The average New Zealander will spend a third of their lifetime working and up to 160 hours commuting every year. They're a business' greatest asset. To get the best out of this human resource requires a human connection. So we're about to drop a range of New Zealand bosses into an experience that will show them what life is really like for their workers. Will this experience inspire the boss to make meaningful change for their workers? And will employees see their boss through new eyes? Tonight, Go Rentals Managing Director James Dalglish takes on the challenge to live the life of one of his 180 nationwide staff. I don't know much about Saudi Arabia, where Ali's from, and not so much about his culture either. But how will this expat Englishman cope with leaving his young family to live with Saudi-born IT specialist Ali? Oh, James. (CHUCKLES) And how will he handle the heat in Ali's kitchen? When I was working at that time, money was a big issue. It will be an experience that takes this boss full circle, back to where he started. Dear, oh, dear. That's gonna be a real cock-up. But can Ali inspire James to improve conditions for the lowest-paid workers at Go Rentals? What? (APPLAUSE) www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 (BIRDS CHIRP) (INSPIRING MUSIC) My name is Ali Alkhalifah. I am 32 years old. I come from Saudi Arabia, and I am working at the IT department in Go Rentals. Three years ago, when new IT graduate Ali couldn't find work in his field, he took on an unskilled job at Go Rentals and worked his way up through different roles into IT. So, I started as a car groomer for about four to five months. Then I moved to customer service and stayed there for three months and then moved to the IT department, and it's been now two years. The hardest thing about working in IT is really being patient and trying to understand the problem. The big challenge is when there is a problem, it'll have to be fixed right now. Ali's ability to deal with the demands of IT and his experience across different roles makes him a valued member of the Go Rentals team. I like talking with others. I like communicating with people, trying, and also, I like to challenge myself and try to fix problems on a daily basis. I really love making others happy and smile. When you fix the problem for them, they are happy. They smile. And so that for me is a good result. Striving for results is part and parcel of the job for Go Rentals Managing Director James, who often puts in long hours as the nationwide company expands. My name's James Dalglish. I'm the managing director here at Go Rentals, and I've been working here at Go for 18 years. My first job in the business was cleaning cars. So, I was, kind of, on my OE travelling, and that was how it all began 18 years ago, and a fantastic journey it's been. These days, we have a fleet of around about 3000 vehicles, we have somewhere between 150 and 180 staff, depending on the time of year; and Go's now a national operator. So, we've got two branches here in Auckland, one in Wellington, one in Christchurch, one in Queenstown, and a newest member of the family in Dunedin opened fairly recently. The new system's doing the business? 'So, I think my employees would describe me as hard-working, I hope.' Certainly asorganised. Hopefully, I'm supportive, and I like to create a great environment for everybody to succeed at Go. I'm quite a social person, actually, so I'm certainly extroverted. So, I like the chats, and I like the banter, and I think I do a lot of my learning by conversing and listening. But what does this busy boss hope to learn by taking a week out of the boardroom to live the life of an employee? So, this experiment was a great opportunity for me to reconnect back to my roots and understand again what it's like to be a worker at the base of the workforce. I also want to be in a position where I can really learn something from the experience. We're genuinely dedicated to making Go a fantastic place to work. I'm really hoping to learn some great things out of this experiment that I'm gonna be able to then bring back into the business and hopefully improve across for the benefit of the entire workforce. I guess we're both going to get to know each other more, and he will get to learn how is my basic life, really. Uh, the anxiety level of that is just crazy. It's insane. I don't think I've ever thought of my boss, you know, coming to live with me. Maybe a friend will crash here one night or two, but not my boss. (BRIGHT MUSIC) The first day of the social experiment is here, and in Epsom, James Dalglish is packing for an experience that is unlike any he's had before. Yeah, a little bit nervous, if I'm being honest, stepping outside of the comfort zone. So, uh,... I've not really lived with one of my employees before. I've travelled with some of them, but not really lived with my employees before. So, yeah, I'm a bit apprehensive. This managing director is leaving his young family to live with IT specialist Ali for a week. Where's my kiss? Come on. Big loves for Daddy. (CHUCKLES, SMOOCHES) Aw. Aw. (SMOOCHES) Bye-bye. Say 'bye'. Bye. Bye. (CHUCKLES) Say 'Love you, Daddy'. Love you, Daddy. Love you. But what does the boss actually know about the employee he's about to move in with? Ali's a` He's a really happy-go-lucky guy. He's got a fantastic attitude. He always amazes me. Nothing's ever too hard with him, and he really does` He brings a smile to work every day. I don't know much about Saudi Arabia, where Ali's