Creative NZ staff stranding during Auckland floods leads to censure

The head of a national arts development agency has been censured after "significant failings" of leadership by senior managers when its staff were stranded at the flooded Auckland airport in January.

Nearly 30 Creative NZ (CNZ) employees spent most of a night at the airport during the anniversary weekend storm.

Chief executive Stephen Wainwright, some senior leaders and some junior staff found shelter in airport lounges, including the Koru Club, while other staff gathered elsewhere.

Staff anger at the way senior leaders managed the situation prompted the organisation to bring an independent reviewer in to investigate; lawyer Susan Hornsby-Geluk.

Employees told her of their anger, betrayal, and shock at the lack of leadership and poor communication from CNZ management during the event.

Staff felt abandoned, and a number said they had lost trust in the senior leadership team and the organisation.

An abbreviated version of her completed report into the incident was released to RNZ.

It said some bosses "appeared to be focussed on their own needs" over their staff, and that there was a divide between senior leaders and staff.

The reviewer found bosses did not uphold core values of the organisation and did not comply with health and safety obligations.

Wainwright was issued with a formal written censure by Creative New Zealand's governing board over the lack of leadership from senior managers.

Wainwright and the senior leaders accepted all the report's findings and said they were disappointed their actions did not reflect the organisation's values.

They had apologised to staff and the organisation.

Hornsby-Geluk said most staff wanted to rebuild trust with senior leaders and to move on as an organisation.

The report also identified gaps in CNZ's health and safety and well-being policy and practices.

Senior leaders 'appeared to be focussed on their own needs'

After a Creative NZ gathering in Auckland, a group of 28 staff and managers were at the airport on the evening of Friday 27 January, when flights were cancelled due to the weather.

Some staff did not get home until Sunday, but Caren Rangi, the board chair of CNZ's governing body The Arts Council, said by the early hours of Saturday morning all staff were in accommodation.

Some of the senior leadership team (SLT) caught the first available taxis, but as more transport became available staff would take the opportunity to leave, she said.

Some employees became emotional and choked up while describing events to the reviewer.

Some had been through the Christchurch earthquakes and mosque terrorist attack and the situation in the airport brought up past trauma.

"This was made worse by the fact that SLT [senior leadership team] members neglected to show leadership or provide comfort to employees who were upset," Hornsby-Geluk wrote.

In her report, staff suggested the bosses should have kept everyone together in one group, and spent the "$40 per person to bring employees into the lounge to make sure everyone is safe".

Staff said there needed to be better engagement and communication from senior leaders, a demonstration of empathy, and to be reassured that the SLT was actively managing the situation.

Staff and senior management agreed there needed to be better communication - for example a shared Whatsapp group, or for managers to have staff contact details saved in their phones.

The reviewer found senior leaders failed to uphold the core organisational values of mahi tahi, tauutuutu and manaakitanga.

"Respect for employees was not demonstrated by all SLT members during the events at the airport and in the aftermath, creating a divide between SLT and staff," the report said.

"Instead, some SLT members acted in a hierarchical way, showing a lack of care and respect for employees.

"The failure of most SLT members to show manaaki towards their employees created tension and division. These SLT members appeared to be focussed on their own needs and therefore failed to show [caring] and empathy."

The report found the roles of SLT members and third-tier managers were unclear.

Work underway to 'rebuild trust'

Rangi said the Arts Council board issued a formal written censure to CNZ chief executive Stephen Wainwright.

"That marks that this happened, that marks not just the disapproval but the disappointment of the council at the way this event was managed or not managed, and it clearly outlines what our expectations are.

"And our expectation that the chief executive along with senior leadership report regularly back to council as to what's been done to ensure that the organisation has addressed things that came out of the review and is making sure that staff are okay."

Rangi said a lot of work was being done to repair relationships, and to move on together.

Senior leaders accept all findings

The Arts Council, Creative NZ's chief executive and the senior leaders had accepted all of the report's findings.

"Work is … underway by the senior leadership team to re-build the trust and confidence of staff and to ensure that its organisational values are consistently upheld," the council said.

The chief executive and senior leaders also expressed their own disappointment that their actions did not reflect CNZ's values.

The reviewer concluded that while there were significant failings by the SLT and that this had a material adverse impact on CNZ employees, she acknowledged the way in which both SLT members and staff had approached the review.

"The level of self-reflection and acknowledgement by SLT members that the situation was not managed well, and that they needed to win back the trust and confidence of employees, was encouraging and provides optimism that there will be tangible learnings from this incident."

The report identified gaps in the organisation's crisis and emergency response in its health and safety and well-being policy and practices.

Work on an updated crisis/emergency plan work was underway.