13/01/26
File Ref: 251280
Elspeth Baker-Vevers
[FYI request #33069 email]
Dear Elspeth
Thank you for your Official Information Act (the Act) request received on 1 December
2025. You requested:
I’m making this Official Information Act request as part of ADHDInquiryNZ, a
grassroots, unfunded, and non-partisan volunteer initiative supporting a
public petition calling for a Parliamentary inquiry into systemic harm to
people with ADHD in Aotearoa. This request focuses on information held by
your agency to help identify how ADHD is currently recognised within existing
systems. The information gathered from this and related requests will be
used to help identify any patterns across agencies and will contribute to the
evidence provided to the Petitions Committee when the petition period closes.
I appreciate the time involved in OIA responses.
Please treat this as a request for official information under the OIA. I
understand the agency’s obligation to assist under s 13, and that a decision
should be made within 20 working days of receipt (and any transfer made
within 10 working days). If any part of this request requires clarification,
please let me know no later than 5 working days from receipt. If an extension
under s 15A is needed, please state the reason and duration. This request is
confined to information held by WorkSafe New Zealand; please do not
transfer for commentary.
Timeframe: This request covers the period 1 January 2015 to the date this
request is received.
Format: Where datasets, tables, or modelling outputs are provided, I request
they be supplied in machine-readable format (CSV or original spreadsheet
file) along with any data dictionaries or field definitions. A machine-readable
format is requested to minimise collation and preserve original structure.
Scope clarification to reduce unnecessary work:
To streamline this request, I am not seeking internal email chains, drafts, or
personal information about individuals unless they are the only holders of the
substantive information described.
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under s 18(f) due to
substantial collation, please identify that specific part early so I can refine it.
Please provide:
1. Any policy, guidance, or risk assessment materials since 2015 that
mention ADHD in relation to psychosocial risk, mental health, worker
wellbeing, or worker impairment.
2. Any documents, internal notes, or guidance since 2015 that discuss ADHD
in relation to “worker impairment,” “human factors risk,” “cognitive load,”
PO Box 165, Wellington 6140
“attention-based impairment,” or other terminology WorkSafe uses when
assessing psychosocial or mental-health-related risk.
3. Any documents or correspondence linking ADHD to work-related stress,
burnout, wellbeing, safety outcomes, or performance impairment.
4. Any data, case studies, or aggregated information about ADHD or
neurodivergence in WorkSafe investigations, assessments, or education
campaigns (personal information is not required; anonymised or redacted
material is acceptable).
5. Any public education, awareness, compliance, or guidance materials since
2015 relating to ADHD, neurodiversity, or psychosocial risk in the workplace.
If none exist, please confirm this.
6. Any analysis, advice, or documents since 2015 discussing neurodiversity
(including ADHD) as a workplace health and safety factor, risk, or equity
consideration.
7. Documentation showing how WorkSafe categorises ADHD (for example:
under neurodiversity, mental health, disability, worker impairment, or
psychosocial risk).
8. Any involvement by WorkSafe in cross-agency initiatives relating to
neurodiversity, workplace mental health, worker impairment, or workforce
wellbeing where ADHD is mentioned or relevant.
If information is not held
If your agency does not hold some or all of the information requested, that
absence also helps clarify how ADHD is currently recognised within workplace
health and safety systems. Identifying such gaps is part of building the
evidence base for an informed, coordinated response.
Please confirm if the information is not held by your agency, and include any
existing documents or correspondence that record a decision not to collect,
analyse, or monitor ADHD related information. If applicable, please indicate
how related matters are categorised (for example, under neurodiversity,
psychosocial risk, mental health, worker impairment, or disability).
On 1 December 2025, we sought to clarify your request in accordance with section
15(1AA) of the Official Information Act, and on 1 December you confirmed your request
to be for:
As above but your request relates to WorkSafe’s role as the regulator only,
not its role as an employer.
2
Requested Information 1. Any policy, guidance, or risk assessment materials since 2015 that mention ADHD in
relation to psychosocial risk, mental health, worker wellbeing, or worker impairment.
2. Any documents, internal notes, or guidance since 2015 that discuss ADHD in relation
to “worker impairment,” “human factors risk,” “cognitive load,” “attention-based
impairment,” or other terminology WorkSafe uses when assessing psychosocial or
mental-health-related risk.
3. Any documents or correspondence linking ADHD to work-related stress, burnout,
wellbeing, safety outcomes, or performance impairment.
4. Any data, case studies, or aggregated information about ADHD or neurodivergence in
WorkSafe investigations, assessments, or education campaigns (personal information is
not required; anonymised or redacted material is acceptable).
Our response
WorkSafe does not hold any of the documents requested above in questions 1, 2, 3 and
4 of your request. Therefore these parts of your request are refused under section 18(e)
of the Act, as the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist,
or despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
Although in the course of an investigation or assessment it may be disclosed that a
person or persons have a diagnosis of ADHD or are neurodivergent in other ways there is
no requirement for WorkSafe to collect or record this information. Conversely, a person
does not have to disclose this information.
5. Any public education, awareness, compliance, or guidance materials since 2015
relating to ADHD, neurodiversity, or psychosocial risk in the workplace. If none exist,
please confirm this.
Our response
Please see
Appendix 1.
6. Any analysis, advice, or documents since 2015 discussing neurodiversity (including
ADHD) as a workplace health and safety factor, risk, or equity consideration.
7. Documentation showing how WorkSafe categorises ADHD (for example: under
neurodiversity, mental health, disability, worker impairment, or psychosocial risk).
8. Any involvement by WorkSafe in cross-agency initiatives relating to neurodiversity,
workplace mental health, worker impairment, or workforce wellbeing where ADHD is
mentioned or relevant.
Our response
WorkSafe does not categorise ADHD and no analysis, advice or documents exist that
discuss neurodiversity as a workplace health and safety factor, risk or equity
consideration. WorkSafe has not been involved in any cross-agency initiatives where
ADHD the focus of the initiative.
Therefore questions 6, 7 and 8 of your request are refused under section 18(e) of the
Act, as the document alleged to contain the information requested does not exist, or
despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
3
This reply addresses the information you requested. You may ask the Ombudsman to
investigate and review this decision, and further information is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz. If you require further assistance, please contact
[email address].
Yours sincerely
Kelly Hanson-White
Deputy Chief Executive Insights and Engagement
4
