UNCLASSIFIED
New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
55 Molesworth Street
14 July 2026
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T +64 4 439 8000
F +64 4 472 9596
Paul David
OIA 30998
[FYI request #34873 email]
Tēnā koe Paul David
Thank you for your email of 7 June 2026, in which you request the following under the
Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
1.
Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how
many staff at the Los Angeles Consulate General have either retired, resigned,
been made redundant, were dismissed from their role or been placed on leave
without pay?
2.
Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how
many staff at the Los Angeles Consulate General have received formal letters
concerning their employment status?
3.
Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how
many staff at the Los Angeles Consulate General considered to be performing
poorly have been placed on a performance improvement programme (PIP)?
4.
Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how
many Engagement or Pulse Surveys have been conducted and what percentage
of staff considered they were engaged and how did the post compare to other
offshore posts?
5.
Has the Deputy Head of Mission (Washington) visited staff at the NZ Consulate
General in Los Angeles to discuss the outcome of any Engagement or Pulse
Surveys. Was a report on that visit produced and if so, what were the key
findings?
6.
Are NZ Consulate General - Los Angeles local staff contracts established under
New Zealand labour laws or US labour laws?
On 3 July 2026, the timeframes for responding to your request were extended by an
additional6 working days because responding to your request necessitated the review of
a large quantity of information (section 15A(1)(a) of the OIA refers).
UNCLASSIFIED
Page 2 of 3
Response to your request
1. Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how many
staff at the Los Angeles Consulate General have either retired, resigned, been made
redundant, were dismissed from their role or been placed on leave without pay?
Four staff.
2. Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how many
staff at the Los Angeles Consulate General have received formal letters concerning
their employment status?
Ten staff. These include letters relating to employment offers, contract extensions,
disciplinary, and employment status confirmation letters.
3. Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how many
staff at the Los Angeles Consulate General considered to be performing poorly have
been placed on a performance improvement programme (PIP)?
No staff have been placed on a Performance Improvement Programme (PIP) during
the tenure of the current Consul-General.
4. Since the current NZ Consul General in Los Angeles took up her posting, how many
Engagement or Pulse Surveys have been conducted and what percentage of staff
considered they were engaged and how did the post compare to other offshore
posts?
Three. As participation in the surveys was voluntary, the data represents only
employees who completed the survey. The Los Angeles post’s engagement score was
42% in September 2024, 50% in May 2025 and 50% in November 2025. The overall
offshore post engagement score was 78% in September 2024, 78% in May 2025,
and 77% in November 2025.
5. Has the Deputy Head of Mission (Washington) visited staff at the NZ Consulate
General in Los Angeles to discuss the outcome of any Engagement or Pulse Surveys.
Was a report on that visit produced and if so, what were the key findings?
No, the Deputy Head of Mission (Washington) has not visited staff at the
New Zealand Consulate-General, Los Angeles to discuss the outcome of any
engagement or pulse survey. As no such visit occurred the remainder of this part of
your request is refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the information requested
does not exist.
6. Are NZ Consulate General - Los Angeles local staff contracts established under New
Zealand labour laws or US labour laws?
Locally employed staff at the New Zealand Consulate-General, Los Angeles are
employed under US labour laws.
Page 3 of 3
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official
information requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your
personal information removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-us/official-information-act-responses/ If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Owen Thornber
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
