From the couch to the Koru lounge: IRD paying for remote workers’ flights to office

The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal through an Official Information Act request that the Inland Revenue Department has spent $54,990 on remote worker travel to the Wellington office, including flights, meals, taxis and accommodation.

The revelations, which predate recent changes to public service working-from-home policies, highlight how lax oversight has allowed such wasteful spending to flourish.

Commenting on the findings, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said:

“While tradies, farmers, and hospitality workers don’t get anything close to the luxury of working on the sofa in their dressing gowns, on the rare occasion these bureaucrats show up for work they’re flown in to the office on the taxpayer’s dollar."

“Taxpayers have also footed the bill for one IRD employee’s $1,182 in meals and accommodation and another’s $368 in taxis. The same ‘public servants’ who are supposed to set an example of accountability and fiscal prudence are living it large at our expense.”

“Other large agencies like the Department of Internal Affairs and Ministry for the Environment couldn’t even answer how much they’d spent because they “don’t hold a register of remote employees who travel to work”. How can they expect to control costs when they don’t even know what they’re spending?”

“The Public Service Commissioner needs to ensure these new return-to-office guidelines are enforced and that past excesses like these are never repeated.”