WorkSafe New Zealand Board Chairperson

About WorkSafe New Zealand

WorkSafe New Zealand (WorkSafe) is New Zealand’s primary workplace health and safety regulator, established under the WorkSafe New Zealand Act 2013.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 sets out the principles, duties and rights in relation to workplace health and safety. WorkSafe works collaboratively with other regulators, agencies and parties who have an interest in the health, safety and wellbeing system, to promote good workplace health and safety practices. Further information on WorkSafe can be found at the WorkSafe website.(external link)

WorkSafe is a Crown entity

WWorkSafe is a Crown agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004. The Crown Entities Act provides a framework for Crown entity governance and accountability, including responsibilities of board members, disclosure of interests, and the role of Ministers. It is available at legislation.govt.nz(external link)

The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety is the responsible Minister for WorkSafe. Under the Crown Entities Act 2004, the responsible Minister has powers with regard to all entities on matters of strategic direction, targets, funding, performance, reporting and reviews.

Chair responsibilities

Individual duties of the Chair

• Chair Board meetings, including
  • Setting the annual board agenda
  • Ensuring there is sufficient time to cover issues
  • Ensuring the board receives the information it needs
  • Ensuring that contributions are made by all board members
  • Assisting discussions towards the emergence of a consensus view
  • Summing up so that everyone understands what has been agreed.
• Participate in the recruitment process for new Board members. This may include:
  • Maintaining a view on the desired composition of the Board
  • Considering succession planning for members and chairperson
  • Supporting Ministers, MBIE and industry stakeholders in appointing and reappointing members
• Oversee the employment of the chief executive, including considering succession planning and organising induction for a new chief executive.
• Undertake formal assessments of the Chief Executive’s performance with respect to the Chief Executive terms and conditions at time of appointment and subsequently agreed KPI’s and performance measures.
• Provide effective leadership and direction to the organisation, consistent with the purpose of the Board and the Minister’s expectations.
• Ensure effective accountability and governance of the Board.
• Delivering on the organisation’s responsibilities regarding the Treaty of Waitangi.
• Act as the leader of the Board, including presenting the Board’s objectives and strategics to the public as and when needed.
• Support and enhance the continuous personal and professional development and guidance of members of the Board.
• Utilise relationship management skills, including working effectively with peers and developing valuable strategic connections with industry, consumers and other stakeholders.
• Provide guidance and support to the chief executive to ensure the organisation is managed effectively. This includes establishing and maintaining an effective working relationship with the chief executive while also taking an independent view to challenge and test management thinking.
• Ensuring that appropriate interest registers are in place, and the members’ conflicts of interest (including those of the chairperson) are dealt with appropriately.

Collective and individual duties

Board members are subject to the collective and individual duties of members set out in sections 58 and 59 of the Crown Entities Act 2004.

The collective duties of Board members are to ensure the Board’s functions are performed efficiently, effectively and consistently in the spirit of the public service, and in a financially responsible manner.

The individual duties of Board members are:

• to act with honesty and integrity
• to act in good faith and not at the expense of the entity’s interests
• to act with reasonable care, due diligence and skill
• not to disclose, or make use of information that would otherwise not be available to them.

Members are expected to adhere to the Public Service Commission code of conduct(external link).

Further information on how the relationships between Crown entities, Ministers, and departments work in practice can be found on the Public Service Commission’s website(external link).

Other requirements

Board members should have an appreciation of the role of the WorkSafe as a health and safety regulator, as well as an understanding of the public sector and governance responsibilities of WorkSafe as a Crown agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004.

Members must be aware of the importance of personal integrity and the need to disclose any interests they have or are likely to have in matters relating to WorkSafe, whether or not these create a conflict of interest. Members must also be sure that they have the interest and enthusiasm needed to contribute effectively to the performance of the entity throughout their term of membership.

Membership of the Board

The Board comprises five to nine members. All members are appointed by the responsible Minister. Members can serve terms of up to five years.

Time commitment and remuneration

Members are entitled to receive remuneration at a rate determined by the shareholding Ministers in accordance with Cabinet Fees Framework. The WorkSafe Board Chair is paid a fee of $47,250 per annum. In addition to fees, the Chair is entitled to be reimbursed for actual and reasonable experiences incurred while carrying out the duties of the Board.

The Board will meet as often as is necessary to carry out its role. Board members are expected to attend and participate regularly in meetings consistent with the general fiduciary stands and the governance standards under the Crown Entities Act 2004.

Meetings are generally help in Wellington. Board materials are distributed to Board members in sufficient advance of the Board meetings to allow members to be thoroughly prepared.

Person specifications – Chair

Specific skills required

At this time, the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety is seeking candidates who wish to be considered for appointment as Chair of the WorkSafe Board, who can provide one or more of the following skills and experience:

• deep governance experience, specifically in Chair roles, either in the public or private sectors
• proven leadership skills, including demonstrated strategic capability
• proven track record developing and implementing strategy
• knowledge of public accountability and machinery of government
• strong stakeholder management skills, including fronting to the media, and the ability to understand and communication WorkSafe’s role in New Zealand’s health and safety environments
• knowledge of the duties and responsibilities associated with regulatory bodies
• capability navigating complex operating environments.

Foundational skills

Members of the WorkSafe New Zealand Board are expected to possess knowledge and experience of, and capability in, the following:

• proven experience in governance roles, either public or private, with working knowledge of good governance practice
• financial acumen
• leadership
• strategic ability and thinking
• a clear sense of public accountability and understanding of the relationships between Government and Crown Entities
• interest in New Zealand’s work health and safety environment, including workplace illness and occupational disease
• understanding of, and ability to discuss, technological advancements, trends and uses, both at the Board and organisational level.

Board members are appointed as individuals to deliver on their collective responsibilities and not as representatives of particular sectors or interest groups. Diversity of experience and background of members across the Board is a key consideration.

Disclosure of interests

Section 31 of the Crown Entities Act 2004 requires that before a person is appointed as a member of a Crown entity, the person must:

• consent in writing to being a member
• certify that they are not disqualified from being a member under section 30(2) of the Act; and
• disclose to the responsible Minister the nature and extent (including monetary value, if quantifiable, of all interests that the person has at that time, or is likely to have, in matters relating to the entity.

As part of the appointment process, candidates are required to complete a Disclosure Form. The information that is disclosed by the candidates enables the responsible Minister to know the relevant interests and any conflicts that a person may have in relation to an appointment to an entity. The information is used to assess whether a candidate would be able to contribute effectively to the entity’s affairs, and where conflicts are identified, to ensure that these can be managed appropriately. 

Disclosure of interests

For enquiries about the position, email: board.appointments@mbie.govt.nz