‘Hideous’ atmosphere at Health NZ as staff await redundancy decisions

Monday, 23 September 2024

Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora Commissioner Professor Lester Levy after fronting health select committee in Wellington on September 18.

A Health NZ worker says she feels like a number on a spreadsheet, describing the mood at the agency as hideous as staff wait for Commissioner Lester Levy and his restructuring team to decide their fate.

“Nobody has any idea when it's coming, what teams, how many people will be affected, will there be any opportunities for redeployment … it's a bit hideous.

“Obviously, we're headed into the Christmas period, so people are feeling especially anxious. Many of us went through the change process last year too so people are angry, they're sad, they're tired, they’re over it.

“They can't keep treating people this way, like they don't care.”

The government-appointed commissioner began his job in late July following reports Health NZ was overspending by about $130 million a month, which saw Health Minister Dr Shane Reti sack the board.

Just days into that role, Levy warned between 2500 and 3000 jobs may be on the line.

Several senior leaders have already been axed and other senior jobs are understood to be on the chopping block.

The non-clinical staffer, who cannot be identified, has a job for now.

In late August, Health NZ posed the option of voluntary redundancy to some staff in health administration, advisory and knowledge roles.

The deadline for expressions of interest was September 13. The agency had said it expected to notify staff of the outcome by mid-late September. As of Sunday, staff had not been told whether they were successful.

Health NZ declined to say anything more over the weekend, saying it would not be in a position to comment until the process was complete and could not say when that would be.

The two Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora leaders appeared at Health Select Committee on Wednesday and briefly spoke to media after about the organisation's finances,non-disclosure agreements, and Levy's second job.

The staffer said it was especially hard hearing Levy was earning about two-and-a-half times the average household income to be commissioner, as The Post revealed last week.

“I can’t even listen to him [Levy] … especially when he’s in front of the media preaching compassion and empathy and yet none of his staff get that behind the scenes. We’re just numbers to be cut.

“I’d work 10-12 hour days too if I got paid $320,000 a year.”

Levy is also continuing a second job at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) where he teaches classes on digital health leadership two days a week.

Last week Prime Minister Christopher Luxon defended Levy last week, saying he had no qualms about the commissioner’s fee or his second job, even after Levy showed up to a select committee without financial documents committee members had asked for.

“He [Levy] is doing an exceptionally good job. He's inherited a system that's a hell of a mess, and he's working his way through to make sure we understand the financial performance, the clinical performance, and the operational performance.”