from, and not so much about his culture either. So, that's gonna be a reasonable learning curve for me at the same time. James is heading to the centrally-located multicultural suburb of Mt Albert, where 34% of the population were born overseas. Being a migrant himself, James should feel right at home. Not surprisingly, he's not the only one feeling anxious. It feels a bit nervous having your boss come into your house. I only go to see him at head office if there's something going wrong or` but I've never talked with him, you know, out of work or anything. So, I don't know. But the boss isn't only concerned about the unusual living arrangement. He wants to make sure he's respectful of any cultural differences. The nervousness for me will just be really around etiquette ` so what etiquette is expected within that culture within the family home ` and making sure that I don't step outside of the boundaries. My parents certainly brought me up very, very well, so my Ps and Qs will be solid, and I'll be doing my bit to help out where I can. But, for me, it's just` it's the cultural etiquette and understanding what that might be. Hold on. Don't break the door. Oh, James! (CHUCKLES) How are you going, mate? Ali, hello, mate. Good, good. How are you? Good to see you. Yeah. Good to see you, mate. You wanna sign that before you come inside, mate? (CHUCKLES) My pay rise or your pay rise? My pay rise. Your pay rise. No problem, mate. Awesome, mate. (CHUCKLES) Come in, mate. Come in. Shoes off? Yeah, mate. Yeah. Of course. Yeah, take them off? Yeah. First rule in, man. Thanks for having me. Just feel as it's your house. Appreciate it. And we've got the kitchen there. Appreciate it, mate. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. I've never thought about my boss coming to live with me. This is the chicken cage. The chicken cage. (CHUCKLES) You're gonna sleep in here, mate. Mate, looking forward to it, champ. It's not easy. What can I get you, mate? Can I get you water or coffee, mate? Ali, I'd love a coffee. I've got some Krispy Kreme, mate, if you'd like one. Just me and you. Oh. Look at that. A cheeky doughnut. Oh, fantastic. One each is good. Yeah, mate. Yeah, cool. And look at this. This is a good bit of kit. Oh, it is. It's saving me from buying coffee every day twice or three times. Right. And you're a real big fan of your coffee, are you? Yeah, mate. Like most New Zealanders, Ali has a passion for coffee ` one of many he's keen to share with his boss over the week. Oh, look at that. Welcome to my house. Look at that, mate. With love. Thank you very much. That's fantastic. It makes me realise how much better that is than my Nespresso at home. I mean, that really is` Imagine having that every morning. That is` It's like nectar. Make you a beautiful smile and going to work. Without that, you don't see me smiling. You always start your day with a smile, Ali. We know that. Thanks, mate. Mm. I know Ali at work, and he's a very happy-go-lucky guy, but really, uh, no understanding what makes him tick outside of work, so this is all new things that I'm finding out and learning about him, which is all part of that journey, I guess. Next, the new flatmates need to put together the bed James will sleep on. It's the blind leading the blind here, Ali. Yeah, I don't know. Shall we check these instructions? Included in the instructions are questions that will help break the ice. So, what's the worst day of your life so far? It was the first day coming to New Zealand, really. I had three days, and I had no clue what's going on. Everyone's speaking a language that I've never heard of, or I've heard of but I don't understand. So, did you speak no English at that stage at all? I used to say just 'Ali', mate. (CHUCKLES) Nothing else. You must've just been like, 'What on earth?' Oh, mate. It's like` Were you scared? It's like` It's like` Oh, definitely. I was crying the first day. Yeah, I'm sure. Like` Like a little girl, mate. Right. Did you really knuckle down really hard to get to understand the language? That must be the first thing, right? It's a huge challenge. That was one of the big challenges I had in my life, really. I can't imagine arriving in a country where I had no concept of being able to communicate whatsoever in that language. So, I take my hat off to the guy for making the change, and he's come all the way here to experience a new way of life. So, what is it like you, mate? What is the hardest day in your life? Probably my parents divorcing. My parents' divorced` Well, they split up when I was about 16. And I think I thought I was the big tough boy, and I could handle it well at the time, but that was probably one of the things ` if I think back over the years ` that's one of the things that probably upset me the most. Putting the bed together, it was really a small task to do, but what it shows to me is how James is different from work. Do you need a, um` Just need one to hold that in the middle. 'I wouldn't thought he's an easy-going or down-to-earth person.' I thought he would be strict, like, you know, at work. (CHUCKLES) We were laughing all the time. He's just a simple, humble guy, really. (SLOW ELECTRONIC MUSIC) As night falls and most Kiwis leave their work life behind, Ali's boss is unpacking in his living room, and James is revealing a few boarding school quirks. Have a look at the bag here. The folding is precision. (CHUCKLES) Definitely a bit of OCD going on, but that's OK. 