In New Zealand every employee gets a minimum of 20 days vacation, 11 statutory holidays, 5 sick days, 14 weeks maternity leave (for both partners) and an unlimited number of bereavement days (3 days for each close family member and one day for each close "friend" that dies).

Being employed is like getting married in that it is almost impossible to get fired. If you move to New Zealand from overseas and live here for ten years the taxpayer will give you about $250 per week retirement pay at age 65 even if you have not worked a single day in your life.

Sounds good doesn't it? Unfortunately the resulting low productivity means that the trade balance is poor and the standard of living (i.e. wages/benefits) are generally lower. Over 50,000 Kiwis (1% of the total population) depart New Zealand permanently to Australia annually in search of better wages and living conditions. If you move to New Zealand from overseas, work for twenty years and pay the maximum amount of income tax every year and retire at age 65 you will not receive a single cent from New Zealand if you have any overseas retirement (like Social Security).

Go figure!

Bert