Monday, January 5th 2026 marked the first day at work for some Kiwis, after a well-deserved holiday. For someone like me, who also started back on 5th - it's officially back to reality, and I already miss the sleep-ins.

Kiwis returning to work on January 5 have taken to a Reddit thread titled “First Day Back” to share how their day has been going.

Someone wrote, "First hour - trying to remember my password. Second hour - trying to get hold of someone in IT to reset my password. The rest of the day, clearing emails." SAME. It took me five tries before I finally remembered mine.

Others pointed out the timing couldn’t be worse, with the weather finally looking good.

"Just as the weather turns good", one said.

"Of course the weather is stunning today," another added.

Some are flying solo in the office, enjoying the unexpected peace and quiet.

"I didn’t realise people who were starting back today are potentially working from home til the 7th when our shutdown ends. So I'm literally the only person in the office. It's kind of nice, though. No one to ask how my holiday was," one wrote.

Meanwhile, there are IT troubles already on Day 1.

"Two password resets, one lost phone tracked down, already got a solid week of work ahead, and I just want to go golfing and eat tacos. Great to be back," one Kiwi wrote.

Not everyone’s embracing the return. "Not gonna lie chief, it feels pretty bad," and "Stop it, I don’t like it," are pretty relatable.

"I should've booked an extra week off," one confessed.

Others are rubbing it in by chiming in from full holiday mode. “Sorry team, I’m on a beach in Mexico.”

And yet, even amid the internal screaming which apparently "started on Saturday" and hasn't stopped, there's still a sense of gratitude.

"The internal screaming started on Saturday, it has yet to cease. On a more positive note, fortunate to have a job."

To everyone who started back on Jan 5th, you've got this! Not too long now until our first long weekend.