'I was at boarding school many, many years ago, 'and everything had to be ship-shape and tidy and you were inspected on a regular basis. 'Almost like being in the army, I guess, in a way. So, I'm not a big one for a mess. 'I like things to be tidy and neat and organised.' You don't mind if I lay my crap out on your sofa, mate? Every single layer that he wants to wear today and everything that he wants to wear tomorrow, everything is ready. It would be a struggle for me. You've got everything you need? Mate, I` Do you have anything you need, mate? I've got an extra duvet inside. I got myself a water. Um... You got some tissues. You get cold and you need some sneezing. Mate, I'm absolutely fine. I've always seen him in his Go Rentals uniform. I've never thought of having him` joking with him in his pyjamas, really. (CHUCKLES) James will need a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is his first day in the IT department. Coming up ` the IT junior goes rogue. Maybe you need to understand first before you pull that out. You might be breaking something. And getting the boss to take a load off proves stressful. ...feeling a bit funny when we got out of the changing room before with the` Cos of the wetsuit. With the wetsuit. * Rugby-mad Managing Director James Dalglish is spending a working week with yoga-practising IT Specialist Ali to get a unique insight into how his workers cope with the demands of the job. Go Rentals is New Zealand's largest independent car rental company, and in 20 years, it's gone from a team of three to a 180-strong workforce. It's early morning in Mt Albert, and Ali is prepping James for his first day as the IT junior at Go Rentals head office. Here's your coffee. Look at that, mate. Thank you. Appreciate that. How did you sleep last night? Like a baby. Yeah, mate? Yeah. I didn't hear anything. (CHUCKLES) James will be able today to see and understand what goes on underneath him. It's always good for the boss to go into that position to be able to experience what everyone is doing. Just like Ali, James also started at Go Rentals as a car groomer. How long were you in that job for before you progressed up into IT? Oh, you wouldn't believe it, mate. It wasn't that long. I thought it was gonna take forever, but what I did was three to four months just grooming and moving cars and driving the shuttle. And you were working at Go while you were looking to find a job in IT, is that right? Absolutely. Yeah. I wasn't really keen to stay for Go Rentals, you know? This is just for a temporary job until the branch manager thought, 'Why don't I give you a better chance? I think you've got some talent.' There was a job in the IT department, and I applied for it, and I was accepted. Just` Great. Yeah. Yeah. Staff promotion within the organisation is the usual strategy employed by Go Rentals, but today, the MD is taking a step down the company ladder. Good morning, team. I'm sure you guys know James. (JAMES CHUCKLES) James, you're Directing Manager, but not today. Today, he will be my assistant. The new IT guy in training, right? Yeah, mate. The new junior. Great. Great. Yeah. Go Rentals is a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week online business, and the IT department is the engine that drives the company. Today, Ali has the opportunity to show James the complexities of his role. So, what's the difference between the coloured cables, Ali? What's the` How do I know what` So, we've got some cameras. So, the yellow is the cameras, and we've got` the security system is the red, and the blue is the computers. Is it sensible to pull it out and have another go or`? Uh, maybe you need to understand first before you pull that out. So, you might be breaking something. Right. So, before pulling that out, you follow the line itself, take it out slowly and see where does it go. Ah. So, that's the main switch, and that's the patch panel. And if you look here, if you follow the line, and if you look at that number, 41, that's from switch. Do you see any light on there? No. There's nothing flashing there. Absolutely. So, that could give you an idea where the problem could be. So, what do you think we should do? Should we have a go on the drill? (DRILL WHIRRS) No. (LAUGHS) (CHUCKLES) So, where do we go? We go to the Ethernet batch cables in here. So, when things go wrong, the amount of stress sometimes we get is quite high. If you think about it, you are looking after at least 150 to 200 people, right? If you get the network down, almost the whole business is down, because everyone is relying these days on, you know, the connectivity. Give that a go? Yes. And if you wait five to 10 seconds, you will be able to see the green light flashing slowly. So, now we understand the computer already has internet just after five seconds. What does that tell you? So then, what it's saying ` there's an issue with the cable? Yeah. My first job as an IT junior alongside Ali makes me realise and recognise how important each role in our business is. Continuity of IT systems is absolutely critical, so it makes me realise how important it is for Ali to be doing his job on a daily basis and doing it well. After James' first day as part of the IT crowd, Ali's keen to show his boss his secret to a work-life balance. But James is anything but relaxed. Uh, I'm a little bit nervous about it, if I'm being totally honest. My first diving experience on honeymoon with my wife wasn't` (LAUGHS) wasn't amazing, so I struggled a wee bit. So, yeah, I'm feeling a little bit apprehensive. So, you're doing