Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go: A Case Study (Part 4) - "We Used to Do This on Purpose." The Unmanageables, Part II
Kylie Matson’s formal complaint against me included this allegation - I had copied her in an appreciation email about her.
I as her manager had recognised her work in writing to senior leadership and copied Kylie in. That appeared in a formal misconduct complaint. HR accepted it. An external investigator was appointed.
Over four years, New Zealand taxpayers paid her between $70,000 and $120,000 per year. She managed one database.
Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go: A Case Study (Part 3) - "You Have My Job." The Unmanageables, Part I
He filed a formal privacy complaint against me for disclosing his health condition.
He had posted it himself, under his own name, on a public website, in 2011.
It is still there.
Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go: A Case Study (Part 2) - The Manager Who “Had my back”
For six months, I continued working alongside the people I had raised formal complaints about, with no meaningful intervention from my employer, while my health deteriorated visibly.
HR declined to accept my formal complaints about two colleagues. But when my manager produced a private diary note I had shared with him in confidence, they acted within days.
That contrast is the story.
Where Do our Tax Dollars Go: A Case Study (Part 1)
Why would my direct report need my phone number on the weekend?
This case study documents the sequence of events I experienced in a toxic workplace. It is shared in parts to reflect the complexity of how public service systems in New Zealand can reward bullying and penalise those who speak up.
Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go: A Workplace Extortion Story
I have been writing about the hidden cost of Goonda conduct in workplaces.
This article takes that further. In one team, when a capable person is bullied out while an incompetent Goonda retains the role, the cost sits at around $4M–$6M per agency each year. Across 50 public service agencies, that reaches $200M–$300M annually.
Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go: A WorkSafe Story
WorkSafe is funded to prevent harm. A worker raises concerns about ongoing harm in the workplace. The regulator reviews documentation and closes the complaint. The harm continues. This is not an isolated story. It reflects a broader pattern in how workplace harm is assessed. This article traces that pattern, and asks a simple question: what are taxpayers actually paying for?