Executive Edge

City with most payouts

Wellington was the most lucrative city for personal grievance claimants last year, according to an Employers & Manufacturers Association analysis of 637 awards made by the Employment Relations Authority.

The monetary value of personal grievance awards was $1500 higher in Wellington than in Auckland, and $1200 more than in Christchurch. Graeme Perfect, the association's manager of employer services, suggests that high-paid Government or head office employees may be responsible for the Wellington figures.

Thefts ignored

Australian businesses are unlikely to report thefts by employees to the police, says a report by the Australian Institute of Criminology.

Reasons given for not reporting such thefts included believing that reporting the crime would not achieve anything (42 per cent); the police could not do anything (42 per cent); the incident was not serious enough (38 per cent); and the chance of success was slight (37 per cent).

Show off

Got good work and life policies at your office that you would like to show off? Entries are called for the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust Work and Life Awards 2003.

There are five categories: small and large organisations, the First Steps beginners' award, one for innovation, and the Walk the Talk award for managers. Closing date is May 29. You can read about last year's winners in the book New Zealand's Best Employers in Work & Life 2002. It costs $37 from the trust: www.eeotrust.org.nz

Maori awards

The Mauriora ki te Ao scholarships for young Maori with leadership potential studying at tertiary level have been dished out. Each award is worth $2000. The scholarships are an initiative between five government natural resource agencies. The scholars are Harold Smith, Tanira Morrison, Emma Wyeth (Ministry of Research, Science and Technology); Kerry N-Garret (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry); Beth Tupara (Ministry of Fisheries ); Huia Pacey, Micaelle Strange, Jaroz Adams (Ministry for the Environment); and Nathanael Maxwell (Land Information New Zealand ).