everything in a slow and relaxed manner from here on. Today, James is taking part in one of Ali's weekly freedive sessions with instructor Phil. It's really nice if you can relax your shoulders just here, just like you are floating. The whole freediving challenge, really, is to get James to unwind, because he is under pressure every single day, and I see the stress come out in his face. I think getting him into free-diving is making him more relaxed. I was feeling a bit funny when we got out of the changing room before with the` Cos of the wetsuit. Yeah. With the wetsuit on. So, I was kind of feeling a little bit off at that stage. But, actually, once you get in the water and you start relaxing, it's actually, yeah. Mm. It's actually impossible to think about work while you're freediving. You sure? Yeah. Freediving is diving without breathing apparatus, and focusing on nothing is the key to success. I was probably a little bit nervous at the beginning, but, actually, once I got going, I actually realised it was gonna be quite a relaxing experience. Everything that might be there just goes away. And particularly in that suspended feeling in the water, it actually drops you into a relaxation zone, as it were, so you've got that whole real sort of floaty feeling, and you actually start to just unwind and let it all go, let it all out. It's been horrible or`? No, no, no. I actually feel like I'm taking time out for a change,... (CHUCKLES) ...which I d` I don't do that very often, so it's really nice. Yeah. Having shaken off the workday, James kits up to take on his first 25m freedive. So, you're heading along this blue line here. OK. And see the T at the bottom? Yep. If you do get to the other end of the pool, you'll see that, and that means that the wall is coming. Yeah. Cool. All right? With one big, deep breath, James has to put everything he's learnt into practice. (TENSE MUSIC) He's come up short, but not by much. I could've gone through. I think if you relaxed your neck and tried to relax. I` Yeah. I could've gone through. You` About halfway up, I came` I don't why, but I came up again. Yeah. So, my level was really good at the beginning. It's just the kicking. That threw me out a little bit, and then I was` It's just the kicking. So, if you kick backward, you go down. If you kick downward, that makes you go up, or opposite side, yeah. Yeah. No. I would really like to have a crack at the full 25, eh? Yeah, mate. Yeah. Absolutely. Cool. I'll be your safety all the way. Right. Yeah. Guided by Ali, James needs to keep his heart rate low or his dive will be short and shallow. (TENSE MUSIC) James has done it,... and with a little breath to spare. Keep breathing. (BREATHES DEEPLY) And keep breathing. Congratulations, James. What an achievement. Thanks, Ali. With the usual work roles reversed, this time, the employee has guided the boss to success. Bit more training, and then two lengths, right? Yeah, mate. Easy. (CHUCKLES) For big-hitting rugby-mad James, a sport requiring no adrenaline has been a revelation, and the effect is clear to see. Really surprised at how relaxed I feel at the moment. Yeah. I almost feel like the stresses of the last couple of weeks has actually gone. So` I genuinely feel like I've actually let my hair down today, and I don't do that very often. Nice. So, all the tension from work` 100% out of my shoulders. ...on your shoulders? Out of my neck. All gone. And you know last week was crazy busy. Yeah, yeah. We were, yeah, quite busy. So, I just` Yeah. Really a fantastic experience. Tonight, Ali's introducing James to some of his friends, and to some Middle Eastern cuisine. James. Hey. The dinner conversation soon turns to the topic of adjusting to a Kiwi lifestyle. ...definitely the food. Mm-hm. When they told me that we had to eat sandwiches for lunch, I was like, 'Nah. I can't do that.' Same for me? Really? Sandwiches? I will miss my rice and things. Yeah. Yeah. Lunch is that. That's lunch. Not sandwich. This is lunch. So, dinner is light, but lunch is heavy, right? Yeah. Totally. Totally. Yeah, man. You know, am I little bit surprised that Ali's got a Brazilian mate and a Kiwi mate? Yeah, I probably am a little bit surprised, maybe. Certainly for me, when I first got here, I tended to side with British friends, as it were, so, I kind of probably would've expected Ali to work closer to his own culture, if that makes sense. I remember how pleased I was to come to a country that was just absolutely, utterly rugby-mad. (CHUCKLES) I've travelled across the other side of the world, but I've stuck within English-speaking cultures predominantly. So, not really testing myself in any way. Ali's come here understanding little to no English. You know, a massive spirit of adventure to take on a journey like that, so, yeah, I'm blown away, to be quite honest. Another day down, and while James is developing a new-found admiration for Ali, how will the experience impact on the business? He really made me reflect and feel this morning about how important it is for every little wheel in the business, for them to all do their jobs right on a daily basis is just absolutely crucial. That was an enlightening moment for me today, definitely. It made me really think about the importance of getting on to the ground, of being there just more often, and talking to my staff on the ground more often to understand, really, what their needs are and what the things are missing that they need to do their jobs. Coming up ` James goes back to his