Key focus areas and actions
Key focus areas for 2023/24
The six key pou (pillars) from Kia Toipoto remain as our overarching themes.
They also highlight MSD’s three key focus areas: Recruitment, Remuneration, and Leadership Development and Representation.
Our focus areas remain unchanged, as these continue to be critical for capturing the knowledge, passion and commitment for the 2023/24 Gender and Ethnic Pay Gap Action Plan.
We intend to place significant emphasis on ‘Transparency’ for 2023/24. This will include greater data and insights gathering for measuring how effective our action plan is in meeting our proposed goals. Recent upgrades of MSD’s Human Resources Information System (HRIS) will assist in enhancing our data collection across the organisation.
The actions
The following actions aim to address occupational segregation by creating equitable opportunities for all. The actions focus heavily on Māori, Pacific, Asian, MELAA and ‘Other ethnic’ kaimahi, specifically female.
To develop this action plan, we consulted widely with MSD’s kaimahi who are strongly committed to growing MSD’s capabilities and opportunities for all people from all backgrounds.
Te Pono | Transparency
Kia Toipoto goals 2021/24
- Agencies and entities publish annual action plans based on gender and ethnicity data and union/employee feedback.
- Agencies and entities ensure easy access to HR and remuneration policies, including salary bands.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: supporting our kaimahi)
Regularly engage with our Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group.
Progress
Continued as a regular monthly meeting for 2023/24.
Ongoing
People Experience (PX) team business as usual (BAU).
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: supporting our kaimahi, and, development and mentoring)
Continue to support the voice of our employee-led networks.
Progress
Community of Practice (COP) set up for all employee-led network leads. The purpose of this regular COP is to allow the opportunity to come together to reflect, connect, ask questions, and share experiences.
Ongoing
PX team BAU.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: data and analysis)
The Diversity and Inclusion and the People Experience portfolio leads and advisors connect to gather insights and feedback from our kaimahi.
Progress
The Diversity and Inclusion, and the People Experience portfiolios have come together under the team name ‘People Experience’, to emphasise the importance of the overlap of work.
Ongoing
PX team BAU.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, systems and practices)
Run workshops addressing bias.
Progress
A refreshed MSD-wide ‘unconscious bias’ e-learning has been rolled out and is available for all kaimahi.
Ongoing
PX team BAU
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: supporting our kaimahi)
Maintain regular internal blogs to keep employees up to date with our work on fostering an inclusive workplace.
Progress
Blog pieces posted every month, this will continue into 2023/24.
Ongoing
PX team BAU.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: data and analysis, remuneration, inclusive policies, practices and systems, supporting our kaimahi, development and mentoring)
Regularly monitor and report on our progress towards reducing gender and ethnic pay gaps and addressing the drivers.
Progress
Completed by PX team throughout the year.
Ongoing
PX team will establish quarterly drop-in sessions to provide updates on pay gaps and associated actions, for all kaimahi.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive polices, practices and systems, and, development and mentoring)
Build on our people’s capability and raise awareness about bias that leads to pay gaps.
Progress
This has been built into Recruitment team’s general work programme, with Human Resource Business Partners and Recruitment Partners – providing real-time education and coaching for people leaders.
Ongoing
Policy and procedures are being updated to detail the order of activities.
Develop bite-sized, just-in-time learning for leaders to build on knowledge, understanding and interpretation of starting salary guidelines and other remuneration matters that might contribute to pay gaps.
Ensure learning is easily accessible and evidence-based.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: data and analysis, and, inclusive polices, systems and practices)
Work with our data team to explore our model forecasting options for next two months, to drive our key focus areas for next action plan.
Progress
This is a long-term action that is continuously worked on and actioned between the internal teams at MSD.
Ongoing
Commit to working more intensively with Data team, to understand actionable insights, make informed decisions and provide evidence-based outcomes
New actions for 2023/2024
- Create regular and ongoing mechanisms to gather real-time insights and feedback from our people
- Build on our people leaders’ capability and raise awareness about bias that leads to pay gaps
- Employee Experience portfolio now working towards more engrained organisational culture changes
- Develop a People Experience Team communications and engagement plan to establish quarterly drop-in sessions for all staff to provide updates on pay gaps and actions
- Develop dashboards that surface trends for gender and ethnicity regarding remuneration, recruitment, leadership representation and occupational segregation.
