95bFM New survey shows disabled public sector workers are disproportionately discriminated against
11 November, 2025
Interview by Faith Ward, adapted by Vihan Dalal
The New Zealand Human Rights Commission’s Prudence Walker says that although only four per cent of employees in the public sector identify as having a disability, over 20 per cent reported being discriminated against, with reported bullying and harassment seeing a steep rise.
A new public sector survey has revealed a third of disabled public sector employees have experienced workplace discrimination.
The New Zealand Human Rights Commission (NZHRC) told 95bFM in a statement that 32.5 per cent of workers in the public sector have felt discriminated against, 22 per cent of whom citing their disability as a reason, according to a survey published by the Public Service Commission.
Compared to 17 per cent of the general population that identifies as disabled, four per cent of the employees in the public sector identify as such.
The New Zealand Human Rights Commission’s (NZHRC) Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker told 95bFM’s The Wire that attitudes and policies were important to address, despite laws being in place to combat such discrimination.
“The survey results highlight the importance of effective diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, for example. For another example, disabled employee networks,” they said.
According to the survey, over half of the employees who identify as having a disability were recorded as having lower job satisfaction, compared to the overall average of 62 per cent, with Walker saying disabled employees were underrepresented in management positions and earned “lower than average” salaries compared to their counterparts.
“Those results don't make the public service appear as welcoming and supportive as we might hope for, and our public service needs to be leading the way in upholding disabled workers' rights to employment opportunities and supportive workplaces,” Walker says.
They say that although attitudes are hard to change, workplaces should set the standard that the public service wants to work towards.
Employees with a disability were also less likely to feel their workplace culture was respectful. Over 60 per cent of employees who identify as disabled felt that their workplace promotes an environment where people are respectful to each other, compared to 73 per cent for all public servants.
The percentage of employees who reported bullying and harassment rose to 22.4 per cent for those who identified as disabled, from 12 per cent of the employees who reported bullying and harassment overall.
Walker says the NZHRC has been monitoring the government’s progress on upholding disability rights, as well as partnering with other organisations that report to the UN on the government’s progress.
“The results of this survey would contribute to the evidence on how things are going in New Zealand around the employment of disabled people, and there may well in the future be recommendations that come out of that from the UN and from our independent monitoring.”