roots,... Dear, oh, dear. That's gonna be a real cock-up. ...and Ali advocates for his colleagues. ...and it would be really nice if they could all have good money. * Go Rentals IT Specialist Ali is giving Managing Director James an insight into the pressures of life for his workforce. James has been living, playing, and working with Saudi-born Ali to experience life through the eyes of one of his employees. When James started out as a car groomer 18 years ago, the company had only 40 cars. Today, Go Rentals has a fleet of 3000 vehicles, so Ali wants to show James how times have changed. Whoo-hoo. This should be blue. Dear, oh, dear. That's gonna be a real cock-up. James is finding his old job a bit of a challenge. I sprayed the front-hand right window with perfume instead of window cleaner. (CHUCKLES) Yep. It was a bit of a schoolboy error on my part. It actually genuinely looked blue to me, cos I remember the window cleaner being blue back in the day, but I think it was a green spray, wasn't it? (CHUCKLES) Yes. It was. It's definitely hard yakka. I have to admit, I was knackered after just doing the one car there, so I think I'd forgotten how hard that work is, to be honest. It's much more easier now ` trust me ` with that vacuum cleaner. With the right tools to do the job? Yeah. The right tools. It's really` It's much more easier compared to how we started off. That big central vacuum system's doing the trick? Really nice. Oh, that's good. It's really nice. Makes our job more easy, and we can work in more efficient ways. Because the amount of production we are doing these days, we are averaging` on an average day, we're doing 150 cars, and in a busy day, we manage to do 300 cars. I was cleaning maybe six or seven cars a day all those years ago, so it's almost like leaving the amateur era and heading in to the professional era, and that's` So, I was probably very much doing my grooming days in the amateur era, and these guys are very much working in the professional era, so the guys need to be a well-oiled machine to handle that amount of production. Is there anything else that we can improve on? Like, is there anything else from a tools perspective or uniforms or`? Uniform in terms of when it comes to winter. Because before, we used to be at the old branch. Everything was inside. Yeah. But now, we are constantly moving between wash bay and grooming, wash bay and grooming. I mean, there are days I went home with wet pants. And what about the difference there between summer and winter? So, we go from boiling hot in the middle of summer. You'll probably wanna be in shorts and singlets. And then, a few months later, before you know it, it's winter like it is at the moment, which is pretty chilly out there. So, have we got the right kit for you guys for the right seasons, or are we kind of somewhere in between the two? Somewhere in between the two. OK. Yeah. OK. Oh, it's really nice to get a chance to sit down with the guys, and they were obviously maybe a little bit nervous at first, but once we got the conversation going and had a couple of laughs, people start to relax, and then you start to find out a few things. So, we are in a purpose-built, brand new, amazing facility here, but there's still some improvements, some tweaks that we need to make, so... And we need to continue to focus on providing our staff a good place to work and have the right tools to do the job as well. (GENTLE MUSIC) And how do you want the tomato? Um, similar. As night falls, Ali and James settle in for a home-cooked Saudi Arabian meal. Yeah. The onions have piped up. You know what I used to do when I cut the onion? I'll have my mask on ` the freediving mask. (LAUGHS) Might let you also get that under control. No worries. I'll go this way. And I'll go do some of those. No problem. It's a bit more settled. Like, we're really starting to feel like we're getting to know each other a little bit, and it's starting to feel quite a lot easier to be around each other as well. OK. Now, Ali, talk us through your carrot, pal. What's going on here? It's not gonna kill us, is it? Well, not if it's shaved, it's not. Nah, mate. It's not going in like that, though, brother. (BOTH LAUGH) We are making kapsa, and, you know, rice and lamb. And I thought this is exactly the best time for me to bring some of the stuff that I'll need James to know about. So, just some reflection from today, mate ` when we were in the airport, that really reminded me when I was a groomer in, I think, 2016, in the city, you came to us, and I was there, and you say` the manager said, 'James is here to talk to you, guys.' And I had exactly the same experience these guys were having, you know? You're gonna be talking with the boss, the big guy, you know? The reflection came to me today, and I thought, 'Why don't I just say to you?' You know, when I was working at that time, money was a big issue. Mm. And it would be really nice and really good for the groomers to have a good, you know, good money. I'm conscious of the fact that I am representing quite an amount of people in our workforce, and that's, you know, where the minimum wage is, or just above the minimum wage is. They also don't have residency. They don't have the KiwiSaver contribution, right? It would be really nice for me. Like, the last three years, I don't have that contribution. And` So, just explain that to me again, just so I understand it fully. So, the issue is because you are not a resident yet ` Yeah. ...you're still working your way towards