At WorkSafe we want to provide excellent service and ensure your experience with us is professional, efficient and fair.

Our committment to you

At WorkSafe we want to provide professional, effective and fair services and ensure your experience with us aligns with our values: (Whakakotahi – we’re united in a strong purpose; Kōrero mai – we engage meaningfully; and Tiakina mai – we’re entrusted with a duty of care).

WorkSafe’s approach is to empower people and businesses to take responsibility for their own health, safety and wellbeing. If you are concerned about a workplace or employer’s health and safety practices, you should raise your concern directly with the relevant party in the first instance. If you don’t think that is appropriate, or if you try to resolve the matter and don’t feel satisfied with the outcome, WorkSafe would like to know.

If for any reason you are unhappy with the service or experience you have received from WorkSafe, please let us know so that we can put things right and improve our performance if it’s the right thing to do. We acknowledge our mistakes and we will put them right wherever we can. You will be treated with courtesy, respect and fairness at all times.

What is a complaint?

An expression of unhappiness or concern about a particular action, service, or decision which requires a response.

WorkSafe welcomes all forms of feedback, including complaints, compliments, and suggestions. We will use this feedback to improve our way of working. We are also committed to responding to historical complaints relating to the Health and Safety Group of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Department of Labour.

A complaint is something that requires a response from us and includes:

• dissatisfaction with the way WorkSafe staff have followed our policies or procedures
• delays in responding
• failure to achieve good standards of service
• employees’ behaviour or attitude.

How do I make a complaint or provide feedback?

Complaints should be made in writing. If you have any difficulty putting your concerns in writing, our staff can take notes for you, or you could ask a friend or relative to help you.

You can phone us first on 0800 030 040 to help to clarify issues, learn more about our complaint procedures, or identify the person you need to write to.

You can email us:

ministerialcorrespondence@worksafe.govt.nz (general complaints and feedback)

or info@worksafe.govt.nz (complaints about operational decisions). 

You can write to us:

Feedback and Complaints
WorkSafe New Zealand
PO Box 165
Wellington 6140

What information should I provide with my complaint?

To help us deal with complaints quickly and efficiently, please provide a short, clear description of the reasons for your complaint, together with any relevant supporting documents and full names, dates and details of the people involved.

If your complaint is regarding a WorkSafe case or investigation, providing the file number is appreciated. Please be aware that if the matter is ongoing WorkSafe may be limited in the information it can release and what can be discussed, as we could still be gathering information about the case or need to avoid prejudice to legal proceedings.

What happens next?

If you contact us by phone or in person, we will try to resolve your complaint there and then. If further investigation is required you will need to provide a written copy (email or letter) of your complaint, so that we can be sure to cover all the points you have raised. We can help you put your concerns in writing.

If you contact us through our feedback form or letter, we will try and resolve your complaint within three working days from when we receive it. If further investigation is required, we will advise you within those three working days of an expected resolution date (usually within 20 working days).

We may need to contact you during the investigation to further understand your complaint or obtain additional details and may ask for further contact details such as a mailing address or email.

We will also give you information to ensure you can enquire about the progress of your complaint.

You can withdraw a complaint at any time.

What if I am unhappy with the resolution of a complaint?

If you are not satisfied with WorkSafe’s response to your complaint, you have the right of review. This process and further steps you can take will be outlined in the response from WorkSafe and involves escalation of the complaint to a more senior manager for review. Requests for review should be made in writing. You can also speak to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner or Office of the Ombudsman.

Your privacy

Any information provided to WorkSafe or released to any party is treated in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Official Information Act 1982.

More information on those Acts can be found at:

 Office of the Privacy Commissioner(external link) and

 Office of the Ombudsman(external link)

You can make a complaint anonymously or ask for anonymity, but this means WorkSafe will be very limited in finding out enough information to resolve your complaint.