Frustration building at three-year investigation into workplace bullying at Fire Station

Friday, 27 August 2021

A FENZ investigation into workplace bullying in Nelson has taken three years - and counting. (File photo).

After three years and $174,000 spent on an investigation, Nelson Fire Station staff are still waiting for a report into workplace bullying.

In April 2018, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) began an investigation into management behaviour at Nelson Fire Station after complaints of bullying, Stuff understands.

Three-and-a-half years later, staff are still waiting for the outcome.

New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union national secretary Wattie Watson called the process an “abject failure”.

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“You are supposed to trust each other with your lives, [but] there are people who won’t work with others, who try to swap shifts or trucks. If we don’t trust people in our organisation, how can the public trust us?” (File photo)

“I have been asking and asking and asking, for years now. The responses have become more and more frustrating.Who is responsible, who will be made accountable? [FENZ] completely ignore those questions.”

In May, FENZ told Watson via email that the “substantive work is completed” on the investigation, and a report was being compiled.

However, months later, there was still no news, and the delay was causing harm to Nelson staff, Watson said.

Out of “desperation”, Watson had reported the matter to Worksafe, hoping they would intervene on the basis FENZ’s failure to investigate had put staff at risk.

Morale was low at the station, and some staff felt disenfranchised, Watson said. However, despite challenges, the staff were dedicated professionals who did “wonderful” job, she said.

“The public would not know anything different.”

An Official Information Act request by Watson revealed that as of April 30, FENZ had spent $174,428 on the investigation. A FENZ spokesperson confirmed that six months later, this amount was still correct.

A Nelson staff member said bullying was endemic in the workplace.

Workplace culture, coupled with the long investigation, had affected staff significantly, they said. Some had taken stress leave, others had experienced depression, and some had resigned.

“[The] unnecessary stress affects the way you operate, the way you sleep, the way you work,” the staff member said.

“It is stress on people already doing a stressful job. You are supposed to trust each other with your lives, [but] there are people who won’t work with others, who try to swap shifts or trucks. If we don’t trust people in our organisation, how can the public trust us?”

The staff member was pessimistic about the report’s ability to change a work culture in an organisation where problems were downplayed or ignored, they said.

Since the investigation began, some individuals concerned had retired, or moved to other locations around the country, they said.

However, a long term Nelson firefighter disputed this.

He said bullying was no longer an issue in the workforce.

“It was an historic issue and the culture has been completely changed under the existing management.”

A FENZ spokesperson said the organisation could not comment on details of the investigation for privacy reasons.

“However, we can advise it is highly complex and raises important issues that need to be properly addressed. Working through that process has been time-consuming.”

The process, which is led by an external investigator, was now in its final stages, the spokesperson said.

“Nothing is more important to Fire and Emergency than our people,” the spokesperson said. “We provide several free services, including counselling and professional psychological support.”