Disenfranchise

Today’s lesson in New Zealand Labor law is “disenfranchise” American's spell that with a 's’ also.

Let us start our class today with the dictionary definition:
1. To deprive of a privilege, an immunity, or a right of citizenship, especially the right to vote; disenfranchise. 2. To deprive (a corporation, for example) of a privilege or franchise.

In New Zealand labor there is another use of the word which loosely means. "To remove a position from the organization chart." We don’t fire people here we re-org them out with disenfranchisement.

As some of you know the Ministry of Health is going through a major re-organization right now. We are getting down to the nitty gritty on the org chart and no less than three key people that work for me at the MoH were in real danger of being disenfranchised. I fought valiantly for them, and at what I believe will be great personal cost in the coming year, managed to keep their positions on the org chart so they would not be disenfranchised.

For if they were disenfranchised then they would have to apply for another position within the ministry and we could possibly loose them and have to pay them a severance on their way out the door. In the case of these three I don't think that would be prudent to the ongoing operations of the Ministry.

However there are others at the ministry who were disenfranchised ... like me!

Yes the position I came to Wellington no longer exists. No worries I am not out in the cold yet. I have been asked to both work in the new similar role as the one I had, as well as to apply for permanent employment. My boss also made it clear that he would not leave me out in the cold if I did not get the position for some reason. So I am fairly well off as these things go.

There are all sorts of reasons why I would not get the position in July; the biggest of which is that regional health boards (hospital groups) will have major influence on the hiring process. It is all up for grabs.

The good news is that I am a free agent now. I do not have to apply for the position, and the monies we were given to move down to NZ are ours to keep. So the future is bright and we have the whole of NZ to explore!

Now with that said it is raining outside this morning, and I do feel a bit isolated. I don’t like being seven hours away from my biggest fans and supporters. You.

So if you are the praying type have at it! If you are not feel free to call and cheer us up. (after 3:00pm your time please!)