PSA launches legal action over ACC working from home rules

Monday, 3 November 2025

ACC wants its staff in the ofice at least three days a week.

The Public Service Association says it has filed legal action against ACC over a tightened work from home policy.

The union for public servants, in a statement on Sunday, said a move by the compensation scheme administrator to require workers to be in the office three days a week, instead of two, amounted to a significant change in remote working policy that required consultation with union members.

'ACC has ridden roughshod over its legal obligations under the collective agreement and completely ignored the views of workers by taking this unilateral step,' said Fleur Fitzsimons, PSA national secretary.

Fleur Fitzsimons, national secretary of the Public Service Association, the union for public sector workers.

Legal action had been filed with the Employment Relations Authority asking that ACC suspend the new rule and require consultation, Fitzsimons said.

Earlier this month, The Post reported that ACC chief executive Megan Main had notified staff that from December 1 “all staff who work from an ACC office will be expected to be on site at least three days per week”.

Main said the new rules would “apply consistently across ACC, with leaders having some discretion particularly as we transition into the new arrangements”.

Main told staff that, while the decision had been made, “we’re inviting everyone to share their thoughts on what practical changes could be considered to support the adjusted settings, with a focus on how we can build connections and improve ways of working to support a more effective hybrid working approach and ultimately to deliver better rehabilitation outcomes for our clients”.

An ACC review, released in September, recommended a review of hybrid and remote working policies “to build inclusivity/engagement/productivity”, as the policies had exacerbated a “hierarchical and siloed structure”.

The culture review stated that many staff “love the fact that they only have to go into the office two days per week and they highlighted hybrid working as one of the key benefits of working for ACC”.

However, there were also “some strong views expressed by interviewees (especially leaders) about the adverse impact the Hybrid Working Policy has had on staff engagement, team culture, collaboration, connection and training”.

“Some staff even reported that they never go into the office.”

Fitzsimons said morale at ACC was “at rock bottom”.

“This is not the behaviour we expect from any public sector employer when the obligations spelt out in collective agreements are crystal clear. The collective also requires ACC ‘to promote and maintain mutual trust and co-operation between ACC and its staff’.

'ACC needs to hear their voice - fix the culture problems, reverse the decision on working from home and come back to bargaining with a fair pay offer.'

ACC and the PSA are currently in facilitation over its collective agreement.