becoming a resident ` Yeah. ...you don't have the opportunity to contribute to KiwiSaver cos you're not a resident. So, at the moment, what you're missing out on is work contributing on your behalf to KiwiSaver? Totally. OK. So, are you suggesting that, as the employer, while you're working towards your residency, I would put aside for you an amount, a percentage to work towards your KiwiSaver? Yeah. Once you get your residency, then that amount we would put into your KiwiSaver for you to contribute you to kick off your KiwiSaver? Exactly. I think it's a valuable idea. Yeah. That's good. We're starting to get some food for thought on where we might be able to make a difference. When Ali first raised that he wanted to talk to me, I was feeling a tiny little bit apprehensive, cos I wasn't sure on his angle, but when the conversation got flowing, it felt like it was a really good, open and honest conversation. I really enjoyed listening to what he had to say and he thought it was a brilliant idea, and I wanna learn more about that, but I wanna understand the numbers and the business more to get a grip of it. Coming up ` big hits on the field. I have no chance to survive. (BOTH CHUCKLE) And later, the big announcement. What? (CHUCKLES) I wasn't expecting nothing whatsoever out of this. Oh! I just went and got some milk. Just like a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy! Who won the race to the shop? BOTH: I did. * Go Rentals boss James Dalglish has been trying to improve conditions for his 180-strong, nationwide, multicultural workforce. Over the past week, he's been living with Saudi-born Kiwi Ali and working as an IT junior. That there is a performance dashboard, right? The experience has allowed this boss a unique insight into the inner workings of his online business. So, it's real data. It's showing how much we are using all the time. So, you guys are monitoring and checking to make sure that they've got their connectivity and everything's working OK. So, this is head office here. Exactly. Yeah. Ali has encouraged James to relax away from his stressful 24-7 role as managing director. Today, he has one last extracurricular activity lined up. So that, you can call into the Coastguard on the radio? That's the radio for the Coastguard. And that's your alarm, or is that your beacon? And that's the beacon. So, if you were to get thrown off and you end up in the water on your own,... (CLICKS TONGUE) ...get that going. Absolutely. Try and get a hold of someone on that. If I can't get that,... Bang. ...I'll have that. And if, wherever you are, they come and get you. Exactly. Let's not try that today, eh? (LAUGHS) Growing up beside the sea in Saudi Arabia means water is Ali's happy place, and here, they can leave the work hierarchy behind. Hey, thanks for listening to me last night. It did mean to me a lot, mate. Thanks a lot for opening up and being honest. It's really important to achieving a good outcome, I think. Definitely, mate. Definitely. Ali really opened up to me last night about some of the things that we can really think about for improving the workplace, and I really appreciated his honestly. And I feel like as time goes on, the barriers continue to get broken down, so we're starting to have some really good, honest conversations. I'm actually starting to feel like Ali's a friend of mine rather than an employee, which is actually a really nice position to be in. James has put most of his life on hold to take part in this experience, but there's one thing this rugby-mad boss just isn't prepared to miss. With his team competing in a local competition, it's time to let off steam James' way. So, Ali, this is your leggings. This is what's gonna stop these little chicken legs of yours breaking in half when we get out there tonight. That's it. Perfect. Yeah. So, it's on a bit long there. We normally do it up to here,... OK. ...and then we roll back over like that. All right? Ah. Number 15. It's the lucky one. That's the fullback, mate. That's the fullback. Fullback. (CHUCKLES) He's the one that's gotta make all the tackles. He's the last line of defence. Oh, I see. So... Just like that? Yeah. I always like getting my first tackle under the belt, getting the first hit up, and away you go. She's` Boom, it's on. We love it. Choice. Looking at all these players. (BOTH CHUCKLE) I have no chance to survive. (BOTH CHUCKLE) Oh, there's some big boys, mate. There's some big boys. So, how will this Saudi-born Kiwi learn the art of rugby with half an hour before game time? So, I'm gonna just walk towards you. Yep. Think about how you're gonna stop me physically. So, what will you do? (GRUNTS) Perfect. Absolute perfection. That's what I'm gonna do. Your body position was perfect. You went in. You, boom, and you went... (GRUNTS) You couldn't have been better. Oh, OK. I'm absolutely chuffed with Ali ` his attitude, his application. He's straight into it. He's giving it a go. It's the kind of person that he is. I want you to clatter me. Clatter it. (GRUNTS) That's it. Yeah, that's it. And again. And again. Other shoulder. (GRUNTS) That's it. And again. Other shoulder. (GRUNTS) That's it. Oh. (CHUCKLES) Before I came in tonight, I thought, 'Oh, gosh. I'm gonna play with all these big fellas out there.' But he showed me all the basics and what do I need to survive in the field. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) Yes. It's good. 