Ngā hua tōkeke mō te utu | Equitable pay outcomes
Kia Toipoto goals 2021/24
- By the end of 2022, entities ensure that starting salaries and salaries for the same or similar roles are not influenced by bias.
- Agencies monitor starting salaries and salaries for the same or similar roles to ensure that gender and ethnic pay gaps do not reopen.
- Pay equity processes are used to address claims and reduce the impact of occupational segregation.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, inclusive policies, practices and systems, supporting our kaimahi, development and mentoring)
Review how we support people leaders to make decisions on starting salaries.
Progress
MDS created a starting salary guidance in 2021, which underwent an extensive review in 2022. This Starting Salary guidance has been finalised and is being engaged with across MSD.
Ongoing
We are now reviewing an implementation plan in partnership with the Recruitment team, that will ensure a uniformed rollout across MSD.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, and, inclusive policies, practices and systems)
Ensure recruitment partners are part of the salary offer process.
Progress
This is under way throughout the organisation.
Ongoing
A continued effort – will carry through into 2023/24.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: data and analysis, remuneration, inclusive policies, practices and systems, supporting our kaimahi, development and mentoring)
Continue to monitor and review progress toward reducing our gender and ethnic pay gaps and addressing the drivers.
Progress
An audit of salaries for our people in roles up to Senior Manager level is under way to provide a benchmark for the future.
Ongoing
The outcome of the salaries audit will be implemented in 2024, providing a benchmark to minimise bias in salary decisions.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, and, inclusive policies, practices and systems)
Review the Starting Salary Guidance, Higher Duties Allowance Guidance and Special Duties Allowance Guidance to strengthen our ability to measure and address any gaps in both salaries and allowances.
Progress
The guidance for Starting Salaries has been approved and the focus has shifted toward Higher Duties and Special Duties allowances which are still under review.
Ongoing
These policies will be implemented in 2023/24. Each remuneration policy and procedure is with the Public Service Association (PSA) (union) for endorsement. Once endorsed these will then require final senior management approval for implementation.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, and, inclusive policies, practices and systems)
Implement the policy for translating job sizing outcomes to a different band/salary range level.
Progress
Completed and effective from 1 July 2023.
Ongoing
This new policy ensures our people are treated fairly and equitably when their role is resized.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, and, inclusive policies, practices and systems)
Continue work on developing and implementing a fit-for-purpose Manager and Senior Specialist (MSS) (MSS) Pay and Progression Framework.
Progress
MSS moved to a step pay-and-progression framework in July 2023.
Ongoing
Ratified in the MSS Collective Employment Agreement (effective 1 December 22) on 28 April 2023. Since implemented, with all eligible MSS employees now transitioned to a step progression framework. This project was completed in May 2023.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, and, inclusive policies, practices and systems)
Continue to work with Te Kawa Mataaho and PSA to support the pay-equity claim process for two current claims. We will review and assess the impacts of the outcomes for these two claims.
Progress
MSD has a continued partnership with Te Kawa Mataaho and the PSA to progress this work.
Ongoing
This is a long-term goal for MSD and is still underway.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, and, inclusive policies, practices and systems, and, data and analysis)
Conduct a GPG/EPG audit of MSS salaries as part of building and implementing the MSS Pay and Progression Review Project.
Progress
The MSS salaries audit now included in a wider audit of salaries up to senior manager level.
Ongoing
The outcome of salaries audits for our people in roles up to senior manager level to be considered in 2024. Will provide a benchmark to ensure all future salary decisions are free from bias.
New actions for 2023/2024
- Implement starting salary policy and guidelines.
- Continue to include recruitment partners in the salary offer process.
- Implement decisions related to salary audit outcomes.
- Rollout of finalised remuneration policies and procedures.
Te whai kanohi i ngā taumata katoa | Leadership and representation
Kia Toipoto goals 2021/24
- By the end of 2022, agencies/entities have plans and targets to improve gender and ethnic representation in their workforce and leadership.
