WorkSafe cuts desks by three quarters in Wellington office move

WorkSafe will be moving to a new building in February - and cutting three quarters of its available desks in the process.

The move will bring better facilities, a higher seismic rating, and more meeting spaces, deputy chief executive corporate, Rachel Gully said.

WorkSafe has notified its landlord it will be vacating the current premises on 86 Customhouse Quay in Wellington and relocating to 8 Willis St, moving in with other government agencies, including Statistics New Zealand and the Ministry for the Environment.

“Our current space has 449 desks. However, since the pandemic, we have had about 40 per cent desk occupancy,” Gully said.

“Our future space has 121 desks plus access to over 1200 additional shared work points throughout the building.”

WorkSafe chief executive Phil Parkes earlier announced he was resigning. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The move creates a reduction of 73 per cent of the available desks.

“Our existing lease is due to end on 29 February 2024, and we have decided the best option is to relocate,” Gully said.

“The new location comes with significantly improved ways of working together and better facilities, including more meeting spaces.

“The new premises also has a 6 Greenstar rating for building and fit-out. It is rated at 130 per cent of new building standard (seismic rating) compared to our current building which is approximately 70 per cent.”

Sharing the space with the other agencies would also “help reduce the public sector’s property footprint”, she said.

“The cost of the move and savings to be made are still to be finalised. Our rental costs for both sites are commercially sensitive.”

RNZ earlier reported chief executive Phil Parkes laid out how WorkSafe was facing a multi-million-dollar deficit, having already said behind closed doors that the 760-strong agency had a sinking lid on jobs.

WorkSafe will be moving to Wellington's Willis St. File photo / Mark Mitchell

The agency’s spending on external contractors and consultants had doubled to $20m. It has also faced widespread criticism, with issues including the dismissal of several charges in its Whakaari/White Island prosecution.

WorkSafe confirmed in September it was looking at cutting 100-120 jobs, though promised frontline inspector jobs would rise.

The announcement came at the same time Parkes stepped down as chief executive. He will stay in the role until the end of 2023.

“It’s been a privilege to have worked with such a dedicated team who are committed to reduce work-related harm across Aotearoa,” he said in a statement.

A spokesman for the PSA union said their understanding was that the move to the new office was not linked to further job cuts.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.