'Action was immediately taken in response to the concern and no further concerns have been formally raised'
The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has confirmed that it took action after a "physical contact" concern was raised against one of its top officials, according to reports.
ACC told Radio New Zealand that it had already addressed the concerns directed to John Bennett, ACC's deputy chief executive system commission and performance.
Bennett, who had just started at the ACC role in September, became the subject of a complaint which raised concerns about his "physical contact with co-workers."
ACC said its deputy chief executive people and culture received written communication about the complaint in mid-December.
"ACC chief executive Megan Main was made aware of the concerns and that they had been addressed," ACC told RNZ. "Action was immediately taken in response to the concern and no further concerns have been formally raised."
The exact action taken was not disclosed, and other details were not shared, as ACC said the complaint was an employment-related matter.
Meanwhile, the ACC also confirmed reports that Bennett appeared shirtless during a video call in January, RNZ reported.
Bennett, however, was not aware that the laptop's video camera was turned on at the time of the incident, according to the ACC spokesperson.
"Mr Bennett… immediately rectified the situation," the spokesperson added.
Bennett's name became the subject of headlines after it was reported that he was headhunted by Health NZ to become its strategic advisor and performance lead for the interim chief executive as the health agency suffers from a leadership exodus.
The arrangement, made at the request of Health Commissioner Lester Levy, began on February 24 and will last until the end of June, according to RNZ.
"HNZ is in a period of change and reform, and the Commissioner of Health NZ has requested John's support on performance, strategy, and delivery of key ministerial targets," Main said as quoted by the news outlet.
"John has extensive experience of health system performance management and at a crucial time in HNZ's journey, his input will benefit both HNZ and ACC."
The ACC said it did not raise the history of complaints against Bennett because they were already addressed at the time.
Health NZ also confirmed that it was not aware of the concerns about Bennett at that time.
According to a Health NZ spokesperson, interim chief executive Dale Bramley immediately spoke to Main after they were made aware of the issue.
"The two chief executives also had a discussion last week concerning the short-term secondment and no issues were raised during that engagement. We therefore refer all further inquiries to ACC as the employer," the Health NZ spokesperson told RNZ.
