Tangihanga Leave and the Call Centre Roster
A call centre in Auckland employs 12 customer service staff on a rotating roster. Policy allows three days' bereavement leave for immediate family. A staff member, Mere, asks for four days to travel to a tangihanga in Northland for a cousin who was raised in her whānau after his mother died. Mere is not the immediate next of kin but has responsibilities: she is expected to help with the pōwhiri, serve manuhiri, and sit with the whānau. The roster already has three staff on annual leave and one on sick leave. The manager can cover only two of the four days with a temporary worker; the remaining two would require overtime from two staff. The manager says policy is policy and offers one day. Mere says she may resign. Another staff member has offered to swap shifts but is not trained for Mere's accounts. The team is already at 78% of its monthly target.
1. Explain how whanaungatanga and manaakitanga should inform the manager's response.
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Whanaungatanga is not limited to legal next of kin. Mere's cousin was raised in her whānau, so that relationship carries obligations. Tangihanga is collective work: pōwhiri, manaaki manuhiri, sitting with the tūpāpaku, cooking and cleaning. Her absence affects the whānau's ability to manaaki, not just her own grief. Manaakitanga runs both ways: the manager should care for Mere and the team, while Mere's whānau will care for manuhiri. But manaakitanga is not unlimited; the manager also owes customers and staff fair rosters. The three-day immediate-family rule is a floor, not a ceiling. Saying 'policy is policy' avoids the judgement. A good-faith response considers the specific relationship, the roles Mere is expected to fill, and the operational cover. It should not force resignation over a four-day request. The manager should also recognise the power imbalance: Mere should not have to threaten to leave to be heard.
2. Recommend a resolution that respects tikanga and the business's operational constraints. Show the trade-offs.
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The manager should grant four days through a mixture: two days' bereavement leave, two days' annual leave or unpaid leave, and a shift swap for the trained accounts. The manager can cover one day, the temporary worker can cover two, and overtime can cover one. The monthly target should be adjusted or calls reallocated. Conditions should include notice of the tangihanga dates, handover notes, and no expectation that Mere answers calls during the pōwhiri or burial. If cover cannot be found, reducing service hours for two days is better than denying leave. The trade-off is cost and service delay, but the alternative is losing a trained staff member and damaging trust. The manager should not demand proof that the cousin was close family; that would apply a narrow legal test to a whanaungatanga obligation. A short written agreement for this tangihanga, with review, is preferable to a one-off exception.
3. What should the manager do afterwards to prevent a repeat, including policy and cultural competence?
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The manager should review the bereavement policy to recognise whanaungatanga: include cousins, whāngai and those with caregiving roles; allow flexible leave; permit shift swaps; train more staff on accounts; keep a roster buffer; and consult Māori staff and the union. Cultural competence training on tangihanga would help managers understand that attendance involves duties, not only grief. The case should be recorded anonymously for policy review. The manager should also reflect on how the request was handled, because a threat of resignation is a symptom of not being heard. A short written agreement for this tangihanga, with a review date, is better than a silent exception. This prevents repeat and shows manaakitanga as organisational practice, not a personal favour. It also aligns the roster with the actual whanaungatanga relationships in the workplace.