- By the end of 2024, the Public Service workforce and leadership are much more representative of society.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, inclusive policies, practices and systems, and, development and mentoring)
Recruitment Partners to support interpretation of pay guidance for people leaders.
Progress
Recruitment Partners are involved in more salary conversations than last year and can help decision-makers set appropriate starting salaries of new kaimahi.
Ongoing
Real-time education and coaching of people leaders by Recruitment Partners is integral to addressing the gap and continuing efforts to close it.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, inclusive policies, practices and systems, and, development and mentoring)
Get managers familiar with recruitment policy and cultural and financial benefits.
Progress
Recruitment Partners and Human Resource Business Partners (HRBPs) have worked directly with people leaders to grow knowledge, understanding and application of recruitment policies.
Ongoing
Focus from HRBPs, Recruitment Partners, HR (human resource) Operations and the People Experience team will lift policy education and understanding through regular engagement and training.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, and, development and mentoring)
Grow the te ao Māori capability of our Recruitment Partners.
Progress
Principal Capability Advisor Māori has run workshops for our recruitment team throughout 2022/23.
Ongoing
These are being incorporated into our recruitment teams’ Te Ara Piki (development plans).
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Promote benefits of MSD to recruits in a consolidated view in our Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
Progress
Extensive employee engagement conducted to understand our EVP.
Ongoing
This year we will implement a refreshed EVP (including our visual identity and attraction strategies).
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Survey new starters to learn about what worked well and what could be improved in the recruitment processes to ensure we have inclusive practices.
Progress
Reintroduced recruitment and onboarding surveys.
Ongoing
Continue to survey our new starters to learn more about what is working throughout the recruitment process.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Create opportunities and find solutions that help us overcome vertical occupational segregations.
Progress
We have continued investing in our People Experience and Leadership Development teams throughout 2022/23, to support development in coaching, mentoring, talent-mapping and succession-planning.
Ongoing
Talent-mapping and succession-planning. Create bite-sized learning and regular webinars, to educate leaders on policies, guidelines and emerging trends to support closing our pay gaps.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Establish an MSD ‘Career Board’ and ‘Talent Pools’ to identify and develop talent among Māori and Pacific employees.
Progress
The People Group is designing a talent pilot to create more supports for Māori and Pacific staff and leaders at all levels. Designed to enhance diversity of our leaders and provide targeted development and opportunities based on aspirations, talent, and business need.
Ongoing
An early view of the talent pilot being tested with Māori, Communities and Partnership team at National Office
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
As a part of the recruitment process, provide information about other internal opportunities to unsuccessful interviewees who would make a suitable fit elsewhere in MSD.
Progress
This work is being encouraged by Recruitment Partners. We have seen it have a positive impact in some parts of MSD where managers share talent with other leaders in their group.
Ongoing
MyHR (myHR is the system MSD use for managing employee information) has the capability to host ’Talent Pools’ of candidates with certain skillsets. We are trialling this with Te Pae Tawhiti and will look to extend to other parts of the business where appropriate.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Review and implement workshops created for our Recruitment Partners to facilitate.
Progress
This work is continuing and currently in progress.
Ongoing
We are taking a continuous improvement approach with the workshop materials and tailoring them to meet the needs of specific groups.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, practices and systems, development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Continue to pilot alternative recruitment practices that trial different approaches, such as video screening and assessment centres.
Progress
Various initiatives are under way to test different recruitment approaches, reflecting cultural, ethnic and regional focus.
Ongoing
Identify best practice from various tests and pilots. Create communities of practice and learning communities for sharing what has worked.
