Annual report - 2004 - Part 4
Capable people and leaders from the 2004 Annual Report - 1
We have three areas of focus for our people - leadership development, relationship development, and people capability.
Under each area we have development priorities to support our strategic direction and to meet the expectations of government, the community, our customers and ourselves. They also further our commitment to being a professional, approachable, effective and efficient organisation.
Leadership development
Our leadership framework ensures we are looking after our own leaders but it also enables us to develop future leaders for the public sector. We believe we have a responsibility and commitment to managing our leadership talent not only for our own needs but for the benefit of the public service as a whole. Our leadership framework includes:
- Team leader development programme
The team leader component of our leadership framework was introduced in 2002-03, with over 80% of team leaders having completed the programme by June 2004. The programme aims
to create a common understanding of our leadership expectations as well as consistent use
of management practices and language across Inland Revenue. - Leadership in Inland Revenue
Our equivalent programme for managers - leadership in Inland Revenue - began in 2003-04. The programme consists of a core module where all managers attend a five-day workshop on our leadership expectations, the training needs of individual managers, and the development of a personal development plan. Following on from this is a range of development options, designed for managers to choose further development depending on their individual needs. - A clear set of leadership expectations
Our leadership expectations have been incorporated into job expectations and our performance management system.
Figure 31 - Our leadership expectations
Click on image below to get full sized view
Click on image below to get full sized view
Relationship development
The relationships with our employees and their representative groups are crucial to the achievement of our outcomes.
Climate survey
One of the key ways we measure our relationship with our employees is through a climate survey. Our third annual climate survey measured progress on:
- the values supporting our Charter
- commitment to our strategic direction
as well as examining our work environment.
We achieved a response rate of 81%, an increase of 23% on our first survey in 2001. This reflects our management of this process. It also shows the willingness of people to contribute to improving the way we work and the increasing confidence of people regarding their relationship with Inland Revenue.
The percentage of people who support our strategic direction remains consistently high at 59%, compared to a benchmark of New Zealand private and public sector organisations of 43%.
Pride and confidence in Inland Revenue as an employer has continued to steadily increase with people being 4% more positive than they were in 2002 and 10% more positive than 2001. This reflects an increasing confidence that contributions are recognised and rewarded, and that Inland Revenue has an interest and respect for those who choose to work here.
A significant improvement in the learning culture reflects the importance Inland Revenue places on continual learning and development, and the impact of this on the quality of service to the community. Activities have included a range of development or training initiatives including: leadership development, the compliance model, new qualifications, modern apprenticeships and wellbeing.
The survey has continued to confirm our priorities, and has identified performance management and leadership as areas for continued improvement.
Relationships with the unions that represent our people
Nearly 70% of our staff are members of one of the two major unions that offer collective representation within Inland Revenue.
In April 2004 Inland Revenue and the Public Service Association (PSA) successfully concluded negotiations for a new two-year collective agreement covering nearly 2,700 staff. These negotiations were also conducted in a very positive and constructive way consistent with our established Relationship Agreement. In settling the new collective agreement, it was pleasing to be able to recognise and acknowledge the benefits that continue to arise for Inland Revenue and PSA members as a result of their collective participation (through the PSA) in a wide range of organisational initiatives and projects.
It was also pleasing to recognise the strength of the Inland Revenue-PSA relationship in the new "Partnership Agreement" that was developed in the later part of this year. The purpose of this Agreement (which is consistent with the Partnership for Quality Agreement between the PSA and the government) is to formally outline the nature of our relationship and to provide a framework for working together. The Agreement recognised our common interests, confirms our commitment to interacting with each other with openness and integrity, while also acknowledging our independence as separate organisations with distinct and sometimes different aims.
In October 2003, Inland Revenue and Taxpro successfully negotiated a new two-year collective agreement for their 750 plus members. We continue to have a strong relationship with Taxpro and this was reflected in the constructive and positive approach adopted by both parties in our negotiations and the subsequent review and renewal of Inland Revenue-Taxpro Relationship Heads of Agreement.
Healthy and safe workplace
We are committed to providing a safe working environment for our people. During the year, our injury rate declined slightly, with a small number of strain and sprain injuries reported. We have a range of proactive measures to help prevent injuries, including individual workplace assessments, access to occupational therapists, and reporting systems to help identify and tackle potential injuries. Information has also been provided on identification and prevention of stress as a workplace hazard.
During the year the online harassment prevention tool was rolled out to team leaders and managers across the organisation. This self-paced package was part of an awareness and education programme designed to encourage positive behaviour in the workplace.
We have renewed our secondary level status with the Accident Compensation Corporation's workplace safety management practices programme. We are also continuing our work with our Health and Safety Committees. These are involved in the preparation for the workplace safety management audits, as well as assisting management to identify potential workplace hazards. In 2004-05, all committee members will receive two days training to meet the requirements of the health legislation.
On average our people take 7.8 21 sick days per year, a similar level to the public sector benchmark. As part of maintaining a healthy workplace, staff are offered flu vaccinations and three-yearly eye checks.
21 Based on number of sick days divided by number of full-time equivalent staff.
One major joint Inland Revenue-PSA-Taxpro initiative is the sickness absence working party. This will consider a range of issues around sickness absence, with a view to understanding the many underlying causes of sickness absence, and then develop the best approach to managing these.
Code of Conduct
Our Code of Conduct explains the expectations we have of our people so that we meet our statutory obligations relating to confidentiality and secrecy of taxpayer information as set out in the Tax Administration Act. Our Code also sets out the standards of integrity and behaviour required of Inland Revenue staff. It builds on the minimum requirements established by the State Sector Act and other public sector legislation and the requirements of public service employers and employees set out in the State Services Commission's Public Service Code of Conduct.
Our new staff receive the Code of Conduct when they join Inland Revenue. As part of their induction process they confirm that they have received and read the Code, and understand the potentially significant consequences of any breaches. We also have an educational process to ensure that our people remain aware of the Code.
Date published: 16 Nov 2004
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