A people first airport

He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Here at Auckland Airport, we know that our people are critical to our success. The commitment we make to those who work for us is underlined by our policies and processes, which foster a workplace where our people are supported, engaged, and appreciated.

People, Capability, and Iwi Committee

Our People, Capability and Iwi Committee exists to govern both the People and Capability facet of the business and Iwi strategy, including:

• Ensuring that Auckland Airport has sound remuneration policies and processes in place to attract and retain high performing Directors, Senior Executives and Employees.
• The oversight of strategy, framework and workplans to implement Auckland Airport’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Policy and to achieve the diversity and inclusion targets in Auckland Airport’s Sustainability Framework.
• Ensuring a meaningful, co-ordinated, and integrated approach to iwi relationships including recognising the importance that Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa Marae represents in the area.
• Recognising that the Treaty of Waitangi is primarily between the Crown and Māori and understanding the evolving operation of the Treaty in the Auckland Airport context through developments in government legislation and policy, and its application more generally, that may impact on Auckland Airport operations.
• Ensuring that the airport has a culture and workplan to develop internal Māori cultural competency and identity.

Our People & Capability Team

We’re all about creating a place where our people can thrive, and where others aspire to work. We’re a diverse and inclusive team and we welcome people from all walks of life. Our People & Capability Team support the people function of Auckland Airport with the following frameworks:

• Diversity and Inclusion Statement of Intent and Commitment
• Ethics and Code of Conduct Policy
• Flexible Working Arrangements Policy
• Disciplinary & Performance Coaching Policy
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Employee Assistance Programme (OCP)
• Leave Policy (including Sick, Bereavement, Domestic Violence Leave)
• Paid Volunteer Leave
• Parental Leave Policy
• Pregnancy and Operational Firefighting Policy
• Alcohol & Other Drugs Policy
• Fatigue Management Policy
• Redundancy Policy
• Smoke Free Workplace Policy
• Whistle blower Policy

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Tamaki Makaurau is a diverse place and we’re a key employer in the southern area of the city, with many of our people living in the local communities surrounding the precinct. It’s important to us to have a workforce that celebrates diversity, where our team can bring their whole selves to work and in doing so create positive, rich, and connected interactions with each other, our customers, and other stakeholders.

We want our people to bring diversity of thought to work, and to feel safe and empowered to suggest ideas and other improvements. In doing this, we’ll not only create an inclusive and inspiring place to work – we’ll also ensure that we make good decisions and generate creative approaches to solving the challenges we face as a hapori (community).

• We are a supporter of Global Women, whose goal is to drive diversity in leadership throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. As a supporter, we have committed to increasing diversity and inclusion within the organisation and particularly at senior leadership levels.
• We review our Gender Pay Gap annually, and take several actions each year to close the gap. We rely on external market pay data to align our people to a competitive position in pay band range, irrespective of demographic. We are confident that we do not have a gender peer issue but we are conscious that we have more females in our entry level roles than males and more males in middle management than females, and our focus is on understanding the reasons for this. One example of shifting the dial is our new Parental Leave Policy with enhanced benefits.
• We offer our team members an introductory, and intermediate te reo Māori course, structured over a ten-week period and delivered by a professional reo consultancy. A hybrid approach is taken to these courses, and some sessions are delivered in person at the Auckland Airport marae – Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa.
• We have formed a group of Engagement Champions, with representatives from across the business.Part of that group’s focus is to drive inclusivity throughout the airport, with direct links to all facets of the business, and to improve our DE&I by listening to our people.
• We welcome new team members to the business with our powhiri welcome morning at the Auckland Airport marae - Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa in a formal powhiri (welcome) by kaumatua (elders). Here, they are also taught the Auckland Airport waiata, and receive a presentation from two members of the leadership team.

To ensure the best support for our rich culture and diverse workforce, and to ensure that we continue to work for New Zealand, Auckland Airport seeks to:

• Better understand the makeup of our workforce and the assumptions that drive the choices our people make. We seek to have a workforce that is reflective of the ethnic diversity of New Zealand by 2030.
• Continue to strive for a 40/40/20 gender balance across the Auckland Airport Board, leadership team and senior leaders by 2025.
• Have a 20% Māori/Pasifika representation in the people leader group by 2030.
• Build a consistent ‘tone from the top’ communication from our senior leadership group throughout the business.
• Work to understand and address the barriers that prevent our people from thriving in the business.
• Understand and address unconscious bias through continued awareness, discussion, and education.
• Support overall Diversity, Equity & Inclusion through People and Capability process and practices.

Wellbeing and Safety

Auckland Airport has always been more than a place of arrivals and departures. It is a place of hello and goodbye. Of kia ora and haere rā. Our whānau (people); employees, contractors and stakeholders, are our most valuable assets, and because we believe that, we are committed to providing them with a working environment that ensures their health, safety and wellbeing every day.

In FY23, we implemented a revised HSW strategy that reflects a shift from our previous ‘destination zero harm’ approach to fostering a culture that prioritises people, our ‘people first’ approach, where our people are at the heart of our systems.

Our overall goal is to eliminate or minimise any risk of harm to our people. To achieve this, we are dedicated to understanding the critical risks in our workplace and implementing appropriate control measures that are verified, reviewed and improved as needed.

To achieve a culture of People First, regardless of their role, every person’s contribution to health, safety and wellbeing at Auckland Airport is critical. We believe that a People First approach is vital for a thriving workplace and thriving community. Our leadership team fully embraces this view, and we are committed to providing the necessary structures, resources, and organisational effort required to achieve our vision.

We maintain a strict Health, Safety and Wellbeing system, certified under the Civil Aviation Authority (Part 100) that supports our holding of an Aerodrome Operators Certificate (AOC). Our Health, Safety and Wellbeing obligations to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are continually assessed, both internally and externally, to ensure that we continue to foster a safe workplace for our people.

Our Safety and Health Management system enables us to:

• Manage aviation and workplace safety, health, and wellbeing risks within the organisation, with a specific focus on safety-related risks.
• Identify and implement appropriate control measures for critical risks, regularly verifying, reviewing, and improving them as necessary.
• Continuously monitor and assess safety performance.
• Make ongoing improvements to the level of safety in our operations.
• Foster a leading safety, health, and wellbeing culture at Auckland Airport.

At Auckland Airport, we recognise the value in supporting the wellbeing of our people. Our wellbeing vision is a commitment to creating a culture that nurtures and supports the wellbeing of our people, ensuring they feel motivated, engaged, and fulfilled in their roles. We believe that fostering meaningful connections to the business, the community, fellow colleagues, customers, and our cultural values is vital for enhancing overall wellbeing. Through a combination of educational initiatives and targeted programs, we aim to create a work environment where individuals can freely express their true selves, experience fairness and equity, and feel genuinely valued for their contributions.

• We have implemented a wellbeing strategy that recognises five pillars of wellbeing; mental, physical, financial, social and leadership, ensuring these are embraced and celebrated.
• We consider work design as a mitigation to prevent burnout, enhance cognitive function, reduce stress, improve sleep quality, support work-life balance and increase job satisfaction.
• We participate in external campaigns and forums that normalise speaking out mental health.
• Our Leadership Team encourages and role-models mindfulness, taking breaks away from work, eating from desks and the acceptance of mental health days off for self-care when needed.
• We provide access to free professional, independent, and confidential counselling for employees and members of their immediate family through our Employee Assistance Programme.