8 October 2025
Doug Wiley
[FYI request #32226 email]
Tēnā koe Doug
Your request for official information, reference: HNZ00097741
Thank you for your email on 5 September 2025, asking Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora for
the following under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA):
Have any contractors left your organisation citing a bullying culture?
What recruitment agencies does the government services team use for the purpose of
resourcing contractors?
How much have they spent on contractors over the past 12 months?
Response
Health NZ is the largest organisation in the country, employing over 90,000 people (headcount).
We use a small contingency workforce (contractors) to cover staff gaps, especially during a time of
change and high workload.
Have any contractors left your organisation citing a bullying culture?
The Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination policy outlines Health NZ’s commitment to providing
a safe, inclusive, and positive workplace and applies to everyone who works for the organisation.
Bullying is considered serious, and Health NZ can act against unacceptable behaviour in
accordance with the Code of Conduct.
Health NZ encourages and supports kaimahi to respectfully speak out against bul ying and there’s
a range of support available for people who may be impacted.
We do not hold information regarding why contractors have left the organisation; therefore we
decline this part of your request under section 18(e) of the OIA as this information does not exist.
What recruitment agencies does the government services team use for the purpose of
resourcing contractors?
There are four recruitment agencies that are frequently used by Government Services:
• Frog Recruitment
• Inside Recruitment
• Hays Specialist Recruitment
• Robert Walters NZ
How much have they spent on contractors over the past 12 months?
Government Services sits within the Business and Governance Services group, which also
includes Legal, Communications and Engagement and the Office of the Chief Executive. In total
the group spent $2,108,359.00 on contractors from 1 September 2024 – 31 August 2025.
Wherever possible, Health NZ endeavours to employ permanent and fixed term staff
into positions within our establishment full-time equivalent baseline to ensure we
can deliver on our priorities and strategic objectives.
Contractors are at times engaged by Government Services due to the ongoing high volume of
work, legislative requirements and resource shortages.
Government Services is undergoing a change process. Following the confirmation of structure,
and the appointment of permanent staff the intention is to move away from the use of contractors.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions, you can contact us at
[email address].
If you are not happy with this response, you have the right to make a complaint to the
Ombudsman. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
by phoning 0800 802 602.
As this information may be of interest to other members of the public, Health NZ may proactively
release a copy of this response on our website. Al requester data, including your name and
contact details, wil be removed prior to release.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Sasha Wood
Head of Government Services
Office of the Chief Executive
