14 April 2026
Tēnā koe James Welsh
Official Information Act request
Thank you for your email of 14 February 2026, requesting information about
policies and training regarding disconnecting calls.
I have considered your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
Please find my decision on each part of your request set out separately below
•
The written policies, guidelines, or operational procedures that outline
the circumstances under which a call centre staff member may
disconnect a call with a client.
•
Clarification as to whether a call may be disconnected where a
conversation is considered “difficult” but the caller remains civil and does
not engage in abusive, threatening, or inappropriate behaviour.
•
The required procedural steps (e.g., warnings, escalation to a supervisor,
documentation requirements) that staff must follow before disconnecting
a call.
•
Could you please provide the contents of the relevant training modules
such as questions / answers take in regards to call de-escalation?
•
Whether call centre staff have discretion to terminate a call in the
absence of uncivil or abusive conduct, and if so, the scope and limits of
that discretion.
Please refer to the attached
Appendix which provides the following guidance from
the Ministry’s intranet:
• Challenging Callers
• Managing Challenging Callers
Dealing with Angry Clients
Master Tips
Active Listening Tips and Tricks
Dealing with Different or Difficult People
As outlined in the
Appendix, Ministry staff should only terminate a call when there
is a valid reason to end a call.
•
Details of any training provided to call centre staff relating to:
The Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington
– Telephone 04-916 3300 – Facsimile 04-918 0099
o
De-escalation techniques, and o
Call termination protocols.
The details of our relevant training are detailed as follows:
• Handling Challenging Callers – this programme consists of different modules
that covers identifying caller behaviour, demonstrates how to effectively
connect to callers, escalating and terminating a call when required and
provides techniques for these situations
• Building Rapport – introduction to key aspects of building and maintaining
rapport with others. Includes defining, active listening, leading with
empathy and respect
• Connecting with Clients – strengths-based conversations, motivation and
goal setting, working with obstacles and how to identify and acknowledge
barriers
• Safe space: De-escalation in Action – develop the confidence and techniques
to manage difficult situations and ensure safety. Provides practical
strategies for de-escalation through real-life scenarios
• Handling Challenging Callers – this programme consists of different modules
that covers identifying caller behaviour, demonstrates how to effectively
connect to callers, escalating and terminating a call when required and
provides techniques for these situations
• Challenging Callers guidance in HIYA – outlines ways to help staff deal with
some more challenging callers they may come across
•
The official Saturday operating hours for call centre support.
The Ministry’s Call Centre hours are 8am to 1pm each Saturday.
•
Any policies or guidance relating to:
o
Placing callers on hold near closing time,
This part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as this document
does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
o
Managing calls that extend beyond official business hours, and
o
Whether staff are permitted to disconnect calls at closing time if the
call commenced prior to closing.
Calls that were in the queue prior to closing time will remain in the queue (and be
responded to) after closing time.
•
Whether there are policies governing the use of hold and mute functions in
situations where a call is approaching the end of business hours.
This part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the Act as this document
does not exist or, despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
•
What policies govern call disconnection when the call centre is experiencing
high call volumes?
The Ministry aims to answer all calls to our 0800 services as quickly as possible.
There is significant demand for our phone-based services, and, at times, our phone
lines see such high demand that our technology is not able to keep up. This is
when callers find it difficult to get through and they are played a message advising
we are extremely busy but to please try again later, then their call is disconnected.
•
What can a Client expect if they were to raise a investigation about a call
being unfairly disconnected prior to closing time? What steps does MSD take
to investigate these situations?
This would be dependent on the circumstances of the individual case. If you believe
you have been treated unfairly, you can make a complaint. We are providing you
with the relevant page which is publicly available on the Ministry website:
www.workandincome.govt.nz/about-work-and-income/feedback-and-
complaints/making-a-complaint.html.
•
Could you please provide a list of relevant training modules that the Agents
have had to take in regards to call de-escalation?
Service Delivery frontline roles (which include the staff in contact centres, service
centres, central processing) go through the Ministry’s induction which includes a
combination of Ministry employee knowledge, role-specific responsibilities, and
technical knowledge. The induction process is complemented by a significant
number of resources which support staff in building an understanding of the client
and their whānau and then considering what they need and the different
techniques to use when working with clients/whānau.
The Ministry’s Capability team works from Development Maps. These are Ministry
online resources, providing guidance with detail on key practice areas that align to
knowledge, skills, and capabilities that Ministry staff are required to learn to work
with clients and their whānau and to understand their needs.
As one example, the Development Map for Manaaki Whānau (Working with
Whānau) stems from our Client Value Steps:
• Understand me and my whānau.
• Help me in the way that I need it.
• Do it.
To complement our Development Maps, the Ministry uses Learning Pathways
(delivered online internally) that provide a range of learning for staff in each key
practice area. Some examples of our learning include:
• Unconscious Bias: helps learners understand what it is and the multiple
ways we can be affected by it. It also covers how it can show up in work
and personal lives and what we can do to mitigate unconscious bias.
• Lives Like Mine: tells the story of our diverse clients and provides an insight
into the people we work with and the power of empathy in our work. It is
used in various contexts but most crucially during induction to share the
Ministry’s purpose and values with our new kaimahi.
• Brief Bites: are quick activities for teams that focus on how we can make
our clients feel welcome and valued.
• Mental Health Awareness training: gives the confidence to recognise, relate
and respond to people experiencing mental illness.
The Ministry provides a range of compulsory introductory learning from within this
suite.
The induction process is complemented by a suite of follow up training – delivered
internally online - that forms part of ongoing learning for our kaimahi. The Learning
Pathways are designed in a way that learners can access as they need to do so,
along with recommendations from their Capability Developer and/or Managers.
I will be publishing this decision letter, with your personal details deleted, on the
Ministry’s website in due course.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[MSD request email]. If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request, you have the right to
seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to
make a complaint is available a
t www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
pp.
Anna Graham
General Manager
Ministerial and Executive Services
