31 March 2025
R Holmes
By email to:
[FYI request #30263 email]
Dear R Holmes
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST 2025/13
On the evening of Friday 28 February, you made a request under the Official Information Act 1982
(the OIA) for the following information:
Recent media coverage highlights some work undertaken by the Electoral Commission to
restructure staff. I am seeking to understand the financial impacts associated with tjis mahi.
Please provide me with the detailed costs incurred due to the restructures including the cost of
the process itself and the outcome. Please list, further, the Savings that will be achieved following
the recent restructures.
Please provide detail which should include restructure poricess costs , any redundancy costs and
any costs associated employment dispute settlements in 2024 and 2025 by persons that would
have or have been affected by the restruture. Include up to end of Q1 2025, extrapolated if
necessary, please.
This should further include any costs incurred engagjng external consultants used to temporarily
fill vacancies and any costs associated with engaging companies or consultants that provides
HR/restructure advice or Legal firms used for any issues associated with the restructures raise by
personnel.
It would be appreciated if you could break the costs down by category , grouped by each specific
restructure.
LEGAL FEES
EXTERNAL HR ADVICE/CONSULTING
COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SETTLEMENT OF EMPLOYEE DISPUTES OR PERSONAL GRIEVANCES
TEMPORARY STAFFING/BACKFILL COSTS
Please list the financial savings that will result from the restructures grouped by restructure. Such
savjngs might include saved personnel costs, overheads associated with equipment etc, Savings
due to outsourcing etc etc.a
Since it has been stated that budget considerations were a driver for the redundancies, can you
please advise HOW LONG it will take to break even taking into account the proposed savings
(saving in personnel costs - wages, resources etc.) versus the realised costs (including those
outlined above) i.e. what is the "payback", when will there be finacial savings actually realised.
I am interested in the hard facts, quantifiable amounts (good or bad) that can be associated with
the restructures... an example might be
Cost Savings less costs realised associated with restructure x will take N months to break even.
Or
Electoral Commission
Level 4, 34-42 Manners Street, PO Box 3220, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone +64 4 495 0030 Fax +64 4 495 0031
www.vote.nz | www.elections.nz
Cost Savings exceed restructure costs from day 1 for restructure x
Or
There is no tangible financial benefit associated with the restructure x
Finally how did these Financials compare to the Financials defined as part of initial restructure
planning/business cases.
The below responses are in regard to the changes we made in our People and Culture team and our
IT team during 2024.
The changes to both the IT and People and Culture teams were undertaken to develop an
organisational design which established high performing and highly capable teams that can support
the Commission to meet its strategic objectives both now and in the future. Both teams are critical
to delivering the core function of the Commission, and the existing team structures and position
descriptions were no longer fit for purpose.
The following table outlines the incurred costs associated with the changes for the 2024/2025
financial year. We have not split these costs by the two changes, as the changes occurred at the
same time, with some costs associated with both changes that are not able to be separated. Further,
we have not split the settlement costs under section 149 of the Employment Relations Act. The
information is withheld under sections 9(2)(a) and 9(2)(ba) of the OIA on the grounds that the
withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons and to protect
information which is subject to an obligation of confidence where the making available of the
information would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the
same source, and it is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied; or
would be likely otherwise to damage the public interest. I am satisfied that the reasons for
withholding of the information are not outweighed by other considerations which render it
desirable, in the public interest, to make that information available.
These changes were not undertaken to achieve any specific financial savings; and therefore, we have
not provided any costs or commentary on how savings are being achieved as this was not an
outcome we were seeking. The personnel budgets of both teams after the change are expected to
stay the same.
The costs incurred for temporary staff backfilling roles have been funded through underspends in
the current year personnel budget and relate to the IT team. To provide a fair and equitable change
process, existing vacancies within both teams were held and temporary staffing engaged to cover
critical functions until recruitment into new roles is completed. The costs relating to employment
disputes, personal grievances and redundancies reflect actual costs paid to 31 March 2025.
Specific costs
Total
Legal Advice
$5,309
Consultancy and external HR Advice
$43,525
Temporary staff filling vacancies
$278,413
Settlement of employment disputes, personal grievances and redundancies
$181,275
Total
$508,522
Electoral Commission
Level 4, 34-42 Manners Street, PO Box 3220, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone +64 4 495 0030 Fax +64 4 495 0031
www.vote.nz | www.elections.nz
In the interests of transparency, we release responses to Official Information Act requests every 3
months. We will publish this response with your personal details redacted.
You have the right under section 28(3) of the Act to make a complaint to the Ombudsman if you are
not satisfied with the response to your request. Information about how to do this is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by phoning 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Lucy Hickman
Deputy Chief Executive, Enterprise Services
Electoral Commission
Level 4, 34-42 Manners Street, PO Box 3220, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
Telephone +64 4 495 0030 Fax +64 4 495 0031
www.vote.nz | www.elections.nz
