Te whakatutuki i ngā whāinga kanorau, whai wāhitanga hoki How you can meet diversity and inclusion commitments

Public Service organisation people leaders hold a variety of roles. For example, you may be a manager or team leader. As a people leader you can lead by example to help achieve diversity and inclusion in the Public Service. This can involve:

• modelling inclusive practice and encouraging positive workplace behaviour
• ensuring people have time and encouragement to undertake any learning
• recording and reporting data
• ensuring pay equity and applying guidance to close pay gaps
• encouraging support for and joining Employee-led Networks
• ensuring the people you lead feel valued and have the opportunity to succeed
• using inclusive language.

Tools and resources for people leaders

There are several tools and resources available for you. Some are work programmes the Public Service is committed to and others are helpful guides. Not all resources are listed on our website.

Papa Pounamu

Your people leadership is vital to meeting Papa Pounamu’s 5 priority areas which will have the most positive impact in your workplace.

• Addressing bias
• Fostering diverse leadership
• Cultural competence
• Employee-led Networks
• Inclusive leadership.

This can involve:

• committing to inclusive leadership and reflecting on what it means for your practice as a people leader.
• keeping the conversation going about bias with the people you lead, ensuring that everyone can bring their full selves to work.
• sharing what you have learned with other people leaders.
• ensuring employees have time to contribute to Employee-led Networks and their activities, and have opportunities to participate and support.

Papa Pounamu Public Service work programme

Rainbow inclusive language and using pronouns 

Using inclusive language ensures our colleagues and the communities we serve feel they are treated respectfully and inclusively.

These tools will help you get to know, understand and use common terms to model and promote inclusive behaviour in your organisation.

Rainbow inclusive language guide 

Pronoun use in email signatures

Pay gaps and pay equity

Everyone has the right to be paid fairly. If you hire staff, you need to ensure your organisation pays its employees in a manner that reflects their skills, responsibilities, effort and working conditions, and is not negatively affected by a disability, their gender or ethnicity.

We provide guidance on closing pay gaps and Kia Toipoto — Public Service Gender Pay Gaps Action Plan 2021–2024 sets milestones and expectations that your organisations must achieve. We also provide information and resources on pay equity including how to raise, receive and assess a pay equity claim through to the settlement and review phases of the process.

Pay gaps and pay equity 

Disability and accessibility

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) developed the LEAD Toolkit, with our support. It aims to help you create more inclusive environments for employing more disabled people.

LEAD Disability Toolkit — Ministry of Social Development

Your Public Service organisation chief executive is committed to the Accessibility Charter, introduced by MSD. This means they, and you as a people leader, are committed to ensuring the public sector is accessible for everyone and inclusive of disabled people. This means that all information is accessible and interactive for everyone, regardless of their needs.

Accessibility Charter — Ministry of Social Development

To be an ally for disabled people you should:

• make yourself aware of challenges for disabled people in the workplace
• encourage team members to be aware and supportive of disabled colleagues
• remove barriers
• raise awareness and capability on disability issues
• provide safe opportunities for disabled staff to share their experiences.

Mental health

The Mental Health Foundation has developed a Manager’s Toolkit learning resource to help you deal positively with mental health issues that arise in the workplace.

Mental Health in the Workplace, Manager’s Toolkit — Mental Health Foundation

Positive and safe workplaces

Everyone is entitled to work in a safe and inclusive workplace, where people treat one another with respect and work together.

Achieving this requires organisational commitment — and real effort from people leaders. These model standards set out our minimum expectations for the Public Service to ensure positive and safe workplaces.

Positive and safe workplaces

The Government Health and Safety Lead has developed a workbook to support you in creating positive workplace cultures.

Positive Workplace Cultures Agency Workbook — Government Health and Safety Lead 

Diversity and inclusion reporting

Providing diversity and inclusion data for your annual reports and taking part in the Te Taunaki Public Service Census shows us where the Public Service is doing well and where it needs to take steps to improve.

You can help people understand why taking part is important and encourage participation.

Workforce Data — Diversity and inclusion

Year-end reporting: Departmental Annual Reports and End-of-Year Performance Information on Appropriations — The Treasury

Guidance: Information Standards and Guidance

As part of public accountability, Public Service senior leaders, chief executives and organisations are required to report on diversity and inclusion progress in their organisations.

They should work to embed diversity and inclusion tools and practices within their organisations. This can involve:

• modelling inclusive practice and encouraging positive workplace behaviour
• ensuring staff have time and encouragement to undertake any learning
• ensuring data is recorded and reported
• ensuring pay equity and implementing Kia Toipoto — the Public Service Pay Gaps Action Plan 
• support and resourcing for Employee-led Networks
• ensuring the people you lead feel valued and have the opportunity to succeed
• using inclusive language.

Tools and resources for senior leaders

There are several tools and resources available for you. Some are work programmes the Public Service is committed to, and others are helpful guides. Not all resources are listed on our website.