New actions for 2023/2024
- Develop a campaign calendar for regular leader engagement, sharing employee insights from new hire surveys and emerging trends through HR Operations
- Develop bite-sized learning and monthly webinars for leaders to educate on the treatment and application of recruitment, salary and employee policies and guidelines
- Review hiring manager information, ensuring it is accessible, current, and clear on hiring procedures – including expectations for feedback to unsuccessful internal applicants
- Implement a refreshed EVP, visual identity, and attraction strategy
- Develop and implement coaching in CV writing and interview technique for kaimahi, starting with our employee-led networks and gradually rolling out to all kaimahi
- Identify best practice from various recruitment tests and pilots and create communities of practice and learning communities for sharing what has worked
- Investigate MyHR capability to host talent pools of internal and external candidates with certain skillsets and collect learnings from Te Pae Tawhiti trial to identify next steps
- Investigate skills-based recruitment as we progress into transformation
- Embed regular talent-mapping and calibration activities across MSD, providing multiple eyes across talent assessments and investment and helping to reduce bias
Whakawhanaketanga i te aramahi | Effective career, leadership, and development
Kia Toipoto goals 2021/24
- By mid-2023 agencies/entities have career pathways and equitable progression opportunities that support women, Māori, Pacific and ethnic employees to achieve their career aspirations.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Implement opportunities for Māori employee-led networks to offer cross-network mentoring and share experience across the country.
Progress
This has been successfully completed.
Ongoing
We will continue to build on the success of this initiative.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Continue to encourage employee-led networks, regions and workstreams to engage with mentoring programmes.
Progress
We currently have a total of 254 staff in our mentoring programme, made up of 122 mentors and 132 mentees.
MSD has shared our programme design and training across the Public Service. Other ministries and agencies are beginning to work more with their employee-led networks as a way of targeting support and development to specific communities.
Ongoing
Continue to enhance our work in this area while also learning from other organisations.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Create a roadmap for developmental secondments.
Progress
Guidance material, resources and a community of practice has been implemented for staff on secondment.
Ongoing
Continue to support the community of practice for ongoing learning.
Create a plan for regular mechanisms of sharing best-practice and success stories. Make guidance and resources more visible and utilised.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Make our social learning platforms, including communities of practice, easier to use for supporting people to learn from each other.
Progress
Social learning is now a core component of our leadership development offerings. We run several communities for our leaders.
Ongoing
Continue running communities of practice for leaders and implement reflection groups to support learners going through the MSD Leading People Programme.
Provide shared learning and discussion opportunities to senior leaders who face similar challenges.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, inclusive polices, systems and processes, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Strengthen our development planning conversations across MSD through the ongoing implementation of Te ara piki (MSD’s capability development pathway) and a new capability and development approach for managers and senior specialists.
Progress
Development plans were expanded across MSD on 1 July.
Implementation efforts are ongoing, and we are partnering with the wider HR team to establish a rhythm of leadership conversations across MSD over the next 18 months.
Ongoing
This is ongoing and includes the implementation of our People Capability Framework into our HRIS, enabling Te ara piki, our development planning, to be incorporated into the platform linking learning and career pathways in future.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Increase visibility of different career pathways on our new intranet pages.
Progress
A new intranet page for Leadership Development has gone live.
Ongoing
MSD is implementing a People Capability Framework, and our ‘Leading at MSD’ narrative will continue to build in this space.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Articulate ‘what good looks like’ at MSD for leadership and connect our people to development opportunities that support the required capabilities.
Progress
Te ara piki updated to include values-based leadership and incorporated into individual development plans.
Ongoing
Leading at MSD Waka Hourua narrative is in the final approval stages. Work to articulate the leadership capabilities required will begin in new year.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Develop a ‘pipeline’ that will increase diversity across our tiers of leadership, through specific interventions and supports that will grow people from within the organisation to move vertically and horizontally within MSD.
Progress
Recent talent-and-succession conversations at senior leadership level, to test the process and methodology of talent mobility and development planning.
Ongoing
Regular mechanisms introduced for leadership team conversations regarding talent-and-succession planning for key management and senior management roles.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Increase development opportunities for our aspiring Māori and Pacific leaders.
Progress
Doubled the number of placements available on Te Aratiatia (for Māori and Pacific aspiring leaders) by running two rōpῡ (cohorts).
The programme enhanced the Māori and Pacific delivery elements and included a Māori view of leadership (Wayfinding).
Established ‘Toa’ a group which is for Māori by Māori. It is a safe place for Māori kaimahi to share their voice and connect with each other, a meeting place for Māori and a means of communicating important Māori mahi (work) to kaimahi.
Shared through Toa, internal development opportunities.
