MBIE staff get proposal on possible job cuts
Staff at MBIE will spend the weekend coming to grips with a 100-page document that sets out how they may lose their job.
They had expected a restructure. They didn’t expect the knife to cut so deep.
On Thursday morning, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) staff first found out from managers they would have a meeting about a proposed restructure that day. They also learned the scope of the proposals that morning.
Branches met to discuss the proposed cuts at a webinar in the afternoon with MBIE’s general manager of data, insights, and intelligence Jacqui
Ellis – a meeting that a staffer affected by the proposed restructure told The Post left their division in total shock.
There had already been a round of voluntary redundancies opened to certain areas, with 111 people ready to say goodbye at the end of this month.
Inside the meeting, the staff member said Ellis “couldn’t even answer basic questions like, how many jobs would be lost”.
According to the worker, staff were presented with a proposal to restructure an evidence and insights unit, comprised of about 70 staff. They say the work within the team is relied on by ministers and for the development of policies, including modelling and forecasting. Some new roles will be offered, if they want to stay in their domain rather than going into a different unit. They said MBIE proposed to outsource all research activity from evidence and insights.
“There was an expectation of a restructure, but we weren’t expecting to be told that our only value to the Government is hiring contractors and downloading public files off Stats NZ to forward them on,” they said. “For a Government that is saying they want to cut down on contractor use, it is insane to be cutting back on in-house staff who do work that the Government relies on.”
They said it would have “a great intangible cost to the people of this country, as there will be no-one left in MBIE with statistical and analytical skills providing solid evidence-based analysis to policymakers and ministers, and who are able to question assumptions and push back on dangerous or badly designed policy”.
By 4pm that day staff were given a hefty consultation document, more than 100 pages, to understand the proposal.
The proposed restructure and second round of voluntary redundancies at MBIE ended a chaotic day in the public service. Public servants were left reeling after hundreds of jobs were proposed to go at the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Ministry of Health. Question marks hang over many more jobs across the entire sector. In addition to Thursday’s announcement of re-opening voluntary redundancies, and opening up consultation for changing its Digital, Data and Insights (DDI) Group and the Employment Services branch, MBIE has been “systematically” disestablishing vacant positions and has a pause on external recruitment.
MBIE deputy secretary, corporate services, Richard Griffiths, said the proposed changes would look to “strengthen core functions, streamline processes, ensure consistency and embed new investments and capabilities to ensure the group is more responsive and aligned to MBIE’s strategic objectives. “As the formal change processes are under active consultation with our people, we are unable to provide comment.”
He said as part of the legislation to repeal the Fair Pay (FPA) Agreement system, the Employment Services branch must return FPA funding by July this year.
The Government has asked ministries to find savings of 7.5%.
It had raised eyebrows among staff, The Post was told, that chief executive Carolyn Tremain would not be acting in her role immediately after the announcements were made. An MBIE spokesperson confirmed that Nic Blakeley, the deputy secretary of labour, science and enterprise, will be running the show for the next two weeks.
With about 600 roles affected across combined proposed cuts to Ministry of Health and Ministry for Primary Industries teams announced on Thursday, the combined redundancy packages are likely to be significant.