Papa Pounamu

You are responsible for championing diversity and inclusion in your organisation and meeting Papa Pounamu work programme requirements.

This includes leading and embedding the Papa Pounamu diversity and inclusion work within your organisation and focusing on these 5 key areas, which will have the most positive impact in your workplace.

• Addressing bias
• Fostering diverse leadership
• Cultural competence
• Employee-led Networks
• Inclusive leadership.

Your organisation will also have actions and deliverables specific to Kia Toipoto — Public Service Gender Pay Gaps Action Plan 2021–2024 and the Accessibility Charter. Some of those requirements will align with Papa Pounamu’s, for example, addressing bias. You may be able to meet the requirements for each with just one action.

Ensuring your organisation actively provides support, resourcing and executive sponsorship for ELNs is an important way leaders can exercise their Papa Pounamu commitments.

Papa Pounamu Public Service work programme

Rainbow inclusive language and using pronouns 

Using inclusive language ensures our colleagues and the communities we serve feel they are treated respectfully and inclusively.

These tools will help you get to know, understand and use common terms to model and promote inclusive behaviour in your organisation.

Rainbow inclusive language guide

Pronoun use in email signatures

Pay gaps and pay equity

Everyone has the right to be paid fairly. This means you need to ensure your organisation pays its employees in a manner that reflects their skills, responsibilities, effort and working conditions, and is not negatively affected by a disability, their gender or ethnicity.

You must ensure you are meeting Kia Toipoto — Public Service Gender Pay Gaps Action Plan 2021–2024 milestones to address bias and discrimination, create a fairer workplace and close the pay gap. This includes creating an annual pay gap action plan.

We have developed comprehensive guidance on measuring and addressing pay gaps for community organisations and individuals that anyone can use.

Organisations must also commit to:

• achieving pay equity in the Public Service
• meeting legislative deadlines if a pay equity claim is made against your organisation.

Pay gaps and pay equity

Disability and accessibility

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) developed the LEAD Toolkit, with our support. It aims to help you create more inclusive environments for employing more disabled people.

LEAD Disability Toolkit — Ministry of Social Development

MSD has introduced an Accessibility Charter for the Public Service that is a commitment to accessible information. The programme of work aims to ensure the public sector is accessible for everyone and inclusive of disabled people. By signing the Accessibility Charter, chief executives confirm their organisation’s commitment to ensuring that all information is accessible and interactive for everyone, regardless of their needs.

Accessibility Charter — Ministry of Social Development

To be an ally for disabled people you should:

• make yourself aware of challenges for disabled people in the workplace
• remove barriers
• raise awareness and capability on disability issues
• provide safe opportunities for disabled staff to share their experiences. 

Mental health

The Mental Health Foundation has developed an Organisation Toolkit to provide you with information and resources for creating a positive and inclusive workplace for all workers, including those who have mental health problems.

Mental Health in the Workplace, Organisation’s Toolkit — Mental Health Foundation

Positive and safe workplaces

Everyone is entitled to work in a safe and inclusive workplace, where people treat one another with respect and work together.

Achieving this requires organisational commitment — and real effort from senior leaders. These model standards set out our minimum expectations for the Public Service to ensure positive and safe workplaces.

Positive and safe workplaces 

Positive Workplace Cultures Agency Workbook — Government Health and Safety Lead

Diversity and inclusion reporting

You need to ensure your organisation reports on diversity and inclusion in its annual report, provides Workforce Data and takes part in the Te Taunaki Public Service Census. Sharing this information shows us where the Public Service is doing well and where it needs to take steps to improve.

Workforce Data — Diversity and inclusion

Year-end reporting: Departmental Annual Reports and End-of-Year Performance Information on Appropriations — The Treasury

Guidance: Information Standards and Guidance 

If you work in the Public Service but do not hold a people or senior leadership role, you still have a responsibility to help the Public Service meet its diversity and inclusion commitments. This can involve:

• modelling inclusive practice and encouraging positive workplace behaviour
• undertaking any diversity and inclusion learning
• taking part in data collection, for example the Te Taunaki Public Service Census
• understanding pay equity and what contributes to pay gaps — ask your union delegate, manager and/or HR team for more information
• creating or joining Employee-led Networks
• calling out poor behaviour and being an ally
• using inclusive language.

Tools and resources for public servants

There are several tools and resources available for you. Some are work programmes the Public Service is committed to, and others are helpful guides. Not all resources are listed on our website.

Papa Pounamu

The Papa Pounamu diversity and inclusion work programme has 5 key priorities.

• Addressing bias
• Fostering diverse leadership
• Cultural competence
• Employee-led Networks
• Inclusive leadership.

Anything you do to help someone feel included is valuable in the workplace, and that might involve:

• identifying yourself as an ally
• calling out unacceptable behaviour
• using inclusive language
• sharing your own experiences with inclusion
• starting or joining in an employee-led network (ELN)
• participating in ELN activities.

Your organisation will let you know what bias and inclusion learning opportunities you are required to take. This helps us all share the responsibility for creating the Public Service we want and need.  

