But on the ground at many of their 38 aged-care facilities throughout the country, the stories are in stark contrast for hundreds of nurses and health-care workers who care for the company’s elderly clients.
That is what led to the sudden protest pickets by staff at the Lady Allum Village in Milford, Auckland outside their workplace yesterday, and last month outside their employer’s headquarters in downtown Auckland.
RNZ reported that the company plans to slash their hours by an average of a quarter.
“On average workers, some of whom have been here for 10 to 50 years, are losing about 25 percent of their take-home pay,” said NZNO organiser Pooja Subramanian.
Oceania employs about 3000 staff throughout the country and at Lady Allum at least 100 staff would be affected by the restructures, said Subramanian.
Oceania is also proposing similar changes at its other sites – Heretaunga in Upper Hutt, Bayview in Tauranga, Elmswood in Auckland and Green Gables in Nelson.
Subramanian said the workers were naturally upset as many of them were already struggling financially and the latest cuts would only make surviving more difficult.
Not being able to afford their mortgage or rent or pay for their kids’ schooling needs, were just some of the problems the workers were anticipating, said Subramanian.
The health and safety of frail elderly residents was also a concern for the workers, whose workloads had been getting heavier, even before the restructuring announcement.
“Aged care workers across the country are facing similar issues. It’s an undervalued sector, they don’t get paid enough, and their hours aren’t consistent,” said Subramanian.
Oceania Healthcare national operations manager Jodie Schorn told RNZ that discussions with unions and staff were still ongoing.
She said their objective was ensuring fair shift allocation while maintaining high-quality care.
“We reject any suggestion that these changes will impact the quality of care our residents receive.”
However, NZNO was challenging that, arguing that the proposed restructures at Lady Allum involve significant changes to staffing levels, roles, and rosters, which could lead to:
- Fewer experienced staff available to provide care
- Increased workloads for remaining staff
- Delays in responding to calls and emergencies
- Reduced support for essential daily activities like meals, hygiene, and mobility
- Changes affecting take-home pay