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Mental health advocate��Mike King��offered damage control advice to leaders accused of having a toxic workplace culture.����

On December 4, 2023, the��Herald��revealed five former staff at the Government’s mental health watchdog Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, had quit amid��allegations of excessive workloads, stress, a toxic culture and mental distress among staff.����

“This position has been the most stressful, awful experience of my working life,” one former employee claimed in an exit interview.����

“I have been stressed since day one, regularly work weekends, [and] have had to go on antidepressants to cope.”����

Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show the same day the��Herald��story was published,��I am Hope and Gumboot Friday founder Mike King��reached out to commission chairman Hayden Wano, who responded by email “Kia ora Mike Great to connect today. Appreciate you reaching out!”��

The next day, December 5, King replied to Wano by email, copying chief executive Karen Orsborn in.��

In the email - which had the subject line “Connection” - he offered help with media strategy, and referred to the complainants as disgruntled former employees.��

“Yesterday I reached out to Hayden offering up my insights into what you are currently experiencing with the media and disgruntled former employees,” wrote King.��

“We also spoke briefly on media strategy.��

“I said we’d catch up next year but after checking my diary and with my team I have capacity next Tuesday between midday and 2pm or Wednesday morning before 12.��

“In my experience it’s best to get in front on these issues as quickly as possible,” King wrote.��

Email logs show a one-hour Microsoft Teams meeting was then organised for Orsborn, Wano and King for December 12.��

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has confirmed the online meeting went ahead.��

A spokesperson from the commission told the��Herald��no record was kept of the meeting.��

“There was discussion regarding our respective roles and challenges, Te Hiringa Mahara reports, public visibility of findings, discussion about insights from I Am Hope’s work and potential collaboration opportunities,” the spokesperson said.��

The��Herald��approached King by phone, text and email with questions, including why he proactively offered media strategy advice to the leaders, and whether he offered similar support to the ex-employees.��

A spokesperson for King said he was overseas and it would not be appropriate for King to comment on an employment matter.��

Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chairman Hayden Wano and chief executive Karen Orsborn.��

‘Toxic’ workplace culture alleged��

Orsborn and Wano declined to be interviewed for the��Herald��story in December, in which five of their former employees alleged unhealthy workplace culture and burnout.��

In an emailed statement at the time, Orsborn said the commission “takes a different view” of the matters raised in the exit interview and would not comment on specific details about individuals’ employment because of privacy obligations.��

“I categorically reject the extreme description of the workplace environment of Te Hiringa Mahara,” Orsborn said.��

The pair declined to be interviewed for this story, saying via a spokesperson they have “nothing to add”.��

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the��New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the��NZ Herald��masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the��Northern Advocate��in Whangārei.��