Total remediation payments surpass $254 million across 34,300 Te Whatu Ora staff
Te Whatu Ora processed last week roughly $15.2 million in remediation payments to thousands of Hawke's Bay employees who were affected by the agency's Holidays Act 2003 compliance issues.
In a statement, Te Whatu Ora said the remediation payments cover 4,120 eligible employees, including nurses, doctors, allied health staff, health care assistants, cleaners, and administrators.
Dr. Dale Bramley, Acting Chief Executive of Health New Zealand, said the repayment is a "significant milestone" for the agency.
"We are very pleased for our staff that payments have been processed today and our Hawke's Bay staff are receiving the money they are owed," Bramley said last week.
The repayment increases Te Whatu Ora's total amount paid to over $254 million across 34,300 current employees in New Zealand.
Remediation payments at Te Whatu Ora
Te Whatu Ora's Holidays Act Remediation programme covers thousands of current and former employees who were paid incorrectly as a result of compliance issues with the Holidays Act 2003.
"Nationally we have about 90,000 current employees plus 130,000 former employees covered by the Holidays Act remediation project, for the period from 1 May 2010 to the present day," Bramley said.
Hawke's Bay is the eighth payroll nationally to have payments processed to current staff, following Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waitematā, and four former shared services.
"We aim to complete the Holidays Act remediation payments to all current employees by July 2025," Bramley said. "The first payments to former employees will start in early 2025."