We've published guidance to help public sector organisations meet new reporting requirements for misconduct and serious misconduct.
Recent changes to the Public Service Act 2020 require public sector organisations to report annually to the Public Service Commissioner on the outcomes of investigations into alleged misconduct and serious misconduct.
Section 94B, Public Service Act 2020
Reporting on misconduct and serious misconduct promotes transparency and accountability, and provides valuable information to support the Commission’s integrity function.
These requirements apply to public sector organisations listed in section 17(2) of the Public Service Act 2020, excluding school boards. This includes departments, departmental agencies, interdepartmental executive boards and ventures, Crown agents, Crown entities (excluding tertiary education institutions, and Crown Research Institutes and their subsidiaries), companies listed in Schedule 4A of the Public Finance Act 1989 and the Parliamentary Counsel Office.
The misconduct reporting guidance provides more detail about the information organisations are required to collect and report to the Commission.
Guidance: Misconduct and serious misconduct reporting requirements
We will email organisations with instructions for submitting reports in advance of each reporting round. The first round of reporting, covering the 2026/2027 financial year, must be submitted between 1 July and 1 October 2027.
If you have any questions about the misconduct reporting requirement, please contact us at:
enquiries@publicservice.govt.nz
