supplements that cover around 80% of a student’s rent. 
 
Many Scandinavian countries operate their universities through a fully public model, with the goal of educating all.   
 
Back home, despite our universities being public crown entities, students are still having to pay their own way. (It’s sure tough out here in the trenches.)

This has led to student advocates across the country calling for tertiary education to become free in Aotearoa once again.    

New Zealand Union of Students' Associations President Andrew Lessells strongly believes that education should be universal and accessible for all – without the added struggle of working at the same time. 

“Having a system where we have to pay doesn’t achieve equity, but at the very least fees should be lower.” 
 
But Studylink Tertiary Group Manager Kieran Forde, when asked about whether New Zealand might take a leaf from Finland’s book, says the government has been working to improve our system and lessen the load for students – as much as the budget will realistically allow. 

“The Government will continue to look at ways to improve affordability and accessibility of tertiary education.  
 
“However, any further changes to student support would need to be considered alongside other competing spending priorities and weighed against other pressing needs in the community.” 
 
All things considered, the chances of a fees-free future in Aotearoa look to be slim-to-none. 

But according to Moniqua Reid of First Union NZ, change often comes down to people-power; pure and simple.  
 
She says that the mass unionisation is what brought about change for Finnish students and workers alike, and could very well be what brings about change here.

First Union organiser Moniqua Reid leading a strike outside a Farmers store.


“Countries with higher union membership are proven to have stronger workers’ rights, if we look to Finland they have free childcare, free education, 4-day work weeks, accessible & free health care, up to 3 years parental leave, starting wages...” 
 
Ms. Reid says the Finnish have amongst the strongest union membership in the world, with their living conditions reflecting this – while New Zealand’s union membership is notably lacking. 
 
“New Zealand is sitting at around 12% of its workforce being in unions. We need this to improve if we want better social services and working conditions in our country.” 

She says unionised action has also historically brought about a rise in wages – which, free-fees aside, benefits the average empty-pocketed student on a more immediate basis. 
 
Student loan forgiveness does not appear to be anywhere in the near future, so is it time instead to examine how much students are earning? 
 
 
You can sign the NZUSA’s Debt-Free Future petition here. 

Alas, many have come to accept that a gruelling work/study schedule is necessary to survive, but many students also feel they’re forced to work unreasonable hours on top of study just to make ends meet. 
 
And while a 2022 has seen an increase in the minimum wage to $21.20 an hour, this is still stretched thin for students working an average of 10-13 hours per week – with some seeing no other option but to increase these hours. 
 
“The burnout is real. when taking 5 papers and working 32 hours a week it gets quite tiring. I’ve fainted a few times from exhaustion.” 

Victoria University Students association president Ralph Zambrano says that uni life has become an exercise in stretching the budget for most. 
 
“Many students are using what little savings they have, and in some cases going into debt, just to pay for basic necessities.  
 
He says that as a result, more and more students are simply running out of juice, and struggling to continue. 
 
Because many are working multiple jobs on top of studies, we are seeing student after student completely burnt out,” 
 
In 2022, Unite Union, who represent workers in the hospitality sector, launched a campaign calling for an end to stagnant wages and the introduction of a living wage for hospitality workers. 
 
National secretary John Crocker says the extremely high turnover rate of hospitality staff is reflective of the industry's conditions, particularly where inadequate pay is concerned. 
 
He says that a range of improvements are necessary in the sector, which is the motivation behind their living-wage campaign. 
 
"We know there are a lot of problems in hospitality and without many options, without a labour inspector, very little unionisation, a lot of people just vote with their feet when there's a problem." 
 
Their campaign recently resulted in a wage increase for hotel staff across the country, with the bottom rates for a hotel worker in a Food and Beverage role in most cities now between $22.75-24.50, above the current minimum wage of $21.20 
 
This marks real progress in their advocacy for hospitality workers, but Mr. Crocker says there’s still a way to go.  
 
And according to new findings, an upgrade to the living wage couldn’t come soon enough for students. 

