A gaming company in New Zealand is luring employees. from around the world by offering unlimited paid annual leave, a share in the company’s profits and no set work hours.

Dean Hall became famous in international gaming circles for being the lead designer on popular video game DayZ. After searching the world for a location for his new gaming studio, Rocketwerkz, New Zealander Hall settled on the small university town of Dunedin on the south island’s east coast, where land is cheap and creative start-ups have become an important pan of the city’s identity.

Rocketwerkz’s flexible work culture is now drawing talent from around the globe, with Hall receiving 300 messages of inquiry since a local newspaper wrote about his studio last week.

Last year, when the company was still in its infancy(婴儿期), baby cats would also make a regular appearance in the office as a form of fighting stress, and Friday afternoons are generally reserved for sports and games to end the week on a playful note.

“The first time I heard about the idea of unlimited paid leave in places like Silicon Valley it was about the problems it caused. A culture had appeared where employees took no leave,” said Hall.

“So to address that, our staff are issued the standard New Zealand annual leave of four weeks, but they can also take unlimited leave in addition to that.”

Emily Lampitt, from Britain, is a 3D junior artist who has been with the company for a year and a half. She says the flexible work culture was a huge factor in her decision to move to New Zealand.

“The flexibility here has made me feel much more relaxed” she says. I “That internal stress I used to feel in a traditional work environment has gone, so when I am at work now it is because I want to be, because I am passionate(有激情的), not because I am afraid of my boss or watching the clock.”

“Boreout (闷爆) is different from burnout (精疲力竭) in the sense that bored-out employees rarely break down with exhaustion. Bored-out people may be present physically but not in spirit, and people can keep doing this for a good while,” says Harju, who has studied boreout for years.

Workers who realize they’re experiencing boreout may also be unwilling to flag it up as an issue to line managers or human resources. “While the behaviors that feed into burnout — overwork, drive — are appreciated and rewarded by employers, boreout reflects a lack of interest, a lack of motivation,” says Harju. “These are things that are avoided in organizations.”

There are some quick fixes, like taking on work tasks that are more interesting to you. But a 2016 study Harju and her colleagues worked on showed that people who had boreout were less likely to engage in constructive activities like trying to find new, interesting challenges at work.

What happens more often, she says, is that people will just show up at their desks and spend time shopping online, chatting with colleagues or planning other activities. She says that these people aren’t lazy, but are using these behaviours as “coping mechanisms”.

Fahri Ozsungur, an associate professor of economics at Mersin University, Turkey, who was behind the 2021 study on the health effects of boreout, points out that combating the phenomenon isn’t just down to the individual. “Giving meaning to the job is not just up to the employees,” he says. “Instead, it’s up to management to create an office culture that makes people feel valuable.”

If you think boreout is seriously affecting your health either physically or mentally, it may be valuable to ask yourself how you might be able to reselect your career path toward something healthier for you. Seek the advice from advisers, career consultants, friends and family.

“If only people take its suggestion, boreout can make a change into something else: a different career entirely, or a different role in the organization,” Harju says.

Qualities That Can Easily Land You a Job

Dependability

Employees that can be relied on arrive at the office on time and put up consistent effort in all tasks. 【小题1】 . A dependable employee is given these tasks when an employer has a project or job that must be finished in a certain period of time and to a certain standard. Dependable workers constantly show their ability, which can result in pay increases and job advancements.

Problem-solving

Any organization can benefit from having employees who can make their own decisions and act quickly. 【小题2】 . Therefore, they need candidates who are not hesitant to take decisive action. Anyone seeking to advance into a management or leadership role must possess the ability to take action and accept responsibility for the results.

Adaptability

【小题3】 . Being adaptable focuses more on long-term changes that could have a large impact on a workplace. You are able to rapidly adapt to any changes, even when positions are ruled out or a firm significantly changes its vision. Adaptable employees work more effectively with customers, clients and their team members.

【小题4】

Management can trust independent workers to accomplish their responsibilities well and can be left alone to do so. Although many employers want workers who can work together well and communicate effectively, being independent enables an individual to do tasks on his/her own without relying on others. The value of independent work depends on how well the person manages their time, joins in critical thought and solves problems.

Team Player

The ability to work together effectively with others is a basic component of almost any employment. 【小题5】 . Even if some jobs need you to work alone, a team-oriented attitude shows that you are working toward a greater goal and value the group efforts of your co-workers. Employees who work well in a team make good candidates for management and leadership roles.