12 March 2026
Ref: DOIA-REQ-0027662-Jess
Jess
Email: [email address]
[FYI request #33726 email]
Tēnā koe Jess
Thank you for your email of 14 February 2026 to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE) requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
Under the OIA, please provide below information:
1 - Please provide the percentage of positions who are eligible to claim wellness benefit vs
percentage of positions who cannot claim wellness benefit within MBIE. i.e. out of 100% positions
what percentage can claim vs percentage that cannot claim.
2 - Please also provide information or policy document regarding wellness benefit which provides
information on why few positions within MBIE are ineligible to make this claim.
The Hauora/Wellbeing Allowance is an annual contribution of $465, which MBIE employees are able to
claim towards the purposes of caring for their own individual non-work-related health and wellbeing
needs. The allowance is a contractual entitlement, therefore needs to be included in an employee’s
employment agreement to be claimable. There are a range of healthcare services which the allowance
can be claimed for, these are detailed in MBIE Employment Agreements, excerpts of which are included
in Appendix 1.
MBIE employees are eligible to claim the wellbeing allowance, if they meet the following criteria:
• have the benefit included in their terms and conditions of employment; and
• have been continuously employed by MBIE for 12 months or more.
As individual employees rather than positions are eligible for the allowance, a percentage of positions
who are entitled to claim this is contribution does not exist. MBIE is therefore refusing your request
under section 18(e) of the Act, as the information requested does not exist.
Due to eligibility requiring continuous employment by MBIE for 12 months or more, the number of
employees who are able to claim this contribution will change on a day-by-day basis.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please con
tact [email address].
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802
602.
Nāku noa, nā
Kerry Jarvis
Acting Chief People Officer
People and Culture
Corporate and Digital Shared Services
Appendix 1: Section 61 Hauora/Wellbeing Allowance excerpt from MBIE - Public Service Association
(PSA) Collective Employment Agreement 2025 – 2026
Section 32 Hauora/Wellbeing Allowance excerpt from MBIE Individual Employment Agreement
