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The Government will update the Equal Pay Act and amend the Employment Relations Act to implement recommendations of the Joint Working Group on Pay Equity.

This will make it easier for women to file pay equity claims with their employers, rather than having to go through the courts. It will also assist employers in addressing those claims.

“The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Joint Working Group, which set out principles for raising and resolving pay equity claims through bargaining,” State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

Targeted early intervention and a Social Investment approach is being reflected in the steadily improving Better Public Services (BPS) Results, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

The Government has released the BPS mid-year report which outlines the progress being made against the 10 challenging Results set by the Prime Minister in 2012.

State Services Minister Paula Bennett has today announced the publication of New Zealand’s second National Action Plan under the international Open Government Partnership.

“New Zealand is internationally recognised as world-leading in open and transparent government with well-established public accountability processes, advanced open data systems and a strong, high integrity public service,” Mrs Bennett says.

Improving the livelihoods of children will be at the heart of a newly established South Auckland Social Investment Board, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

“The costs of poor outcomes for at-risk populations in South Auckland are significant, with estimates showing that improving the outcomes for just 10 per cent of at-risk children could save close to $60 million of future costs,” Mrs Bennett says.

Greater collaboration and strategic thinking by the public sector is delivering real benefits for the public, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

Close to 400 public servants from across New Zealand attended the 2016 Deloitte IPANZ Public Sector Excellence Awards in Wellington last night.

“It’s always a great privilege to celebrate our hard-working and dedicated public servants who provide the outstanding services New Zealanders expect,” Mrs Bennett says.

The Joint Working Group on Pay Equity Principles has reported back to the Government with a number of recommendations, State Services Minister Paula Bennett and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse say.

The Joint Working Group was tasked with recommending principles for dealing with pay equity claims under the Equal Pay Act.

“I would like to thank the Joint Working Group members for their commitment to improving our pay equity laws,” Mrs Bennett says. 

More efficient use of office space and the sharing of facilities by government agencies has saved taxpayers $57 million over the past financial year, State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

The fifth Crown Office Estate Report, released by the Property Management Centre of Expertise (PMCoE), shows the government is continuing to reduce the Crown’s property footprint while ensuring its employees are in modern, safe and healthy work environments.

Student achievement is ahead of target, welfare dependence continues to fall, immunisation rates are growing and child abuse rates are stabilising, Ministers Bill English and Paula Bennett say.

The Government has released the latest update of the Better Public Services (BPS) Results, outlining their progress against the ten challenging targets set by the Prime Minister in 2012.

State Services Minister Paula Bennett has today announced that the process for appointing the next State Services Commissioner will soon begin, with applications expected to open in March.

Current State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie’s term ends on 30 June 2016.

“Mr Rennie has advised me that he is not seeking a further term as Commissioner, but will be staying in the role until the end of his current term,” says Mrs Bennett.