PHOTO: FILE
Kāinga Ora Job Cuts: Stressed Staff Face More Uncertainty Amid ‘Turnaround Plan’
More jobs are on the line at Kāinga Ora, and staff members have expressed their stress and exhaustion as leaders urge them to remain positive.
Last year, the state housing agency shed 540 roles to meet government savings targets. Earlier this month, the government released a Kāinga Ora “turnaround plan” to ensure financial sustainability.
RNZ obtained copies of information given to staff via the intranet last week, announcing a “redesign” of the organisation called the “Reset, Resize, Renew” programme as part of the turnaround plan.
“We expect it may result in changes to some reporting lines, some roles, as well as a reduction in the number of roles,” it said.
The new structure is expected to be in place by the end of June, with staff receiving more information in the coming weeks.
Staff were encouraged to adopt a positive mindset, with statements like “Make a choice! Things happen, but it is your response that determines if the outcome is ultimately positive or negative.”
Information given to Kāinga Ora staff via the intranet included sections on “above the line” thinking and behaviour such as “hope,” “see possibilities,” and “find better ways.” “Below the line” thinking and behaviour included “victim,” “find fault,” and “stay stuck.”
One stressed employee, who requested anonymity, said this approach did not sit well with staff worried about losing their jobs. “We’re out there trying to help people in our homes, trying to get the support they need, trying to do our best for New Zealanders that need housing. But we’re already working overtime, we’re already under-resourced, we’re really struggling, and of course, we’re all trying to pay our own rents and our own bills,” they said.
The employee added that the severity of the announced changes—a complete redesign of the organisation—was a shock, especially after hundreds of jobs were cut last year. Colleagues questioned why Kāinga Ora restructured some departments before the government’s guidance on its future.
“So we’re pretty surprised about how severe it already was before the government issued that plan … because they’ve already just laid off a whole bunch of our colleagues. We didn’t expect it to be this soon, or this extreme.”
Kāinga Ora confirmed it was resizing the organisation. “The changes are not yet defined; however, we are committed to ensuring our people are the first to learn of any changes proposed over the coming months and we will be consulting with our people soon,” it said.
“We are mindful of the impact this may have on people, so we will be making every effort to support them over this period.”