Quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing Report
Meeting date: 13 February 2024
Written date: 29 January 2024
Sponsor: Laura Dixon
Prepared by: 9(2)(a)
What you’re updating Te Pūrengi on
• Q2 (Oct – Dec 2023) Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW)report covering lead and lag indicators and work programme update
• Wellbeing approach to support 2024 change activities
• Benchmarking Wellbeing
• The report has been discussed at Te Mīmiro and the key points of discussion will be shared with Te Pūrengi.
Why Te Pūrengi should consider this
The intent of this report is to be a tool for Te Pūrengi to receive information, to ask questions and to discharge their governance duties. This report
allows the Ministry as a PCBU to monitor the HSW performance, status, and progress against current assumptions.
Recommendations or Actions sought
I recommend Te Pūrengi:
• Continue to make space for our HSW Reps to connect with your teams to share resources and ask for feedback.
• Encourage leaders to engage with wellbeing promotions. The more our leaders understand what is available, the better equipped
they will be to help their teams and direct them to the right support.
Decision or Action paper: [Subject]
Te Pūrengi meeting: 13 February 2024
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Quarterly Health,
Safety and Wellbeing
Report
Quarter 2: October – December 2023
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Work Programme Overview
Below is an overview showing work programme phasing over the next 12 months. Please note this work programme wil run through to 2025 with some projects starting in the 2024/2025
FY.
Shift from previous report: Wellbeing has improved from amber to green, as we have had more time to focus on this now that our initial Critical Risk work has been completed
. After
discussion with 9(2)(a)
, Manager Risk Assurance and Resilience, we have transferred the Emergency Preparedness Management from our overal HSW project plan into Risk
reporting. We wil continue to support as necessary as an SME for HSW.
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
RAG
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Governance,
ONGOING - Policy & Charter review / Quarterly Reporting / HSW Rep Engagement / Safety & Wellbeing Committee / Te Taiao updates and management
Reporting &
G
Engagement
Review and update reporting (will begin once Critical Risk collateral
document creation underway)
ONGOING - Reporting and data management
Incident &
Hazard
Kiosk data review and updates
G
Management
Investigation process review and updates
Engagement with external consultant
Critical Risk
G
Isolated/Lone Work
Management
Phasing of remaining critical risk work to be decided on recommendations from consultant (Psychological Harm / Driving for Work / Pandemic)
Wellbeing monitoring and initiatives
Wellbeing
G
Wellbeing Approach to support change activities (see slide 4 for detail)
Work Program Implementation
Contractor
Assess internal process and standardise documentation
Management
G
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Update
Element
Current Activity
Next Milestones
Governance,
• Al HSW Rep positions have been moved over into their new Business Groups with al Groups represented. • Plan additional Internal training opportunities for our HSW Reps. This
Engagement &
However, where two positions are required due to the size of the group, we wil need to hold
wil include knowledge to support them in their role such as our
Participation
nominations (PIE, BTS, CCMRE).
incident and hazard reporting process, investigating process, and tools
• Safety and Wel being Committee (SWC) meeting wil be held February 29th. Previous minutes saved here.
and techniques to support wel being within their business groups.
• Final consultation of our Safety and Wellbeing Worker Agreement completed with the SWC. Including
relevant updates within the new structure. Updates to be reflected in the agreement and approved by
COO.
• 9(2)(a)
Critical Risk
• Work has begun on consultant recommendations for both Isolated/Lone Work and Driving. Update on • Resources and documentation to be created in line with Critical
Management
these recommendations was brought to Te Pūrengi in Dec 2023. As discussed in this update, work on our
Control recommendations from external consultant. These wil be
Critical Controls is set to begin in February, we wil update Te Pūrengi on our progress in April with our next
communicated on Te Taiao.
Quarterly update. In addition, psychological Risk remains a priority and we continue to promote resources
and support avenues for our people.
• Critical Risk Te Taiao page drafted and ready to be populated with resources as we continue our Critical
Risk project.
Wel being
• Wellbeing Approach to Support 2024 change activities created and to be implemented as a priority to • Continue to work on the “Promote” and “Prevent” pil ars of our
ensure we are supporting our people through the upcoming change (detail on slide four).
wellbeing work program (see appendix slide nine). This wil include
• Procurement documents for the Te ao Māori EAP support pilot are being finalised, currently with legal for
clear actions and frameworks to ensure we are supporting our
review. Access to this support is being offered to kaimahi on a case-by-case basis. To be in place by March
Psychosocial Safety Critical Risk work.
2024.
• Ergonomic Champions are trained in 8WS- We are working with the
• EAP reporting has been updated with provider to align with new org structure. This will be reflected in
trained group to create cadence of check-ins and promotion across
upcoming reporting.
the Ministry.
• Te Taiao wellbeing pages are being updated to include more self-service information and resources.
• 2024 Flu Vaccinations wil be offered as a voucher to al kaimahi. Please see more (detail on slide eight).