Best practice and learnings shared with various rōpū (cohorts), including steering groups, employee-led networks, Nga Kaitūhono and regional Māori hui.
Established new cohort for Te Aka Matua (programme for Māori and Pacific managers within MSD who show potential to lead and manage at a senior management level) 2023.
Our Māori Capability team have also worked with the Recruitment team to embed more te ao Māori into recruitment process and practice.
Ongoing
A Te Aratiatia alumni and governance board has been established and will provide ongoing support for continuous improvement.
Implemented a monthly community of practice for Te Aka Matua participants and graduates that will continue into 2023/24.
Ongoing work will continue in most of the progress areas.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: supporting our kaimahi)
Launch a Māori cultural capability blog.
Progress
Completed and now running successfully.
Ongoing
We will continue to publish regular blog pieces.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Develop a virtual marae experience.
Progress
Completed and now running successfully.
Ongoing
This is now available internally and we will continue to showcase this work across MSD.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
The Māori Capability team partnered with Māori, Communities and Partnerships (MCP), our internal business group on the Mahere Reo (Māori language plan) implementation plan.
Progress
Māori, Community and Partnerships (internal business group) lead the Mahere Reo implementation plan with support from Organisational Development and Learning team.
Ongoing
This work has begun, and further work will be done as and when resources become available.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Review guidance on career breaks and leave to determine what is possible within our current reporting abilities, and plan to operationalise it.
Progress
This review has been completed.
Ongoing
Will be implemented through into 2023/24.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Create visibility on career pathways for a range of staff, from customer service representatives (CSR) to case managers.
Progress
CSR to case manager pathways pilot completed.
Ongoing
Promote pilot case study across the regions. Seek opportunities to implement more broadly and test further.
New actions for 2023/24
- Create further leadership engagement across MSD, aimed at encouraging regular development and talent conversations, better coaching practices, and taking advantage of the natural opportunities that arise within current rhythms
- Implement governance training for employee-led network leads
- Partner with the pan-Asian employee-led network to understand their experience and how to support successful transitions into leadership roles
- Conduct deep dive into recruitment and development data to identify themes and trends for career development across Māori, Pacific and pan-Asian staff
- Leverage off the success in our communities of practice and social learning for leaders and investigate other learning communities that might strengthen our transformational activities
- Implement reflection groups to support learners in the MSD Leading People Programme
- Begin design work for implementing the People Capability Framework into HRIS
- Guide staff on career breaks and leave, along with reporting that supports the business to operationalise.
Te whakakore i te katoa o ngā momo whakatoihara, haukume anō hoki | Eliminating all forms of bias and discrimination
Kia Toipoto goals 2021/24
- By the end of 2023, entities have remuneration and HR systems, policies and practices designed to remove all forms of bias and discrimination.
- Agencies embed and monitor the impact of bias-free HR and remuneration policies and practices.
- Agencies/entities ensure leaders and employees learn about and demonstrate cultural competence.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, systems and practices)
Create a toolkit for reviewing policies to standardise the process of creating and reviewing all internal policies to support our bias toolkit.
Progress
MSD policies reviewed to incorporate diversity and inclusion lens as well as embedding te ao Māori throughout.
Ongoing
Continue to standardise the way we review our HR policy and guidelines, to ensure we remain inclusive.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Make roles more accessible and remove barriers for people who want to apply for roles, ensuring we attract more diverse applicants.
Progress
EVP workshops conducted to understand what attracts people to MSD and why they stay.
Increased social media engagement of employee stories to broaden brand appeal − these have proven successful.
Ongoing
Continue work on EVP, visual identity and attraction strategies.
Once visual identity concepts agreed on, developed and delivered, test effectiveness of new attraction strategies.
Continue to remove bias from recruitment advertising and selection process.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: remuneration, development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Review the way we support our people leaders to reinforce gender and ethnic pay gap messaging, focussing on Māori and Pacific/ethnic communities’ cultural norms around salary negotiations.
Progress
Māori Pacific Development Board pilot has been conducted to identify future talent pools and application of model.
Education on cultural norms and salary negotiations are happening in real time with people leaders, supported by HRBPs and Recruitment Partners.
