quote:

Originally posted by Missie:

Brenda ~ We don't have any choice, Adelaide to London take 21 hours of flying time broken up as follows.

Adelaide to Singapore 7 1/2 hrs
Singapore to London 13 1/2 hrs

To pass the time I read or sleep (doze really) or watch a movie, I don't drink alcohol during the flight or drink too much coffee, I drink lots of water and exercise by walking up and down the isles.

Add about another hour or so from Invercargill to Christchurch, plus about 3 hours to Aussie, plus waiting time at each airport. We can be travelling for way over 24 hours if we chose not to stopover - I couldn't do it so always plan a stopover each way in Asia usually.

We too do much as Missie does but don't sleep much so arrive pretty exhausted. But it is amazing how well we bounce back after a nana nap and a long walk to get the blood pumping. And then of course there is the excitement of being at your destination. I think it is the homeward flight that really is the killer - it takes about a week to recover - my poor employer!!

Here in Australia Long Service Leave is usually 13 weeks after 10 years continuous service. It can be pro-rata after 7 years.

quote:

Originally posted by FLYING KIWI:
I qualified last year for long service leave after 15 years and received 2 extra weeks holiday which I added to my 4 weeks annual leave to give me six weeks in total.

F.K. ~ WOW! N.Z. long service leave entitlements are very different to Australia. In my (ex) industry there was 8 weeks paid leave after 10 years service, accrued on top of annual leave. We do not have government superannuation. So if you have accrued enough $$'s or personal super you can retire when you personally see fit. Which worked for me If relying on an age pension you must wait for the age threshold.

p.s. I don't think you are blue, you look lilac to me - very pretty.

I have worked for my current employer for 24+ years. I got a wee gift at 20 years and thats the best I can hope for.

Long service means nothing just another day...

quote:

Originally posted by Dimpz:

quote:

Originally posted by FLYING KIWI:
I qualified last year for long service leave after 15 years and received 2 extra weeks holiday which I added to my 4 weeks annual leave to give me six weeks in total.

F.K. ~ WOW! N.Z. long service leave entitlements are very different to Australia. In my (ex) industry there was 8 weeks paid leave after 10 years service, accrued on top of annual leave. We do not have government superannuation. So if you have accrued enough $$'s or personal super you can retire when you personally see fit. Which worked for me If relying on an age pension you must wait for the age threshold.

p.s. I don't think you are blue, you look lilac to me - very pretty.

Each employer has different entitlements for long service leave. Some (as cottontail said) have none. There is no compulsion on an employer to offer it. There are lots of things they must do, but this is not one of them.

Most people have to wait until 65 before they can retire on a Government Superannuation payment which is about 65% (?) of the average wage. This is something we all pay taxes towards.

The Government has just introduced another voluntary scheme which it is encouraging us to enter into. If the employer chooses to belong to Kiwisaver they put in either 4 or 8% of their weekly wage and the employer is obliged to pay the same amount (up to 4% and after a 4 year phase in period - increasing by 1% each year). This employer contribution in the past has generally only been offered to certain management staff, not just the workers. On top of this the Government also kicks in a one off $1,000 encouragement at the start and gives a tax incentive each year. This is all paid into a private super scheme of the employer's choosing. It is a great idea and I hope everyone chooses to do this (although I know they won't). One disadvantage of it is that they cannot opt out of the scheme easily and they do not realise any payment from it until they are 65 (except to buy a first home).

PS Thanks for your comment Dimpz regarding my avatar - purple/lilac is one of my favourite colours.

quote:

Originally posted by FLYING KIWI:

PS Thanks for your comment Dimpz regarding my avatar - purple/lilac is one of my favourite colours.

Mine too

Not to be too much of a spoiler here but what you see as purple/lilac to me is periwinkle blue . Since that's my favourite colour, I stand by it.

Seriously though you both live in pretty enlightened societies, seems to me. I know from speaking to friends who have travelled your way that things are very, very expensive in N.Z. and to a lesser extent, apparently, also in Australia, so somewhere I guess everyone pays through tax structures. But an old age pension that pays 65% of the average salary sounds very generous--ours is nowhere near that although there are other plans similar to the one you mention where you can save and invest a portion of your earnings tax-free until you are required to withdraw a percentage of it starting at age 70, and then they are taxed as income. We call them, Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs).

Brenda

quote:

Originally posted by BrendaC:
Not to be too much of a spoiler here but what you see as purple/lilac to me is periwinkle blue . Since that's my favourite colour, I stand by it.

Seriously though you both live in pretty enlightened societies, seems to me. I know from speaking to friends who have travelled your way that things are very, very expensive in N.Z. and to a lesser extent, apparently, also in Australia, so somewhere I guess everyone pays through tax structures. But an old age pension that pays 65% of the average salary sounds very generous--ours is nowhere near that although there are other plans similar to the one you mention where you can save and invest a portion of your earnings tax-free until you are required to withdraw a percentage of it starting at age 70, and then they are taxed as income. We call them, Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs).

Brenda

I think NZ used to be more expensive than Australia but based on my own experience I have found Australia now generally higher for the cost of living eg. food, health, highway tolls, education, housing and in particular extra taxes that NZ doesn't have like stamp duty and capital gains tax.
There is definately less left over at the end of the month! I believe although I'm not sure of the figures, that the average wage is higher in Australia, although I guess by the time you allow for medicare and compulsory super then the take home figure is probably similar.

