State of a Thriving Nation 2026 - with Francois Barton

This is an HRNZ Member-only Special Interest Network event.
If you are an HRNZ Member and not already part of the Health & Safety Special Interest Network but would like to join, email [email protected] 

Following an excellent turnout and feedback from last year’s event, the HRNZ Health & Safety Special Interest Network is thrilled to welcome back Francois Barton, Chief Executive of the Business Leaders’ Health & Safety Forum, for a second year to present and unpack the latest State of a Thriving Nation report 2026.

And what a year it has been for health and safety in New Zealand.

The changing regulatory and reform landscape, economic pressures, increasingly significant weather events and broader changes in how and where we work all help shape the health and safety environment organisations are operating in. This year’s report provides a timely opportunity to take stock of what the latest New Zealand evidence is telling us – and what it means in practice.

Francois will take us through the latest, hot-off-the-press findings, facts and statistics from the report. Importantly, State of a Thriving Nation provides a distinctly New Zealand picture, helping us understand our own health and safety performance, the human and economic impacts of work-related harm, and where opportunities for improvement lie.

But we won’t stop at the numbers.

Together, we’ll explore what the findings mean for HR and people professionals – whether you have direct responsibility for health and safety, your role intersects with H&S obligations and systems, or you simply want to build your knowledge so you can ask better questions and generate informed discussion within your organisation.

What to expect
•    The latest findings from State of a Thriving Nation, including New Zealand harm data, trends and economic implications
•    Francois’ interpretation of what the data is telling us about the current state of health and safety in Aotearoa New Zealand
•    Discussion about what the findings mean for HR practice, workforce wellbeing, organisational capability and resilience
•    Exploration of the areas where HR and H&S responsibilities intersect – and how the two functions can reinforce one another
•    Practical ideas and questions you can take back into conversations with leaders, H&S professionals and your wider organisation
•    An interactive Q&A with Francois and the Health & Safety Special Interest Network

Excellent health and safety is about more than compliance. It is part of how organisations create the conditions for people to work well, organisations to perform well, and both to thrive.

If you have a specific question for Francois or the Health & Safety Special Interest Network Committee, please email [email protected]

To Register
HRNZ Members = FREE
HRNZ Student Members = Free
You must have a Member Account and be logged in to register for events.
Please note: if you are NOT attending the event, you can no longer register on behalf of others.
For all queries relating to this event email [email protected] 
Cancellations
Please email [email protected] prior to the event to cancel