SEEK Signature Insights: Money Matters

When New Zealand workers would sacrifice work-life balance for more money

The below outlines the key findings in SEEK's Money Matters Report. The full report can be viewed here. 

• 68% of Kiwis would opt for good work-life balance over a higher salary when asked to choose.

• However, for a pay rise of up to 20%, workers would be willing to work extra hours (30%), followed by taking on more responsibilities (28%).

• While most prioritise balance, 63% wouldn’t accept a pay cut for more of it.

• 1 in 5 (20%) of those who can work from home wouldn’t return to the office full-time even if more money was offered. This figure climbs higher for Gen X (32%) and Baby Boomer (47%) workers.

As living costs rise and New Zealand workers continue to prioritise work-life balance, a fundamental shift is reshaping the workforce. To better understand how the tension between financial security and work-life balance is influencing career decisions in 2025, SEEK has released new research, titled Money Matters, exploring what Kiwis are - and aren’t - willing to compromise on in their working lives.

Surveying 1,000 workers across a broad range of generations, locations and industries*, SEEK reveals that, when asked to choose, 68% of Kiwi workers would prioritise a good work-life balance over a higher salary.

However, in the midst of ongoing financial pressures, workers are being forced to weigh up the cost of work-life balance. In fact, 63% of workers wouldn’t take a pay cut for more work-life balance, but would be willing to give up some flexibility for a pay rise, including working more hours (30%).

Rob Clark, SEEK’s Country Manager, comments:

What New Zealanders are most willing to compromise on

Despite the clear preference for work-life balance, when considering a hypothetical pay rise of up to 20%, New Zealand workers would be most open to, in order of priority:

• Working extra hours - 30%

• Taking on more responsibilities/workload - 28%

• Working on-site full-time - 22%

• Taking on a longer commute - 17%

Digging deeper into how the different demographics consider these compromises, Gen Z outpaces any other generation in their readiness to work extra hours (37% vs 30% total) and accept longer commutes (24% vs 17% total).

Top perks beyond pay rise

When asked to consider alternatives to a pay rise, New Zealand workers show a clear preference for time-based benefits.

The top five perks for New Zealand workers, beyond a pay rise, are:

• Increased annual leave - 43%

• More flexible working arrangements - 29%

• Reduced working hours - 29%

• Company car - 29%

• A promotion - 25%

What may be seen as more traditional workplace benefits like discounts/vouchers (23%), birthday leave (23%), and transportation subsidies (21%), rank lower in worker preferences.

Breaking this down further, the youngest generation of workers are most open to a company car (in the absence of pay rise) - with 38% of Gen Z workers showing willingness in comparison to 29% nationally.

Kiwis will return to office…for a price

The aspiration of long-term work-from-home arrangements has been spotlighted in recent years. Many New Zealand workers significantly value their ability to work-from-home, with 80% of those able to, wanting to be financially compensated to return to the workplace full-time.

Over half (64%) are willing to give up working from home for a pay rise of up to 20%, while 16% would want a pay rise of more than 20%.

This willingness to sacrifice remote work for money is more evident among younger workers, with an overwhelming 91% of Gen Z willing to return to the office full-time for a salary increase - well above the national average (80%). By contrast, older workers show more resistance, with only 53% of Baby Boomers willing to make this trade-off.

For those who can work from home, 20% say no sum of money would get them back in the office full-time.

Navigating this tension

SEEK’s Career Coach, Leah Lambart, acknowledges the complex balancing act that workers currently find themselves in:

Clark agrees: “Taking a broader view of what employees value and providing the right support not only lifts satisfaction and wellbeing at work, it also helps create a workforce that is motivated, engaged and performing at its best.”

For more information on ways to navigate evolving priorities in the workplace and career decision-making, head to SEEK Career Advice.

-ENDS-

For more information about the findings and methodology, read the full report here.