Given the wet weather this summer, many could be forgiven for feeling like they have been robbed of a proper summer break.
But those hoping to cancel their holiday leave and reclaim it later will need to rely on their employer's goodwill - prompting some to ask if the summer holidays should be pushed back.
In 2017 a similarly wet summer saw former United Future leader Peter Dunne suggest pushing back the holidays.
"There was a sense that going back to work having had no break at all, so maybe given the weather was always unsettled in January, have a short break in January over Christmas/New Year come back for a longer holiday period in February/March," Dunne previously said.
Now, he thinks it’s worth revisiting.
"If what we've been through in the last week is typical of what we are going to see because of climate change, it is probably a much more timely debate," he said.
For some, a break over the traditional holiday period isn't an option anyway. The grind has been non-stop for cafe Sol’s Place - which stayed open after Christmas.
"We knew there were a lot of travellers coming through two massive cruise ships, it just made sense to keep the doors open," owner Ron Haver said.
Jordan Boyle of Dyhrberg Drayton Employment Law said that: “It's pretty common for companies to have what's called a closed down period, once a year, in New Zealand; most of us do that over the Christmas period.”
It’s a welcome break when the weather is good, but when it’s as washed out as it has been this year, that time off can feel like a waste - and being allowed to reclaim or take it later isn’t a given.
"It really comes down to each business on their own, some businesses may have no business over the summer period, and so they might really need to close… For other businesses, it might be a bit more feasible to switch up their holiday period," Boyle said.
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