Positive Workplace Culture progress report

The Positive Workplace Culture programme has been underway since April 2019 and the latest six-month progress report is now available.

This is our fourth progress report and is available on the Portal and on our Postive Workplace website(external link).  

Since our last report, we’ve continued to implement the initiatives to address the 33 recommendations of retired Judge Coral Shaw’s independent review into the workplace policies, practices and procedures to address bullying and harassment at Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

Establishing a permanent BCO is a fundamental step in addressing bullying and harassment and building a respectful and positive workplace culture in our organisation.

The establishment of a permanent BCO will mean we embed a fair and transparent mechanism for resolving complaints.

We are now moving to establish the permanent BCO, including creating policies and procedures that will ensure procedural fairness and natural justice; and privacy and confidentiality.

Once fully established, the BCO will undertake five functions - proactively setting standards, providing education, data and intelligence to prevent unwanted behaviour while responsively and effectively managing complaints to address unwanted behaviour and working with individuals to restore positive working relationships following a complaint.

Other major milestones over the last six-months include: 

• Bringing together 70 of our trainers and people leaders for a two-day Respect and Inclusive Leadership hui.
• Continuing our work on policies and procedures, including development of a draft stand-alone policy to address sexual harm in collaboration with external subject matter experts and progressing the review of our Standards of Conduct policy and Managing Alleged Misconduct procedures.

Please take some time to read this report and engage with the materials available. We all have a role in building an organisation where everyone is safe, welcome and included.