News Roundup

Business burnout still being ignored

Newly released data from the Skills Consulting Group Work Wellbeing Index reveals New Zealand’s average wellbeing score is 61 out of 100, consistent with last year’s national score (62). However, the Index shows a third of Kiwi businesses still don’t have any kind of wellbeing programme in place, despite one-in-three employees saying they have either experienced burnout or know someone in their workplace who has.

“The fact that one-third of Kiwi businesses still haven’t got the message means there is a mismatch between what employees need and what businesses are offering. If businesses don’t take heed they will pay with people on long-term sick leave, growing attrition rates and increased recruitment costs,” says Jane Kennelly, General Manager Wellbeing, Skills Consulting Group.

The research also shows that certain industries and other demographics are struggling more than others with burnout. The highest levels of burnout are in the government (47 per cent) and health care (48 per cent) sectors. Meanwhile, women were more likely, at 41 per cent, than men (34 per cent) to experience burnout in the workplace.

According to Kennelly, there is a way forward and it starts with understanding Ok-nomics. This concept, which focuses on if staff ‘are OK’ and feeling valued, rewarded and listened to, will create a culture of success. Staff who don’t feel this way will have the opposite effect.

“Once leaders understand and accept this concept they can look at the wellbeing drivers and start pulling together a strategy to transform their workforce. It’s about identifying what your people need and treating the cause – not the symptoms.”

For more on this story, go to the article on page 12.

NZ HR Award submissions open

HRNZ opened its annual awards submissions in August. The NZ HR Awards recognise excellence and outstanding achievement within New Zealand’s HR community.

The Awards provide individuals and HR teams with the opportunity to take part in a process of discovery, awareness, acknowledgement and achievement that provides an insight into the value HR adds to organisations. The 2023 Awards will include three new awards. These are the Wellbeing Leadership Award,

Academic Impact Award and Building Sustainability through People award.

Entering is easy, and the HRNZ website provides templates and working documents under each Award category. Submissions close at 5pm on Monday 31 October 2022.

Fair Pay Agreement

Fair Pay Agreements are coming, with the Fair Pay Agreements Bill expected to pass into law by the end of this year.

The new law will provide a framework for collective bargaining for industry- or occupation-wide Fair Pay Agreements or ‘FPAs’ that will set minimum employment terms for that occupation or industry group, including minimum hourly rates, overtime rates and penal rates. FPAs can apply to any industry or occupation in any sector. Unions will be able to initiate bargaining for an FPA if it represents at least 1,000 employees or 10 per cent of the employees in the proposed coverage or it meets a public interest test.

Giuliana Petronelli, Associate at Anthony Harper, suggests that “employers should begin developing a strategy now and holding discussions with industry partners to ensure they have a voice at the bargaining table.” The National Party has indicated it will repeal the law, if it wins the election, but employers should be prepared for bargaining before the election and in case the Act is not repealed. Once an FPA is in place, employers will be bound by it regardless of whether they were represented during bargaining.

New Whistleblower Act

The Protected Disclosures

(Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 came into force on 1 July 2022 replacing the Protected Disclosures Act 2000.

The new Act continues the old Act’s purpose, which is to facilitate the disclosure and investigation of serious wrongdoing in the workplace but clarifies and extends the definition of serious wrongdoing, enables people to report serious wrongdoing to an appropriate authority at any time, strengthens the protections for disclosers and provides guidance to receivers about the process they should follow when they receive a disclosure.

An ‘appropriate authority’ refers to the head of any public sector organisation, an officer of Parliament and a membership body of a profession or trade.

Of particular note, the new Act has expanded the definition of ‘serious wrongdoing’ to include a serious risk to the health and safety of any individual. Employers have responsibilities as receivers of protected disclosures in relation

to confidentiality and ensuring no retaliation or victimisation occurs to the discloser or their associates. The Act also requires public sector organisations to have appropriate internal procedures to deal with protected disclosures.

Anne Wilson, employment law Partner at Anthony Harper, advises employers to implement or review their Whistleblower Policy to ensure protected disclosures are handled appropriately in their organisations.