Health and wellbeing standards and procedures

This policy extends to all aspects of health at work, mental as well as physical. Health problems have many causes, including demands in the workplace and in the life staff members lead away from the workplace. The University is also committed to supporting those who experience any adverse health status, including stress and fatigue.

All staff members of the University.

To create a safe and healthy working environment and to establish systems and procedures to support staff members' health and wellness.  

1. The University is committed to the health, wellbeing and safety of all staff members

2. The University will take all practicable and reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, and expects all colleagues to participate in achieving this objective

3. The University offers a comprehensive health and safety management system with policy, processes and procedures to assist staff members and managers with the health, safety and wellness of all colleagues

Related procedures

Initial concern

4. Where a staff member has specific concerns about their health and wellbeing, they should immediately advise their manager or any of the following:

• An HR Advisor
• Director, Staff Equity
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing team
• Union representative

Initial response

5. The manager, in liaison with an HR advisor, will consider reasonable steps that may be taken to assist the staff member. These may include:

• Access to EAP
• Medical assistance
• Other counselling assistance, including
  • External mediator
  • Director, Staff Equity
  • University health
  • HR advisor
  • Union representative support

6. Where appropriate there will be the following:

• A review of workplace needs of the University and the needs of the staff member a temporary reassignment to appropriate alternate duties
• The ongoing suitability of the work for the staff member
• Where appropriate, the staff member may be granted a period of leave, either as sick leave or annual leave, to assist in resolving the health and wellbeing problem.

Follow-up concern

7. Where a staff member considers that her/his health and wellness is directly attributed to health and safety in the workplace, an accident/incident reporting form must be completed by the staff member and forwarded immediately to the Health and Safety advisor.

General information and reporting form

Follow up response

8. The Health, Safety and Wellbeing team will advise the appropriate HR advisor and the dean/director.

9. The HR advisor may seek additional information from the staff member, then investigate whether there are identifiable contributing factors from the workplace, and the extent to which other factors may be affecting the staff member’s health and wellbeing.

10. The University will take all practicable and reasonable steps in consultation with the staff member to resolve the problem

11. This may include any of the initiatives listed above under ‘initial response’, or one or more of the following actions:

• Medical assistance for the staff member
• Medical advice for the University and, where appropriate:
  • Temporary or permanent change in duties and/or hours of work
  • Approved leave (whether sick leave or annual leave).

12. The staff member and HR advisor will review the steps taken in assisting the staff member’s health and wellbeing on an agreed timeframe.

13. Where appropriate, the plan may be communicated to others to inform of any temporary or permanent changes in the workplace.

14. Faculties will ensure that smaller departments are assisted financially to enable appropriate management of these responses.

Monitoring and rehabilitation

15. The HR advisor and staff member, in conjunction with the staff member’s manager, will ensure that there are appropriate plans for monitoring the health and/or rehabilitation of the staff member.

16. Where the health status of the staff member continues to affect their employment, the University will consult with the staff member about the options that might be available.

Non-work issues

17. If non-work issues are identified, the staff member may access the EAP programme, University health and counselling services as part of the process.

Further consultation

18. The HR advisor and staff member are encouraged to keep in contact while respecting the privacy of the individual member of staffReimbursement of costs.

19. The HR advisor will arrange for the reimbursement of medical advice or other support services where that has been sought by the University to assist with early health and wellness management.

Health and safety FIRST!

• Report all work incidents/injuries
• Report all unsafe practices/incidents
• Let your supervisor and health and safety advisor know
• Understand your work site hazards
• Give feedback to your Faculty/Registry Health and Safety Committee

Remember our Employee Assistance Programme

Supportive, confidential service for all staff and immediate family — 24 hours

Make use of University Health — our campus doctors

On-site medical advice

Make use of our campus Health Service

On-site counselling advice

Remember our Māori and Pacific Island networks

Offices of the Pro Vice Chancellor (Maori), Pro Vice Chancellor (EO), EEO Advisor

Remember our mediator and ‘resolve’ network

On-site, confidential, harassment and conflict resolution network

Make appropriate use of your leave provisions

Accident leave, sick and domestic leave, bereavement/tangihanga leave, annual leave

Remember our campus recreational gym facilities

On-site health and fitness studio, aerobics, recreation centre, sports programmes

Remember our Centre for Professional Development Programmes

Professional and personal development workshops and programmes

Make use of our ‘Work, Family and Life’ support initiatives

• Childcare facilities
• Eldercare information pack
• Out of School Care Association (OSCAR)
• Programme pack
• EEO advice

The following definitions apply to this document:

Health and safety management system completes the process of hazard identification, risk assessment and control, employee training, record-keeping, program assessment and management involvement throughout, designed to effectively manage and ensure continued employee health and safety in the workplace.

Staff member refers to an individual employed on a full or part-time basis.

University means the University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.

Include the following:

• Accident leave and weekly compensation policy and procedures
• Rehabilitation standards and procedures
• Employee assistance programme guidelines.

Document Control
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: Dec 2019
Next Review: Dec 2022
Owner: hsw@auckland.ac.nz
Approver: Associate Director, Health Safety & Wellbeing