'I think I'll be fine.' Just like that. Yeah. But I want you to hit me properly. Move me. OK. Hit me. Hit me. Hit me. Hit me. (GRUNTS) Yes. That's more like it. We're fantastic. It's a great opportunity for me to show Ali what makes me tick and what I enjoy in my life outside of work. But I'm also conscious of the way Ali treated me when I was doing his sports. He was an absolute gentleman, he gave me great coaching, he talked me through it, and he made me feel comfortable. It's really important to me to return the favour. It's game on. Ali has a few concerns as he sits out the first half to watch and learn. Look at them, mate. Everyone is fighting with everyone. (CHUCKLES) It's really tough out there. I don't know what I'm going to do when I jump in. I guess I just need to run all the time ` keep running. (WHISTLE BLARES) Halftime, and with the game in the balance, it's time for Ali's big debut. Looking at these boys, I think I'm gonna change my mind. Jimmy. Just behind you. First touch, and the heat is on right away as Ali's straight into contact. 'Really impressive start. He got the ball, he took the ball, and he got tackled. 'He managed to lay the ball down on the floor. I was straight in over the top of him.' (EXCLAIMS) Awesome! A really good start, and good on him. I think he was probably, maybe a little bit scared cos there was a big fella thundering towards him. Go, Ali! He listened really good when we were out there. We were tracking defence together and just talking, talking. And fair play to the fella. He gave it a go, and there's some big boys out there, right? So, two or three plays. He's collected himself pretty well, to be fair. So, we're proud of his efforts. Playing with a team, it's not the boss or it's not an employee any more. I was next to him all the time. He looked after me, and he gave me all the instruction I need. So, it was really, really good. I mean, if I was by myself down there, I'm a dead person. And in the last move of the game, Ali is in support and almost gets the offload over the line. The end result ` a win for James' Carlton Grammar team. You nearly got a try. (CHUCKLES) Yeah, mate. (EXHALES) This way. This way. Come with me. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. Hello, big fella. 'Without a doubt, there's teamwork going in there, right?' So, he's moving straight into the team environment. But also ability to put himself outside of his comfort zone and give something a try that's completely not natural to him, and, you know, potentially for someone like Ali, as a novice, potentially quite dangerous. So, really good of him to put his body on the line and have a real good go, and hopefully, he's enjoyed the experience. You did well. Oh, I love it. Where were you when I made the break? (LAUGHS) I was behind you, mate! I thought I was gonna hit you! Coming up ` James reveals all at the airport depot,... So, one major change that I'd like to make for the benefit of all of you guys. (APPLAUSE) ...and Ali's caught completely off-guard. I wasn't expecting nothing whatsoever out of this. VOICEOVER: When it comes to family, what's normal? There's stay-at-home mums, working mums, nans, grans who pick you up and put the dinner on. Daddy. Two daddies. Long-distance daddies. Perhaps it's Grandad who helps you out with your homework. Or maybe your friends are your family, like a sister from another mister. Families come in all shapes and sizes, but it's mealtimes that bring us together. It's the final day of the experiment, and time for James Dalglish to return to his life as family man and Managing Director of Go Rentals. But what will this boss take away from the experience? And has Ali convinced him changes can be made to benefit everyone in the business? I think Ali's treated the whole thing with a real, great level of maturity. He's thinking way beyond himself or his department. He's thinking right across the entire business and what we can do to benefit everybody at Go, and I think that's a really, really mature approach. OK, Ali. That's me, brother. You off, mate? I am, brother. It's a good journey. Thanks so much. Come here. Really appreciate the hospitality. Thank you very much for looking after me so well. It was awesome. It's been a good journey, mate, having you here, mate. It has been a good journey. Absolutely. And I look forward to catching up with you back at the coalface. We'll see you in the office, I guess. See you, bro. Thanks, mate. He's certainly given me a lot to think about, so I'm gonna need to go away and distil my thoughts and share some of the findings with my network at work, and we'll go from there. (ENERGETIC MUSIC) After a week of fact-finding, crunching numbers and meetings with management, James is ready to share the outcomes with the staff at Go Rentals' Auckland Airport branch. Hi, guys. So, thanks for coming together this afternoon at such short notice, and I've got something I'd like to share with you. So, I've been involved in a TV experiment, and I've spent the last week living with one of our team. I've had the pleasure of sharing my life with Ali. As most of you know, my first job within the business was also grooming cars. That's why I started at Go 18 and a half years ago. And the standard of the grooming back then was nowhere near what it is today. You guys do a wonderful job within that space. One day, when we were out here, I got to experience and do some work with some of the team. It really made me recognise how important this job is within our business. And I was asking some of the guys if the uniforms were up to par for you guys. It became quite