Report on workplace whistleblowing welcomed

Victoria University researcher Associate Professor Michael Macaulay has welcomed the State Services Commission's report into the treatment of Ministry of Transport staff who raised concerns about the wrongdoings of former Ministry staff member Joanne Harrison,

The State Services Commission’s (SSC) report details its findings from its investigation into the treatment of public servants who raised issues about Ms Harrison’s activities within the Ministry of Transport and subsequently lost their jobs in a restructure she was involved in.

Associate Professor Macaulay, the New Zealand academic lead on a trans-Tasman research project into workplace whistleblowing, applauds the public apology by SCC chief executive Peter Hughes.

“It’s crucially important that those three people unfairly dismissed from the Ministry of Transport have been publicly exonerated from any wrongdoing. Not doing so would send a message that silence is more valued than speaking up. It’s also important that the public service acknowledges there are deeper problems in identifying, reporting and investigating allegations of misconduct.”

Associate Professor Macaulay says the SCC’s report also highlights some important lessons in workplace whistleblowing.

“It’s worth noting that the SCC’s report calls for a review of the Protected Disclosures Act, which is an option our ‘Whistling While They Work 2’ research project is exploring. How the Act may be reformed is open to question, but it’s clear that it isn’t widely used. Last year, the Office of the Ombudsman reported it received on average 10 requests a year for guidance on the use and applicability of the Act.”

‘Whistling While They Work 2’ researchers recently released the results of their survey of whistleblowing in public and private sector organisations on both sides of the Tasman, which showed New Zealand is trailing behind its Australian counterparts.

“Our research found that 30 percent of New Zealand public sector agencies had no particular system in place for recording and tracking wrongdoing concerns, only doing so when the need arises, compared to 16 percent of Australian agencies.

“I’m hoping this case with the Ministry of Transport demonstrates the urgent need for better, more robust practices around whistleblowing in the workplace,” says Associate Professor Macaulay.