Incident & Hazard
• Streamlined Workstation Assessment process has been created. This wil be tested with a group of users • Review of current investigation process and creation of clear guidance
Management
before promoting to kaimahi to ensure it is fit-for-purpose.
and expectations for managers and kaimahi.
• Data deep-dive to ensure we are reporting accurately against logged incidents and hazards.
• Promotion and education around use of Kiosk to log incidents and
hazards including training our HSW Reps.
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Wellbeing Approach to Support 2024
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Change Activities
Our last Quarterly report highlighted an increase in uncertainty and anxiety in relation to the Operating Model Review announced in June 2023. There was also commentary from our P&C
Business Partners and Advisors on the increased number of Employee Relations cases they were seeing. We are about to move into another significant period of change which will impact all
Ministry kaimahi in various ways. Given the impact we saw from the 2023 changes, we should be proactive to ensure good support is in place, and that we are prioritising the protection of
our people’s psychological wellbeing. This includes individual support for those affected and support for our kaimahi who will be engaging with affected staff.
We have good support networks and resources in place and much of this approach can be stood up internally. Our approach falls into three categories below. This is in-line with best practice
for ensuring psychologically safe workplaces. Taking a proactive approach is the best way for us to manage our response and equip our people with the tools to manage through this time.
Proactive Support
Just-in Time Support
Aftercare Support
• Equipping our managers with the tools to have
• Dedicated Te Taiao page to give kaimahi access to
• Provide assistance with counselling, career advice,
productive and safe conversations and to understand
resources when needed. Including Webinars, links to
financial advice and paid time off for job searching,
the impact of change for their teams. This will be
EAP, Ako modules and other useful resources.
applications and interviews. This is in line with the
included in the Manager workshops being created by
• Drop-in sessions for teams and Managers in line with
Collective Employment Agreement.
the L&OD team which will cover both practical change
key announcements.
• On going support for those who are leading and
management and process alongside wellbeing best-
• 1:1 support for kaimahi who are affected. Clear
supporting the organisation through change particularly
practice.
pathways to access this support and connect with BPs,
where they bear a significant amount of the interaction
• Prepare our teams who will be having high-interaction
Advisors and S&W Team.
and emotional load with impacted kaimahi.
with the business during this change to ensure they are
• February Tō reo survey. This will give us valuable
ready with the right tools and information. This
insights and allow us to pinpoint further opportunities
includes; P&C Advisors, BPs, and HSW Reps.
for support.
• Equipping all kaimahi with the knowledge and
techniques to build their individual resilience and
Risk to the success of this approach: Kaimahi not having the
coping skills before the change is in effect.
time or encouragement to interact with these resources.
Further potential impacts to be aware of:
• Once the change is announced we may see some ‘survivors' guilt’ appearing for those who have not been directly impacted within a team that has had multiple redundancies.
• We will likely see disruptive and unhelpful behaviours from kaimahi uncomfortable with and affected by the change. These will need to be addressed in a timely manner as their
behaviour will have negative impacts on teams.
• Presenteeism and lack of motivation leading to decreased productivity. This may include unplanned absences due to people’s wellbeing being affected.
• Leaders will be impacted both by a strain on their time managing the change, managing the relationships and disruption within their teams. They will also have their own personal
feelings on the change and it’s impact on them to deal with.
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Incident, Hazard & Workstation Assessment data
Incidents reported rol ing 12 months Jan 2023 – Dec 2023
Hazards reported rol ing 12 months
Top Hazards reported rol ing 12 months
9(2)(ba)(i)
Injury Type rol ing 12 months
Workstation Assessments by Month
Workstation assessments
Thirteen assessments have been completed this
quarter. These are from both hybrid and remote
9(2)(ba)(i)
workers.
This lift in request for assessments was due to
pain/discomfort, new joiners, and some kaimahi
who disclosed new medical requirements.
New form created to streamline this request
process. We wil be testing a new process with
kaimahi to ensure it is fit for purpose before
communicating to the Ministry. To be
implemented by April.
Incidents Of the eight incidents reported this quarter three were due to ergonomic injury. Al have been investigated with ergonomic issues being referred to a workstation assessment and provisioning of ergonomic
equipment recommended. 9(2)(ba)(i)
Hazards
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No hazards reported this quarter. This does not mean that no hazards occurred, we continue to acknowledge that low reporting is being seen and lifting the culture of reporting is part of our planned work programme.
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Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) data
EAP usage data rol ing 12 months Jan 2023 – Dec 2023
9(2)(ba)(i) 9(2)(ba)(i)
See detail of Work and Personal Issues by Business
Group in Appendix.
EAP definitions of personal and work
issues can be found here.
Generic EAP usage for Jan-23 to Dec-23 is
5.4%. Other customers of Habit Health
include NZ Police, MBIE, Ministry of
Justice, Ministry of Education.
9(2)(ba)(i) 9(2)(ba)(i) Our usage is sitting at 21.2% for the same
period. This is an increase from our last
report which was at 20.8% and a further
increase from 17.5% in Q4 June 2023.
There is a steady incline in our kaimahi
accessing this service.
While this is a good indication that our
people are comfortable using EAP, it is
highlighting the strain that our people are
experiencing.