A recent study from ASB Bank, which analysed the saving and spending habits of over 600,000 adults, revealed 53% of 18- to 24-year-olds had less than $1000 in savings. 
 
ASB personal banking executive general manager, Adam Boyd said young people faced a “tough balancing act exacerbated by recent economic challenges”. 
 
Student Piata Otene, who uses they/them pronouns, say they often worry about what life will look like for them if they aren’t able to start saving – and soon. 
 
“I am very scared for the future. I have already come to the conclusion I will never own a home as I will probably never be able to save enough.  
 
I haven’t really thought about retirement and don’t really want to.” 
 
Holly Dashwood, a student worker living in Wellington, says that, in a perfect world, she’d be able to dedicate all her energy towards completing her Master’s degree, rather than burning herself out at work. 

Holly Dashwood & friends, 2022


“I would love to be able to dedicate myself fully to my studies without working to cover rent/food/living costs.  
 
“I wouldn’t have to work dead-end jobs and crawl back to my poorly-insulated, mold-ridden apartment at 4am after a grave shift. I could immerse myself in studying for the attainment of knowledge – not just to elevate my financial prospects.” 
 
And as it turns out, Holly isn’t alone in feeling this way.

A meme depicting the "Freezer Cry" phenomenon. Robbie Snekser, Twitter

Anecdotally, the tried-and-true method of the “Freezer Cry” (alternatively referred to as the “Dry Store Cry,” the “Stock Room Cry” or even the "Walk-In Cry") is a retail and hospitality special, wherein an overwhelmed worker may retreat to a secluded spot for a brief breakdown. Traditionally, they then proceed to return to work as though nothing has happened.  
 
This phenomenon is considered a long-running gag within the industry, and, unfortunately, is grounded in reality as a true reflection of the hospitality and retail experience. 
 

One student, Charles Bretherton, describes his part-time work experience in both retail and hospitality as “a mixed bag”. 
 
“The good stuff is good, but the bad stuff is really bad.” 
 
Ultimately, many students are of the opinion that they’re expected to take on far too much.

Hannah Powell (She/her)

Hannah Powell, 2022

Christchurch student Hannah Powell has worked her fair share of jobs in both the retail and hospitality industries during the course of her study – the majority of which, she says, were positive experiences overall. 
 
However, she cites a certain disconnect between employers and tertiary providers as the key issue in maintaining a healthy work/study/life balance. 
 
She says managers often have the unrealistic expectation that student employees should prioritize their part-time job above university commitments. 
 
“You’re going into a workplace where this is management’s full-time job, it’s their career, but you’re just doing it as a means to an end [while studying].”  
 
Hannah believes that students working in the hospitality industry in particular are often viewed purely as labour, rather than actual people. 
 
“I think the hardest part about being a student in hospitality is that, in some places, you feel a bit like you’re worked as a dog, and that you’re a bit dehumanised.” 

She says that generally, the ability to enjoy time off around the Christmas and summer holiday period in hospitality and retail is often non-existent. 

“It’s that feeling that the autonomy of your own time is taken away from you.” 
 
When asked whether she ever felt like she was taking on too much, her response came as no surprise: “Oh, always. But I can’t live without it.” 
 
“I’ve had moments where I’ve turned up to work, like the other week, when I’ve just absolutely lost it, because I had bitten off more than I could chew.” 
 
In short; ”Fuck, hospitality is just exhausting.” 
 
But despite less than adequate experiences in the past, she says her current job is the happiest she’s been in hospitality, and feels her status as a student worker is finally understood, and respected. 
 
She says that getting to this point was tough, but not impossible. Her advice to students entering these industries? Be very clear during the interview process about how much you can handle, and outline any needs that must be accommodated by the employer. 
 
Setting these healthy boundaries with bosses, she says, is key to avoiding being overworked, underappreciated and ultimately run-down.

Laura Powell (She/her)

Laura Powell, 2022

Laura Powell, a student at the University of Canterbury, has had a bit of a rough go of it during her foray into the hospitality industry. 
 