obvious that some of the elements of the uniform were OK, but there's probably a few things that we need to change. So one of the things I'd really like to announce right across the entire business, specifically aimed at our production departments, is an entirely new uniform from the ground up. So, I can't promise you all Go Rentals boxer shorts, but we certainly will look to equip you all with a nice, brand new uniform by September/October time. We're gonna look to put that into the business for a new look and feel. Actually, I was happy to hear about this uniform, cos some of the uniform is not really comfortable to work in summer, cos when it's raining, you can't wear this. It's too sweaty. And it's really interesting to hear from an employee's perspective how important the training and development is in the workplace, and how important it is to you guys to be able to excel and further and develop within your own careers. So, we've employed a full-time training and development manager at Go to be delivering programmes right across our entire workforce specific to you guys and your day-to-day roles right across the entire business. Probably the really key one for me now is around what you guys earn. So, one major change I'd like to make for the benefit of all of you guys is I'm gonna make some fairly serious increases to what we pay you. So, with effect from the 1st of November this year, I'm going to be doubling your bonus and commissions structure. For you guys at this branch here, that's gonna be somewhere between an extra $300 to $600 a month in your back pocket based on the changes that we'd like to make. (APPLAUSE) I love to be part of a company who look after people, who really take care, and whoever` It's a dream job, like, when you go to a job and the bosses look after you. So, last and by no means least, Ali is not a resident in New Zealand yet, and Ali doesn't have the ability to contribute to KiwiSaver. So, again, as of the 1st of November, we're gonna introduce a new scheme right across the entire business where all of our employees who are non-residents, we're gonna put a minimum 2% contribution into KiwiSaver for the entire time they're working. The moment you become a permanent resident, that money gets straight into your KiwiSaver account to kick you off on your journey for some savings for your future life. Yeah! (APPLAUSE) I don't qualify for the KiwiSaver now. So, within two years, the company will save up for me, and it'll add on. Ali was an amazing guy to live and spend some time with. He welcomed me into his home with open arms, and` I'm a little bit emotional. (LAUGHTER) But I genuinely really enjoyed spending some time with him and getting to know him on a personal level. He's a wonderful, wonderful man, and we got a chance to really get to know each other a little bit better and make up a little bit of a bond. So, something I wanted to do for Ali personally just to acknowledge his effort and his contribution, but also to acknowledge the way he looked after me and was such a fantastic host for me in the last week is I'm gonna backdate a KiwiSaver contribution for Ali to the day he first started working at Go. What?! (LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE) I wasn't expecting nothing whatsoever out of this. But I've always believed in one thing ` that if you always give people` if you are always are able or happy to help others, things turn to your right way. And look at me today. I mean, walking away with two years of KiwiSaver that I never thought of having or, you know, asking for. It's` It's fantastic. By mid-next year, your residency will have come through, and I'm gonna have a KiwiSaver contribution for you personally ready to put straight into your KiwiSaver account to kick things off as a thank you from me to you for your hospitality and looking after me so well. So... (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) (APPLAUSE) The thing that's really amazed me about Ali is that, actually, right through the entire process, he's been focusing on improving things for the baseline worker in our business, which is our vehicle groomer. It is the toughest job in the business, and it's the hardest job in the business, and that's where I came from. That's where he came from. And right through the, uh,... Right through the experiment, Ali has really worked hard to improve things for that group of people in our business, and I think for that, he should be highly commended. And it really` It's a measure of the person that he is. So, I'm glad that we're able to make a great contribution for Ali personally as well. (INSPIRING MUSIC) Next time ` Licensed Renovations managing director Russell Clark takes on the challenge to live with one of his young building apprentices. Oh, I'm feeling a little bit excited, and a little bit nervous. But how will this building boss cope leaving his boys toys behind to live with tiny house`loving vegetarian Sophie? Good morning. How are ya? Hello. How are you? And how will he cope with being back on the tools? (GROANS) (CHUCKLES) Right from the start. It will be an experience that brings this jokie-blokie tradie to tears. Knock-knock. I feel quite emotional. (CHUCKLES) I really do. It's, um... I actually really got emotional. Can green-living Sophie inspire Russell to improve conditions for all his workers at Licensed Renovations? A bit of a win-win for me and a win-win for you guys, you know? (APPLAUSE) www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020