The Context
Since 2020, New Zealand’s public service has paid out at least $7.5 million in settlements for workplace bullying, harassment, and discrimination. This is not an isolated HR issue. It is a systemic crisis. The 2025 Public Service Census reveals a profound failure in resolution: 58.3% of staff at the Ministry of Disabled People are dissatisfied with how bullying is handled. At Oranga Tamariki, nearly 20% of staff experienced bullying in the last year. While the ERA may dismiss individual claims, as in the 2025 *Lowings* case, the public’s verdict is already in. The brand of public service is haemorrhaging credibility.
The Risk
For a Director, this is a direct threat to personal reputation and liability. The ‘Court of Public Opinion’ is now in permanent session. Every headline about a toxic culture erodes the social licence to operate and implicates governance at the highest level. Psychosocial harm is a recognised workplace hazard under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. A pattern of failed resolutions may indicate a board-level failure in its duty to ensure a safe working environment. This isn’t just about settlement costs. It’s about the irreversible brand damage and loss of public trust that cripples an organisation’s ability to function. Your legacy becomes one of crisis, not service.
The Control
Move beyond policy. Treat psychosocial safety with the same rigour as financial risk. Demand real-time cultural metrics, not just annual survey lag indicators. Commission independent, trauma-informed audits of your complaint and resolution processes. The board must own the narrative by publicly committing to transparent, time-bound action plans. Silence is complicity.
The Challenge
These are the critical questions you should be raising at the board table:
| Given that over half of some agencies’ staff do not trust internal resolution processes, what specific, immediate steps are we taking to restore faith and provide truly safe, external reporting channels? | |
| How are we measuring the true cultural health of our organisation in real-time, and what is the single most alarming trend the board needs to address this quarter? | |
| What is our proactive communications strategy to own this narrative with the public, demonstrating tangible accountability before the next damaging headline breaks? |