Partnership Programme Review (AEP)

The Accredited Employer Programme (AEP) Survey is your opportunity to change the way Accredited Employers manage work injury claims. The Accredited Employers’ Programme (AEP) – also known as the Partnership Programme - has been going for seven years and most of New Zealand’s largest employers have chosen to use the AEP to provide personal injury cover for their employees as well as assume responsibility for their workplace injury management and Health and Safety activities. The stakeholders to the AEP now believe that it is timely to review and adjust the AEP for the benefit of all parties and they are seeking Union input.

The AEP operational review is a joint exercise by CTU, Business New Zealand, ACC and DOL. The Review has the support of the Minister for ACC. The intention of the Review is to make practical improvements to the management of work injury claims by employers.  The work is being undertaken by four workstreams and addresses the following key areas:

-          Claimant Experiences under the AEP;

-           The Audit Process;

-           The Value of the Partnership Programme to employers; and

-          The interface between the ACC legislation, the Employment Relations Act and the HASE Act. 

A fifth workstream has been called for by the Minister, without any prior consultation with CTU or Business New Zealand, to evaluate whether employers should also manage employees’ non-work injury claims. 

It is crucial that unions are well-represented in this process.  This includes getting as many responses as possible to the survey.  From this feedback, the CTU will be able to identify where the existing problems are, recommend readily implemented ‘no fuss’ operational solutions and discuss the longer-term development and ongoing enhancement of the AEP.

The survey is designed for union organisers, delegates and Health and Safety representatives and was formulated by the CTU with assistance from Research New Zealand - an independent research company. 

In early October, Research New Zealand will contact Unionists (from the CTU database). You will be able to take part in the survey online or by phone.  

The CTU would appreciate it if you could take this opportunity to tell us how you think the AEP is performing and importantly, what you feel needs to change or be improved so that the AEP performs better. Please make the time to share your knowledge of the Partnership Programme by completing the survey.

The CTU is also convening a series of Union-only workshops in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in early November to gather further Union feedback on the AEP. 

If you have any questions about this research or would like to be involved in the survey, please phone Rob Laurs at the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU) on phone (04) 385 1334 extn 823 or email: robl@nzctu.org.nz