Eke Taumata policy consultation FAQs

Eke Taumata is the programme of work being carried out across Fire and Emergency to achieve long-term workplace culture change and enable a positive work experience for every one of us. This work is an absolute priority for both the Board and the Executive Leadership Team.

Eke Taumata is about our values and who we are and want to be as an organisation. Everyone at Fire and Emergency has a role to play in this important mahi (work).

Eke Taumata includes our response to the recommendations in the Te Kawa Mataaho/Public Service Commission review(external link), released in December 2022. These emphasised the need to find a new way way of working to change our culture and ensure a positive work experience for our people, including the management of complaints and addressing bullying and harassment.

By delivering on these recommendations, together we will create a safe workforce with a positive culture where diversity is embraced, and everyone feels respected and included.

We have made changes to two of our key culture and values-based policies – we have drafted a new single Code of Conduct to replace the existing Standards of Conduct and Code of Behaviour and updated our existing Bullying, harassment and victimisation policy to support the recommendations in the Public Service Commission review(external link).

These policies have been changed in response to the recommendations in the Te Kawa Mataaho/Public Service Commission review(external link), released in December 2022.

Code of Conduct

The new draft Code of Conduct will be a key enabler for our culture change journey – supporting us to build an environment for our people where they feel they belong, one that is positive, safe and inclusive.

Under the proposed changes, the new draft Code of Conduct sets out clear standards of expected behaviours and conduct for everyone at Fire and Emergency. 

The new draft Code of Conduct has been built around three key pillars:

• the standards of integrity and conduct that apply to all of us as part of the public service
• our values and what they mean in practice for our behaviour and conduct
• our individual and collective responsibilities in ensuring we provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for everyone who is part of Fire and Emergency, paid or volunteer.

It also outlines the consequences of when behaviour does not support these pillars.

Once finalised, it will become our single Code of Conduct, ensuring the same benchmarks are set for the way we all undertake our roles, interact with others and conduct ourselves.

Bullying, harassment and victimisation policy

The revised Bullying, harassment and victimisation policy is now framed around six clear rules, incorporating the following key elements outlined in the 2022 Te Kawa Mataaho/Public Service Commission review(external link):

• Investigation of all formal complaints of bullying or harassment
• Consequences for all personnel found by an investigation to have committed bullying or harassment
• Referral of allegations of criminal offending to the New Zealand Police.

Under the revised policy, if a person is part of a formal investigation, they may be stood down from contact with their workplace or brigade to ensure a fair investigation process and to keep our people safe.

If a formal investigation finds a person has bullied, harassed or victimised, they may be dismissed from Fire and Emergency following due process. For volunteers, we may end our volunteer relationship with them, supporting the brigade through the brigade’s rules to dismiss the person.

Eke Taumata is the programme of work being carried out across Fire and Emergency to achieve long-term workplace culture change and enable a positive work experience for every one of us. The policies help provide a framework for strong and accountable leadership and clear expectations with consequences if certain behaviours are not met.

We are consulting on the proposed new draft Code of Conduct and the changes that have been made to the Bullying, harassment and victimisation policy.

The proposed changes will affect you, so it’s important you have your say. We all have a role to play in changing our culture for the better, and your feedback on these proposals is part of this.

We know we need to make changes to achieve the positive work experience we all want – where everyone feels respected and included – and it’s our collective responsibility to do this.

Your views and thoughts are important to us, so please make sure you have your say by providing feedback.

Unions and Associations will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the policies during the consultation period (between 12 February and 10 March 2024). All Unions and Associations have been invited to participate in the Eke Taumata Internal Advisory Rōpū, where the proposed changes to the policies will be discussed.

Information on the proposed policy changes, including the FAQs, along with how to provide feedback and by when, are all on the Eke Taumata Portal page.

Feedback can be provided either via an online form(external link) on the Portal or via email at EkeTaumata@fireandemergency.nz.

The new draft Code of Conduct and the revised Bullying, harassment and victimisation policy will be implemented before 30 June 2024.

We have selected a provider to partner with us in delivering a new complaints service which we expect to go live in April this year. Speak Up @ Fair Way(external link) will replace the Behaviour and Conduct Office (BCO), and it will work differently. You will be able to access Speak Up @ Fair Way(external link) to raise issues, seek advice and make a complaint. Fair Way will assess and triage initial issues and determine the next steps independently of Fire and Emergency. They will also manage complex cases, including sexual harm.

Fair Way were selected as part of a competitive procurement process, during which we received nine responses to our RFP. They are experienced providers of complaints management services, providing similar services to other large Government agencies.

We have not bought an ‘out-of-the-box’ solution and we are currently collaborating with Fair Way on the detailed design of the service to ensure that as far as possible, the new service will meet the needs of our people.

Alongside our work with Fair Way, we are also working internally to ensure our people, including people leaders and decision-makers, can fulfil their roles as the new service and operating model rolls out. Training for key people will be delivered early this year.

It is important to us that we take the time to get this right. We know that makes it challenging for people who have an issue they need to raise now.

While we are still in the process of standing up the new service, we encourage you to use the Behaviour and Conduct Office (BCO). Wherever possible, the BCO is being managed in line with the principles of the new model. Cases currently in a process with the BCO will continue to be managed without interruption through and after the transition. We will provide plenty of notice and support if things change before current complaints are resolved and handled.

All existing supports are still available, so you can get help when you need it. You can look at the available services, including Vitae(external link), on the Portal > Safety, health and wellbeing and decide which – if any – might be of value to you.

If you have any questions or concerns about the consultation or proposed changes, please talk to your manager or email the Eke Taumata programme team at EkeTaumata@fireandemergency.nz.