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Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) contd.
The above data gives an overview of how we compare against other agencies that are clients of Habit Health (NZ Police, MBIE, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education). 9(2)(ba)(i)
EAP Definition of Environment:
Some employees work in difficult environments. For example: noise in an open-plan office; danger in a factory situation. Employees are encouraged to raise these issues with their management or Human
Resources personnel. If that fails or has failed, other options are discussed.
Definition of Work Conditions:
Where the conditions around an employee’s job (hours, workload or environment) is causing them distress. The counsel or or psychologist wil work with the employee to develop their resilience;
identify their options; and encourage communication with their manager or HR personnel.
9(2)(ba)(i)
Commentary from our Business Partners and P&C Advisors:
9(2)(ba)(i)
Please see slide four for our approach to managing wellbeing through this change period.
2024 Flu Vaccinations
We will again be offering these to our kaimahi beginning in May. After careful consideration, we are adjusting our approach to offer al kaimahi vouchers instead of both in-house and voucher options. This
approach is becoming standard practice across many agencies as we al adjust to hybrid ways of working and is the approach that Stats is now taking. These vouchers can be used across the motu at multiple
pharmacies and GP clinics – it wil not create a barrier to our people accessing the service. We wil also stil offer reimbursement where there is a specific need where the voucher is not suitable.
An additional benefit to this approach is that it wil create a standardised offer for our people whereas previously, it was only 8WS kaimahi who had the option of in-house vaccinations.
If there are any significant objections to this approach, we wil look to return to inhouse vaccinations in 2025.
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Benchmarking our Wellbeing
Fol owing discussion from our last Quarterly HSW Report, we wil be benchmarking our wel being through our Tō Reo survey results. These give us detailed indication of how we
have are improving as an organisation but also how we sit in relation to other organisations.
Current Wel being score from 2023 Tō Reo survey:
Ask of Leaders
Our ask continues to be to encourage leaders to al ow space for HSW Reps to connect with teams, and to continue promoting our wel being offerings below:
1.
Psychologist and Counsel or Reimbursement offering – in addition to EAP
2.
More detail about EAP and how to get the most out of it – EAP: Support When you Need it
3.
Wel being Webinar with Jase Te Patu – Exploring wellbeing tools through a Te ao Māori lens
• Many business groups have conducted Wellbeing Pulse Surveys, please engage with these results and explore tangible actions from the responses. Please reach out to 9(2)(a)
if you would like to
discuss what some of these actions could be.
• Flu Vaccination information wil be coming out shortly and we encourage you to share this with your teams.
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Appendix - Wellbeing Work Progr
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am
Our Wel being Plan is focused on three key pil ars; Support, Promote, and Prevent which was outlined in our Wellbeing Approach May 2023. Our current focus is on building resources in both the Support and
Promote pil ars. Once these foundational pil ars are in place, well socialised, trusted, and resourced, we wil shift our focus to the Prevent pil ar. This first phase should be completed by January 2024.
The Prevent pil ar ties in directly to our Psychological Harm Critical Risk and therefore needs careful consideration and planning. To have successful preventative factors in place, we
must first understand the current state of the organisation and the experiences of kaimahi within the new Operating Model Framework. This wil require a separate project to ensure we
are recommending and implementing valuable and relevant interventions.
Detail
Status + Commentary
Support those
Access to EAP including:
In place. This includes lifting our EAP reporting scope which has allowed us to see lead indicators of areas of concern and to provide
experiencing poor
- Psychologists and Counsellors
extra resources where necessary.
wel being
- Available for whanau to access
- Financial advice
- Legal advice
Access to external psychologist/counselling support outside EAP
In place.
Flexible by Default Policy
In place.
P&C Advisor and BP network
In place.
Rongoa Māori EAP access
Finalising procurement – to be officially in place by March 2024. Currently being offered to kaimahi on a case-by-case basis.
Building capability of leaders to support their people
Managing through change workshops underway. Additional resources to be created.
Promote positive
Te Taiao Wellbeing pages
In place. Updates and more resources to be added including details of Te Whare Tapa Wha.
wel being
Wellbeing Allowance
In place.
Access to EAP
In place. This can be used as a proactive tool. Promotion around how to use EAP proactively to be undertaken. In place by Dec 2023.
Wellbeing webinars
Working with external providers to provide webinars with practical tools and tips. These could be both org-wide and within business
groups. Climate and PID have recently had a session with Jane Davis, Director of the Flourishing Institute.
HSW Reps and Wellbeing groups within teams
In place. Work to be done to create a more cohesive approach to wellbeing groups and to ensure all groups have this in place.
Prevent Harm to
Project to design work that protects the wellbeing of our
To be undertaken in line with our Psychological Harm Critical Risk in 2024. This will allow us to ensure we are creating chan ge across
Wel being
kaimahi.
the organisation and doing so in a way that meets the needs of our kaimahi while balancing the needs of the business. This wi ll
include; work design, assessing workloads and task allocation, leadership capability, job descriptions, and reviewing process es that
are impacting wellbeing.
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