Papa Pounamu Public Service work programme

Rainbow inclusive language and using pronouns 

Using inclusive language ensures our colleagues and the communities we serve feel they are treated respectfully and inclusively.

These tools will help you get to know, understand and use common terms to model and promote inclusive behaviour in your organisation.

Rainbow inclusive language guide

Pronoun use in email signatures

Pay gaps and pay equity

Everyone has the right to be paid fairly. This means that your pay should reflect your skills, responsibilities, effort and working conditions, and not be negatively affected by a disability, your gender or ethnicity.

Engaging with employees and unions is a key element of implementing Kia Toipoto — the Public Service Pay Gaps Action Plan.

Your Public Service organisation is committed to meeting Kia Toipoto milestones to address bias and discrimination, create fairer workplaces and close pay gaps.

We have developed comprehensive guidance on measuring and addressing pay gaps, for community organisations and individuals that anyone can use.

It’s important you know that any employee can make a pay equity claim.

Pay gaps and pay equity

Disability and accessibility

Your Public Service organisation chief executive is committed to the Accessibility Charter, introduced by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). This means they are committed to ensuring the public sector is accessible for you, including if you are disabled, and that all information is accessible and interactive for you, regardless of your needs.

Your organisation also has access to MSD’s LEAD Disability Toolkit, which aims to help create more inclusive environments for employing more disabled people.

Accessibility Charter — Ministry of Social Development

LEAD Disability Toolkit — Ministry of Social Development

Even if you are not disabled you can be an ally for disabled people by:

• making yourself aware of challenges for disabled people in the workplace
• helping to remove barriers
• helping your colleagues by raising awareness and capability on disability issues
• listen and understand when disabled people share their experiences.

Mental health

The Mental Health Foundation has developed an Employee Toolkit to give you some basic information about mental health problems in the workplace, and about your rights and responsibilities as an employee.

Mental Health in the Workplace, Employee Toolkit — Mental Health Foundation

Positive and safe workplaces

You are entitled to work in a safe and inclusive workplace, where people treat one another with respect and work together. Achieving this requires effort from all staff members, including you.

Positive and safe workplaces 

Diversity and inclusion reporting

Taking part in the Te Taunaki Public Service Census shows us where the Public Service is doing well and where it needs to take steps to improve.

Workforce Data — Diversity and inclusion 

A community organisation may include unions, advisory groups, networks or other programmes invested in diversity and inclusion progress. Community organisations can work to embed diversity and inclusion practices, which could involve:

• modelling inclusive practice and encouraging positive workplace behaviour
• ensuring people know their rights and responsibilities in relation to diversity and inclusion
• undertaking and promoting diversity and inclusion learning
• educating people on pay equity and pay gaps — using our guidance to support organisations to close pay gaps.

Tools and resources for communities

There are several tools and resources available for you. Some are work programmes the Public Service is committed to, and others are helpful guides. Not all resources are listed on our website.

Rainbow inclusive language and using pronouns 

Using inclusive language ensures our colleagues and the communities we serve feel they are treated respectfully and inclusively.

These tools will help you get to know, understand and use common terms to model and promote inclusive behaviour in your organisation.

Rainbow inclusive language guide

Pronoun use in email signatures

Pay gaps and pay equity

Everyone has the right to be paid fairly. You need to ensure your community members understand that their pay should reflect their skills, responsibilities, effort and working conditions, and not be negatively affected by a disability, their gender or ethnicity.

Engaging with employees and unions is a key element of implementing Kia Toipoto — the Public Service Pay Gaps Action Plan.

We provide guidance on measuring and closing pay gaps and you can use Kia Toipoto as a guide to taking action.

We also provide resources on pay equity assessments, tools to inform the pay equity process and information about raising and receiving a pay equity claim.

Pay gaps and pay equity

Disability and accessibility

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) developed the LEAD Toolkit, with our support. It aims to help organisations and communities create more inclusive environments for employing more disabled people.

LEAD Disability Toolkit — Ministry of Social Development

Public Service organisation chief executives are committed to the Accessibility Charter, introduced by MSD. This means they are committed to ensuring the public sector is accessible for everyone and inclusive of disabled people, and that all information is accessible and interactive for everyone, regardless of their needs.

Accessibility Charter — Ministry of Social Development

To be an ally for disabled people you should:

• understand the challenges for disabled people in the workplace
• help to remove barriers
• help by raising awareness of disability issues
• provide safe spaces and opportunities for disabled people to share their experiences.

Mental health

The Mental Health Foundation has developed an Employee Toolkit to give your members some basic information about mental health problems in the workplace, and about their rights and responsibilities as an employee.

Mental Health in the Workplace, Employee Toolkit — Mental Health Foundation

Positive and safe workplaces

Everyone is entitled to work in a safe and inclusive workplace, where people treat one another with respect and work together.

Members of your community should expect their organisation to meet these minimum standards for the Public Service to ensure positive and safe workplaces.

Positive and safe workplaces