Kia ora Erika,

We acknowledge receipt of your official information request received on 19 March 2026 for Terminated staff due to vaccination status at Waikato Uni in 2022. 

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 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 any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into account.

Ngā mihi
Dominique van Huyssteen
Legal Administrator
Corporate Services - Legal
Ph: +64 7 838 4660
University of Waikato  |  Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240  |  New Zealand
waikato.ac.nz

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in this message only, unless otherwise stated.

-----Original Message-----
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #34161 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 19 March 2026 5:14 pm
To: OIA Admin <[University of Waikato request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Terminated staff due to vaccination status at Waikato Uni in 2022

[You don't often get email from [FOI #34161 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear University of Waikato,
On 14 Feb 2022 the University’s COVID-19 vaccination policy was here https://web.archive.org/web/202201171628...
"What it means for staff
Evidence of your Covid-19 vaccination (or exemption) will be held in Āku Mahi, and will be held in accordance with privacy legislation.

The University will engage with all staff who are yet to provide or who choose not to provide evidence of vaccination individually and in good faith. We understand that some staff have concerns related to vaccinations and we will talk with those staff to understand what their concerns are and what the impact of being unvaccinated may be on their role."

For the purposes of this request, the term “personnel” includes both Waikato University’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 Waikato University 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 Waikato University 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 Waikato University 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 assessment" for workplaces at Waikato University.

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

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

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34161 email]

Is [University of Waikato request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to University of Waikato? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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.

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

hide quoted sections

Kia Ora Erika,

Please find the University's response to your OIA request attached.

Ngâ mihi
Dominique van Huyssteen
Legal Administrator
Corporate Services - Legal
Ph: +64 7 838 4660
University of Waikato  |  Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240  |  New Zealand
waikato.ac.nz

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in this message only, unless otherwise stated.

-----Original Message-----
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #34161 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 19 March 2026 5:14 pm
To: OIA Admin <[University of Waikato request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Terminated staff due to vaccination status at Waikato Uni in 2022

[You don't often get email from [FOI #34161 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear University of Waikato,
On 14 Feb 2022 the University’s COVID-19 vaccination policy was here https://web.archive.org/web/202201171628...
"What it means for staff
Evidence of your Covid-19 vaccination (or exemption) will be held in Âku Mahi, and will be held in accordance with privacy legislation.

The University will engage with all staff who are yet to provide or who choose not to provide evidence of vaccination individually and in good faith. We understand that some staff have concerns related to vaccinations and we will talk with those staff to understand what their concerns are and what the impact of being unvaccinated may be on their role."

For the purposes of this request, the term “personnel” includes both Waikato University’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 Waikato University 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 Waikato University 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 Waikato University 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 assessment" for workplaces at Waikato University.

Yours faithfully,

Erika Whittome

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

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34161 email]

Is [University of Waikato request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to University of Waikato? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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.

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

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Erika,

Please find the hazard and risk register for 2021 attached.

Ngā mihi
Dominique van Huyssteen
Legal Administrator
Corporate Services - Legal
Ph: +64 7 838 4660
University of Waikato  |  Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240  |  New Zealand
waikato.ac.nz

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in this message only, unless otherwise stated.

-----Original Message-----
From: Erika Whittome <[FOI #34161 email]>
Sent: Tuesday, 21 April 2026 5:54 am
To: OIA Admin <[email address]>
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Terminated staff due to vaccination status at Waikato Uni in 2022

Dear OIA Admin,
Part 8 was: Would you please share the risk assessment? You have shared a blank risk register.

Yours sincerely,

Erika Whittome

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

Kia Ora Erika,

Please find the University's response to your OIA request attached.

Ngâ mihi
Dominique van Huyssteen
Legal Administrator
Corporate Services - Legal
Ph: +64 7 838 4660
University of Waikato  |  Private Bag 3105 Hamilton 3240  |  New Zealand waikato.ac.nz

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in this message only, unless otherwise stated.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #34161 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

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.

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

hide quoted sections