Ongoing
Next steps action plan for timing of broader implementation for Māori/Pacific Development Board and talent pools.
Leader education and awareness of cultural norms and ongoing salary negotiations.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Build on the cultural competency and inclusive leadership practices of all our people leaders as a part of our diversity and inclusion work programmes guided by Papa Pounamu.
Progress
MSD unconscious bias modules were reviewed, refreshed and launched across the motu. This included information on intersectionality to create foundational awareness of this topic.
Ongoing
Training is under way across the organisation, continue to strengthen our Unconscious Bias training, we have developed and launched a Rainbow training programme. Develop educational awareness materials on neurodiversity.
New actions for 2023/2024
- Test new-employees brand campaign to assess broader cultural appeal
- Conduct data deep dive on recruitment and selection processes to identify themes and trends that will guide and inform areas for remediation
- Establish working group to align cultural competency frameworks with People Capability Framework
- Develop and launch Rainbow training programme
- Develop educational awareness materials on neurodiversity
- Support the establishment of a neurodiversity employee-led networks
- Develop property and facilities design principles that support accessible and inclusive workplaces for all.
Te taunoa o te mahi pīngore | Flexible working by default
Kia Toipoto goals 2021–24
- By the end of 2024, agencies and entities offer equitable access to flexible-by-default working and ensure it does not undermine career progression or pay.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Connect with what other organisations are doing in the hybrid working space to ensure that our practices are up to date and meet the changing needs of our people.
Progress
In late 2022, we gained guidance from other organisations and generated a paper to set the direction of next steps for MSD. In early 2023, the Hybrid Working Group was set up.
Ongoing
The Hybrid working group is ongoing and further education of policy is needed.
In the people leaders’ space, we are developing support for kaimahi in areas such as where and how we work, hybrid working and flexible-by-default working.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Ensure that flexible working by default is reflected in our EVP.
Progress
We have reflected this in the work on our EVP.
Ongoing
Continue to test the effectiveness of flexible by default EVP through recruitment surveys, AskHR information and Flexible Work reporting.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: data and analysis, development and mentoring, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Continue to encourage the monitoring and recording of flexible working arrangements.
Progress
We have collated and analysed raw data, identified trends, and sent this information to our HR Business Partners and the PSA. The People Experience team have also presented this work to the HR operations team.
Ongoing
Review reporting, currently we record formal flexible working arrangements, but need to investigate how we report on informal/temporary flexible work arrangements.
Develop regular sessions for leaders to build knowledge and understanding of flexible work and application of policy and guidelines.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Continue our web series and highlight the resources on our intranet.
Progress
Two-part web series, parts 1 and 2, were each facilitated twice (four sessions in total).
Ongoing
The webinar slide deck and flexible working FAQs are published on MSD’s intranet.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: data and analysis, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Assess who accesses flexible working more broadly and how it may affect our pay gaps.
Progress
We have done work to understand broadly who accesses flexible working arrangements. However, more work is needed to understand how this might contribute to pay gaps.
Ongoing
Deep dive needed to better understand who this affects, what they need (temporary/ informal/ permanent/ formal) and how it will affect pay gaps.
Actions 2022/23 (key themes: data and analysis, inclusive policies, systems and practices, and, supporting our kaimahi)
Mitigate any areas where flexible working options may affect pay.
Progress
This year we have focussed on refreshing the policy and guidelines, building awareness, and educating on the policy and guidelines. Concurrently, we have implemented a new HRIS system into MSD.
Ongoing
This area requires more investigation and will be addressed within a deep dive on who accesses flexible work, their needs and how it impacts pay gaps.
New actions for 2023/24
- Develop regular engagement mechanisms – including webinars and smaller learning modules – to educate on the impacts for our people leaders and their business areas
- Create bite-sized and just-in-time learning for leaders on flexible work policy and guidelines, building on existing initiatives in this space – ensure this content is easily accessible and measurable
- Mitigate any areas where flexible working options may affect pay
- Initiate a deep dive to understand who accesses flexible work, their needs (temporary/informal/permanent/formal) and impact on pay gaps
- Identify and investigate possible controls and mitigants for where flexible working may affect pay gaps.
