Dear Inland Revenue Department,

I refer you to my previous OIA https://fyi.org.nz/request/23128/respons....
In this you said :”Inland Revenue makes it a priority to keep our people safe and well, ensuring we provide a safe and healthy work environment. As such, Inland Revenue did not dismiss or place any staff on extended leave who did not have a COVID-19 vaccination. Approximately 120 people worked from home if they did not yet have, or did not choose to share, a My Vaccine Pass for the duration our initial vaccine policy.”

It appears you allowed the identification of vaccine free employees and treated them differently than other employees.

1 What budget was allocated for any Covid 19 health and safety activities at the IRD’s workplace for the 2021/2022 financial year? For example Covid advisors, Covid specialist roles, marketing etc

3 What designation did IRD receive under section 191 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 in order to act as a regulator for health and safety matters?

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

Dear IRD,
It is very interesting that you say:
Inland Revenue did not act as a regulator under section 191 of the Health and Safety at
Work Act 2015. Inland Revenue followed advice set by the lead agency for the public
health response to COVID-19, Manatū Hauora (Ministry of Health).

In the previous OIA, you said that you sent 120 people home from work, and "Inland Revenue makes it a priority to keep our people safe and well, ensuring we provide a safe and healthy work environment. " To me this sounds taking the role of a health and safety regulator. Worksafe certainly did not send them home, and Worksafe did not have any outbreaks reported by the IRD either in this OIA https://fyi.org.nz/request/23394-how-man...

I have also asked the Ministry of Health if they were designated under S191 here https://fyi.org.nz/request/24095-health-...

I look forward to the outcome of that information request to the MoH.
Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome