MSD stands by the assistance we provide to our staff
09 December 2016.
On Thursday 08 December, the Ministry provided the following to media in response to allegations it does not take the welfare of its staff suffering family violence seriously, despite including Domestic Violence in its Special Leave provisions.
To be attributed to Alan Cassidy - General Manager Human Resources, Ministry of Social Development:
The Ministry of Social Development has reached agreement with the Public Service Association (PSA) on the Service Delivery and National Office collective agreements.
The PSA recommended the two settlements to their members, which were ratified by the membership.
The settlements provide a range of enhancements for staff, including the addition of a direction that staff do not need to use up annual leave first in domestic violence situations before taking special leave.
The inclusion of this clause ensures that both managers and staff are very clear about the supports available for our people experiencing family violence.
We take family violence extremely seriously, and special leave is just one new strand of support that’s been added to what we already provide for our staff.
This means making sure that any of our staff members experiencing family violence can receive confidential help and support, and have access to appropriate help.
Practically that might include a workplace safety plan – such as providing a car park close to the main access, accompanying a person to and from their car, relocating their workspace and changing contact details or keeping them confidential.
We also have an employee counselling service available for staff living with family violence, peer support people located nationwide who staff can talk to in confidence – or even anonymously if they wish; and Family Violence Response Coordinators.
The Ministry is committed to providing a safe and supportive workplace, supports violence-free families, and stands by the assistance we provide to our staff.