Unfortunately the 65% of the average wage paid in super in NZ is very difficult to survive on if you have no private savings. This is often the case with the older retirees. I'm trying to remember what happened years ago - didn't the government promise that part of everyone's taxes were being put aside into a special fund to guarantee a decent retirement and then a susbsequent government spent the lot?? And this is why a lot don't have private super schemes to fall back on.
I would not like to try and survive on the National Super. Our great gran was brought up during the depression and WWII and learnt how to make things last and never wasted a mouthful of food. It stood her in good stead for retirement. My generation and the ones following (the throwaway generations) won't know what's hit them.

quote:

Originally posted by augusta:

I think NZ used to be more expensive than Australia but based on my own experience I have found Australia now generally higher for the cost of living eg. food, health, highway tolls, education, housing and in particular extra taxes that NZ doesn't have like stamp duty and capital gains tax.
There is definately less left over at the end of the month! I believe although I'm not sure of the figures, that the average wage is higher in Australia, although I guess by the time you allow for medicare and compulsory super then the take home figure is probably similar.

You may be right. I had a girlfriend who, many years ago, traveled to Sydney annually with her daughters to shop. They told me they could even buy N.Z. products cheaper in Australia than in N.Z. They now tell me that is no longer the case & do not visit us any more.

quote:

Originally posted by Dimpz:

quote:

Originally posted by FLYING KIWI:
I qualified last year for long service leave after 15 years and received 2 extra weeks holiday which I added to my 4 weeks annual leave to give me six weeks in total.

F.K. ~ WOW! N.Z. long service leave entitlements are very different to Australia. In my (ex) industry there was 8 weeks paid leave after 10 years service, accrued on top of annual leave. We do not have government superannuation. So if you have accrued enough $$'s or personal super you can retire when you personally see fit. Which worked for me If relying on an age pension you must wait for the age threshold.

p.s. I don't think you are blue, you look lilac to me - very pretty.

Dimpz

Funny don't you think how we all live in the same country yet long service can be soooooooo different, it all depends on who you work for & the award for that industry. My husband received 15 weeks for the first 10years then 5 weeks after the next 5 & so on & so on. He has used a little but still has a very large amount waiting for retirement at todays wage not the wage of 20 years ago. He has only worked for the one company for nearly 40years now.

Cheers
Spooks

quote:

Originally posted by spooky walnut:
Funny don't you think how we all live in the same country yet long service can be soooooooo different, it all depends on who you work for & the award for that industry. My husband received 15 weeks for the first 10years then 5 weeks after the next 5 & so on & so on. He has used a little but still has a very large amount waiting for retirement at todays wage not the wage of 20 years ago. He has only worked for the one company for nearly 40years now.

Cheers
Spooks

I have seen people lose banked LSL if a company folds or is taken over by a new owner. Most companies these days don't accrue such a large liability.

quote:

Originally posted by Missie:

quote:

Originally posted by spooky walnut:
Funny don't you think how we all live in the same country yet long service can be soooooooo different, it all depends on who you work for & the award for that industry. My husband received 15 weeks for the first 10years then 5 weeks after the next 5 & so on & so on. He has used a little but still has a very large amount waiting for retirement at todays wage not the wage of 20 years ago. He has only worked for the one company for nearly 40years now.

Cheers
Spooks

I have seen people lose banked LSL if a company folds or is taken over by a new owner. Most companies these days don't accrue such a large liability.

Depends on who you work for, are you saying there are companies who force their employees to use their long service???? I don't think this is legal here in Australia.

quote:

Originally posted by spooky walnut:

quote:

Originally posted by Missie:

quote:

Originally posted by spooky walnut:
Funny don't you think how we all live in the same country yet long service can be soooooooo different, it all depends on who you work for & the award for that industry. My husband received 15 weeks for the first 10years then 5 weeks after the next 5 & so on & so on. He has used a little but still has a very large amount waiting for retirement at todays wage not the wage of 20 years ago. He has only worked for the one company for nearly 40years now.

Cheers
Spooks

I have seen people lose banked LSL if a company folds or is taken over by a new owner. Most companies these days don't accrue such a large liability.

Depends on who you work for, are you saying there are companies who force their employees to use their long service???? I don't think this is legal here in Australia.

If the LSL is due a company can ask you to take it or part of it, some will even pay you out if you wish. Most companies check their accrual reports at the end of the month, but definitely at the end of each financial year along with holiday pay liability.

Just a note from the states, here vacation time is totally company/industry specific. (It's not mandated by any government laws and is a "gift" benefit basically).

In a large corporations, starting vacation for a college grad is usually 3 weeks, and after 25 years will go to 5 weeks.

In mom and pop businesses, they call their own policies, which is a lot less generous as well as government employess like the motor vehicles dept. No year to year carry over cannot be done without management approval and then must be used before end of quarter the following year.

Of course, big shots under signed contracts have their "own deals".

That's why we can't travel in huge time blocks. The states has the stingiest time off policies in the civilzed world!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Roxy,

quote:

Originally posted by Roxy:
Just a note from the states, here vacation time is totally company/industry specific. (It's not mandated by any government laws and is a "gift" benefit basically).

In a large corporations, starting vacation for a college grad is usually 3 weeks, and after 25 years will go to 5 weeks.

In mom and pop businesses, they call their own policies, which is a lot less generous as well as government employess like the motor vehicles dept. No year to year carry over can be done without management approval and then must be used before end of quarter the following year.

Of course, big shots under signed contracts have their "own deals".

That's why we can't travel in huge time blocks. The states has the stingiest time off policies in the civilzed world!

Roxy, you spoke for me also (perhaps all of us). When I hear those from the other side of the world discussing their leave, I turn positively with envy.