Terminated staff due to vaccination status at Auckland Council and covid sick days
Erika Whittome made this Official Information request to Auckland Council
Response to this request is delayed. By law, Auckland Council should normally have responded promptly and by (details and exceptions)
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Auckland Council,
I would like to know the number of Auckland Council staff who were
1. terminated from their employment or place on any form of " extended leave" due to not being vaccinated for Covid-19 in 2021 and 2022.
2. granted Special Covid-19 Leave between 22nd November 2021 and 2nd July 2022. (Ie they were sick from Covid-19 and off work on paid sick leave under "special covid19 leave")
- The total headcount of staff at this time of granting special covid-19 leave
I also request the information on the date that Auckland Council implemented a covid-19 vaccination policy for its employees,
and the date this policy was removed (if removed).
Yours faithfully,
Erika Whittome
From: Official Information
Auckland Council
Kia ora Erika
Thank you for your request for information about terminated staff due to
vaccination status at Auckland Council and covid sick days.
We have attached an information sheet on our processes and requirements
under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.
LGOIMA requires us to provide you with information no later than 20
working days after receiving your request. Your request will take longer
than usual. This is because the days commencing 20 December and ending 10
January are not counted as working days. This is explained in section 2(1)
of LGOIMA and at the Ombudsman's website
[1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
We will respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no
later than 20 working days after the day your request was received. This
will be by 3 February 2025.
If you have further questions please feel free to contact Elaine Tunai-Po
( [2][email address] ) on 09 301 0101, quoting
reference 8140015143.
Ngā mihi,
The Privacy and LGOIMA team
Auckland Council
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #29558 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 15 December 2024 6:56 am
To: Official Information <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Terminated staff due to
vaccination status at Auckland Council and covid sick days
Dear Auckland Council,
I would like to know the number of Auckland Council staff who were
1. terminated from their employment or place on any form of " extended
leave" due to not being vaccinated for Covid-19 in 2021 and 2022.
2. granted Special Covid-19 Leave between 22nd November 2021 and 2nd July
2022. (Ie they were sick from Covid-19 and off work on paid sick leave
under "special covid19 leave")
- The total headcount of staff at this time of granting special covid-19
leave
I also request the information on the date that Auckland Council
implemented a covid-19 vaccination policy for its employees,
and the date this policy was removed (if removed).
Yours faithfully,
Erika Whittome
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show quoted sections
From: Official Information
Auckland Council
Dear Erika,
Thank you for your request for information. Please find our response
letter attached.
If you have any further queries please contact me on 09 301 0101, quoting
Official Information Request No 8140015143
Please note you have the right to request a review of this decision from
the Ombudsman.
Kind regards
Fernanda Maciel
Privacy & LGOIMA Business Partner
[1]Check water quality and swimming conditions. Decide with Safeswim.
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References
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From: Erika Whittome
Dear Official Information,
Thank you for your response.
There appears to be a misunderstanding: Request 1 is not for information on medical records. This is for information on staff terminations for not being vaccinated against covid 19.
The HR dept will have a record of this information.
Other Government agencies have answered this question in OIAs.
Would you kindly provide the information under the Act?
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
From: Official Information
Auckland Council
Dear Erika,
Thank you for your follow-up email.
The fact that we purged all vaccine related information from our systems
means that this is no longer included in employee records, as we no longer
required this information for the purpose for which it had been collected.
This was done in accordance with the following recommendations from the
Privacy Commissioner:
[1]https://www.privacy.org.nz/resources-2/p...
Therefore, if any employees were terminated due to any reason related to
Covid vaccination status, this information would have been purged, and
their record would only show ‘terminated’. Hence, this request is
therefore under s 17(e) of the Local Government (Official Information and
Meetings) Act 1987 refused as the information does not exist.
I hope the above clarifies.
Kind regards,
Fernanda Maciel
Privacy & Official Information Business Partner | Te Hoa Kaipakihi
Pârongo Matatapu, Ôkawa hoki |
Customer Experience & Digital Services | Te Wheako â-Kirihoko me ngâ
Ratonga Matihiko
Auckland Council |Te Kaunihera o Tâmaki Makaurau
Visit our website: [2]www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #29558 email]>
Sent: Friday, 24 January 2025 4:09 pm
To: Official Information <[email address]>
Subject: Re: LGOIMA - 8140015143 - Vaccination status & covid sick days
Dear Official Information,
Thank you for your response.
There appears to be a misunderstanding: Request 1 is not for information
on medical records. This is for information on staff terminations for not
being vaccinated against covid 19.
The HR dept will have a record of this information.
Other Government agencies have answered this question in OIAs.
Would you kindly provide the information under the Act?
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
show quoted sections
From: Erika Whittome
Dear Official Information,
I have lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman about this information not being supplied.
Yours sincerely,
Erika Whittome
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