She’s made shocking claims about the (at times extreme) levels of dedication expected of students in their employment. 
 
“I got to a point last year where I overdosed on antidepressants and had to work the day after I got out of hospital as I wasn’t allowed to take a sick day.” 
 
As a result, she, like many others, found herself with no gas left in the mental tank. 
 
“The burnout is real. when taking 5 papers and working 32 hours a week it gets quite tiring. I’ve fainted a few times from exhaustion. 
 
Consequentially, she says she has dropped enough papers to set her back an entire year in her study, delaying her graduation. 
 
She says students are pretty much expected to take on two jobs at once where work and study are concerned. 

Study is a full-time job and trying to juggle a part time job on top of that is really hard.” 

Christchurch student Emily Collins is in a similar position, having had to decrease her university workload to accommodate the job she needs to survive. 
 
“I failed a paper in my first semester, and my grades were all C- too, and sem 1 this year I had to drop a paper as well.  
 
“I distinctly remember telling my boss as the time that I could only work one day a week and needed at least one weekend day off to catch up on study and have a break for myself too…she would regularly put me on three+ days a week.” 
 
And some students, according to WorkSafe, are facing more than burnout at work. 

Workplace bullying 

"Workplace bullying is today what domestic violence was 30 years ago," the country’s foremost bullying prevention advocate has claimed: it’s misunderstood and it's underestimated. 
 
New Zealand has the second-highest rate of workplace bullying in the developed world, but Culture Safe founder Allan Halse says no-one’s talking about it and the government is doing nothing to address it. 
 
WorkSafe, New Zealand’s regulator of workplace health and safety, estimates as many as 1 in 3 kiwis report workplace bullying every year, while a 2019 study by Stats NZ found around 11 percent of all kiwi workers had experiences with bullying that year. 
 
In response to the many claims of workplace bullying within the Hospitality and retail sectors, a Ministry of Business and Employment spokesperson says that measures are being put in place by the Government to combat the issue. 
 
They acknowledged that “bullying and harassment at work is a complex and serious problem in New Zealand.” 
 
“In 2021, MBIE released the ‘Bullying and harassment at work’ paper, which asked the public to tell us about how effective the systems are that prevent and respond to bullying and harassment at work. MBIE ran a consultation process on the issues paper and met with a wide range of stakeholders to seek their views.  
 
“The Government is considering next steps in this area.” 
 
Canterbury Community Law, a not-for-profit organisation aimed at removing financial barriers to legal advice and representation, says that students – in particular, those in hospitality and retail positions – are especially vulnerable to exploitation and ill treatment in the workplace.


 

“It can be said that generally speaking, workplace bullying complaints are certainly very common.  

“Students and young people are often afraid to stand up for themselves and do find themselves to be victims of bullying and as they frequently work in those industries, it is quite common to see such cases.” 
 
Some students say they were unfamiliar with their rights as workers prior to finding employment, with student Charles Bretherton admitting he knew “nowhere near as much as I should have known”. 
 
This, unfortunately, proved to be a sentiment shared by many others. 
 
Laura Powell says she “had a very basic understanding of my rights and the people I have worked under have definitely used that against me.” 
 
Similarly, Emily Collins says she was forced to learn her rights the hard way, after first having her lack of knowledge taken advantage of by hospo bosses. “Did you know that because of the rotating roster that hospo business usually run on, that bosses can avoid paying a day in lieu for public holidays? I didn’t, but do now.” 
 
Eric Yu from Canterbury Community Law agrees that students aren’t as well-versed in basic employment law as they should be, and are thus at higher risk of exploitation and bullying in their workplaces. 
 
“In our experience, students are often more susceptible to being taken advantage of in employment situations due to generally having less knowledge about their rights, fewer support systems, and less confidence. 
 
“They also often work for smaller employers and in industries which have worse reputations for employment rights.  
 
“Unfortunately, the same factors which contribute to students being more susceptible to issues can also lead young people to be less likely to seek advice or take action to enforce their rights.” 
 
Mr. Yu says that money is a barrier for students when pursuing legal action against exploitative workplaces, and their own poverty is often what’s preventing proper advocacy. 
 
“A further issue is that workers in these industries often are unable to afford legal advice, creating a barrier to justice.” 
 
Of all the students who were interviewed for this piece; Emily Collins, Hannah Powell, Charles Bretherton, Laura Powell, Sophie Murray, Holly Dashwood and Piata Otene – not one knew where they might go to find help, representation or advocacy beyond getting advice from their friends or family members. 

Advice for student employees from Community Law Canterbury Senior Lawyer Eric Yu: 
 

1. Know your rights. 

"There is a large amount – possibly too much – of information available online. Employees can start by looking at websites like Employment New Zealand and the Community Law Manual to get an idea of their rights but this should not replace individual legal advice. Those websites are very general and provide information only and may not always apply to an employee's specific situation so they do not replace the need for individual and independent legal advice."

2. Look into and use the resources available to you.

“Employees may be able to seek free legal advice from their local community law centre or engage with an employment lawyer or advocate (but they should always discuss their fees and costs first). Employees can also ask about services and information that Employment New Zealand (MBIE – Ministry of Business innovation and Employment) may have in relation to their early resolution, labour inspectorate and mediation services.” 

3. Always keep the receipts. 

“In general, it is often helpful for employees to try to keep as much correspondence as possible in writing, and to keep as detailed records as possible about their work and any relevant events.”

Michael Liedtke Photography, 2022


In just over a decade, suicide rates amongst Kiwi students have almost doubled. 
 
Provisional figures released by the coroner’s office in late 2019 show that 37 students died by suicide in 2007-2008, while in the year to June 2019, that number increased to 71.

This troubling statistic paints a grim picture of the collective state of mental health amongst students in Aotearoa New Zealand, and youth health expert Doctor Sue Bagshaw agrees there’s been a notable increase in the number of distressed students of late. 
 
While multiple factors are at play in their declining mental health, she says an easily identifiable stressor is that students, quite simply, are expected to take on too much. 
 
"There's a constant, really high expectation of students and it's just too much pressure, especially when you have anxiety." 
 
The Ministry of Education, in response to an Official Information Act request, has said there is a notable absence of data surrounding the relationship between students’ mental health and their academic performance.  

They said that, while the request was better directed to tertiary providers, they were also found to be lacking any data on student grades in relation to mental wellbeing.

As of February this year, the government moved to respond to the student mental health crisis.  

Health Minister Andrew Little says that the mental health of Kiwis is a top priority, and the newly-introduced resources, funding and additional support rolled out from their $25 million Tertiary Student Mental Wellbeing package aimed to combat the alarming suicide rates in under-24's. 
 
The catch; these services have so far only been extended to students within the Auckland region. 
 
This is despite the Waitematā  and Canterbury district health boards reporting the highest rates of suicide in the country.  

Rate of suicide deaths across Auckland, Canterbury, Waitemata District Health Boards, 2009–2021

Data retrieved from Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand

 
Waitemata had the most with 87, followed by Canterbury with 74. 
 
But Andrew Little says the Government intends to extend these services to students across the country in due time. 
 
“The next phase, which will roll out further services in Universities across the country is also under way.” 
 
But in the meantime, students across the country are continuing to struggle – with some taking matters into their own hands to alleviate the mental and financial strain associated with relative poverty and burnout.

If you or anyone you know are struggling, the following services are available 24/7:

Lifeline - 0800 543 354

Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757

Healthline - 0800 611 116

Samaritans - 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.

With the standard part-time work, full-time study model proving rather unworkable for many students, a growing number are turning to alternative money-making methods. 
 
From stripping, to thrift re-selling, to small business-running; what lengths will Kiwi university students go to in order to better navigate the rising cost of living, and the mental strain that working and studying entails?

More to come.