Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/34156-terminated-staff-due-to-vaccination-status-at-gcsb?unfold=1 on July 23, 2026 17:31

Terminated staff due to vaccination status at GCSB

Erika Whittome made this Official Information request to Government Communications Security Bureau

Response to this request is long overdue. By law Government Communications Security Bureau should have responded by now (details and exceptions). The requester can complain to the Ombudsman.

From: Erika Whittome

Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,

I note this response from your office on 7 March 2022 about 4 people resigning and 3 being terminated for not being vaccinated
https://fyi.org.nz/request/18414/respons...

For the purposes of this request, the term “personnel” includes both GCSB’s employees and non-employee workers, including contractors, consultants, fixed-term staff, and agency placements. When not explicitly limited to “employees”, the term “personnel” is implied and refers to this broader group.

1. In 2022 how many staff were terminated for failure to comply with the covid-19 vaccination policy?

2. How many affected personnel left GCSB before receiving a termination notice during the introduction of the vaccination policy?

3. How many of the affected personnel were working in each operational area or departmental function (e.g. management, registry, IT, finance, HR, etc)? Please provide this disaggregated by job title or function to the extent reasonably practicable.

4. How many of the affected personnel were offered alternative positions, roles, or accommodations (e.g. remote work, redeployment, or other adjustments) as an alternative to termination? Please indicate whether such offers were made before or after termination notices were issued.

5. What was the total amount paid out by GCSB to resolve matters with these affected personnel, disaggregated (as far as reasonably practicable) into categories, including:
* back-pay
* redundancy payments
* settlements
* ex gratia payments
* sick leave or annual leave entitlements paid out
* any other categories of compensation or financial redress

Please also provide any contextual information necessary to interpret the figures (e.g. timeframes of payments, possible overlap between categories, or explanatory notes on classification methods used).

6. Were any external parties (e.g. Ministers, the Public Service Commission, Tertiary Commission , unions, or legal representatives) involved in the development of the vaccination policy leading to the terminations If so, please identify them and the nature of their involvement.

7. Did GCSB issue any internal guidance or policy outlining the process for implementing vaccine mandate-related terminations? If so, please provide a copy of that policy.

8. Please share the detailed risk assessments for workplaces at GCSB.

9. Please share the legal costs to date for any employment relationship problem arising out of the vaccination policy, including this matter at the Employment Relations Authority https://determinations.era.govt.nz/asset...

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

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From: Erika Whittome

Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,
Would you kindly supply the requested information under the Act

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

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From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau

Kia ora Erika,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 14 July 2026 as noted
below. Under section 12 of the Official Information Act 1982, requests for
official information must be specified with "due particularity". This
means we must be reasonably able to identify exactly what information you
are seeking without having to make unsupported assumptions.

 

Based on your current wording, we are unsure of the exact scope of the
information you require. To help us identify and locate the specific
records you are looking for, we would be grateful if you could provide
some clarification.

 

It would be helpful if you could:

·         Specify dates/timeframes, clarify the relevant time period you
are interested in  

·         Document type (e.g., emails, briefing papers, meeting minutes).

·         Define any specific keywords or scope boundaries that apply.

 

Next Steps

Under section 15(1AA) of the OIA, if an agency seeks clarification or
amendment of a request within 7 working days of receiving it, the
20-working-day statutory timeframe for responding is paused. The clock
will reset when we receive your clarified request.

 

Ngā mihi,

GCSB

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #34156 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 14 July 2026 6:41 AM
To: Information (GCSB) <[GCSB request email]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Terminated staff due to
vaccination status at GCSB

 

[You don't often get email from
[1][FOI #34156 email]. Learn why this is
important at [2]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Government Communications Security Bureau, Would you kindly supply
the requested information under the Act

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Erika Whittome

 

 

 

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[3][FOI #34156 email]

 

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the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[4]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

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This electronic message, together with any attachments, contains
information that is provided in confidence and may be subject to legal
privilege. Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not
the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy
or use the message in any way. If you have received this message in error,
please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original
message. The New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC) and the departments
comprising the NZIC accepts no responsibility for changes to this e-mail,
or to any attachments, after its transmission from NZIC. This
communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance
purposes. Thank you.

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References

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2. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
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From: Erika Whittome

Dear Information (GCSB),

This request for information refers to the time period in the years 2021 and 2022.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

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From: Information (GCSB)
Government Communications Security Bureau

Kia ora Erika,

 

Thank you for clarifying the time frame.

 

We have interpreted you request to be: The number of staff terminated in
2021 and 2022 as a result of their vaccination status at GCSB.

 

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and, in
any event, no later than 20 working days after the day that your request
was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will
notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

 

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact
[GCSB request email].

 

Ngā mihi,

GCSB

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #34156 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 14 July 2026 1:32 PM
To: Information (GCSB) <[GCSB request email]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Terminated staff due to
vaccination status at GCSB

 

[You don't often get email from
[1][FOI #34156 email]. Learn why this is
important at [2]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear Information (GCSB),

 

This request for information refers to the time period in the years 2021
and 2022.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Erika Whittome

 

-----Original Message-----

 

Kia ora Erika,

 

 

 

I refer to your official information request dated 14 July 2026 as noted 
below. Under section 12 of the Official Information Act 1982, requests
for  official information must be specified with "due particularity".
This  means we must be reasonably able to identify exactly what
information you  are seeking without having to make unsupported
assumptions.

 

 

 

Based on your current wording, we are unsure of the exact scope of the 
information you require. To help us identify and locate the specific 
records you are looking for, we would be grateful if you could provide 
some clarification.

 

 

 

It would be helpful if you could:

 

·         Specify dates/timeframes, clarify the relevant time period you

are interested in

 

·         Document type (e.g., emails, briefing papers, meeting minutes).

 

·         Define any specific keywords or scope boundaries that apply.

 

 

 

Next Steps

 

Under section 15(1AA) of the OIA, if an agency seeks clarification or 
amendment of a request within 7 working days of receiving it, the 
20-working-day statutory timeframe for responding is paused. The clock 
will reset when we receive your clarified request.

 

 

 

Ngā mihi,

 

GCSB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[3][FOI #34156 email]

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[4]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This electronic message, together with any attachments, contains
information that is provided in confidence and may be subject to legal
privilege. Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not
the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy
or use the message in any way. If you have received this message in error,
please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original
message. The New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC) and the departments
comprising the NZIC accepts no responsibility for changes to this e-mail,
or to any attachments, after its transmission from NZIC. This
communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance
purposes. Thank you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #34156 email]
2. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
3. mailto:[FOI #34156 email]
4. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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