Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is not just a policy — it is woven into everything we do. We recognise that our staff come from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, and we celebrate that diversity as one of our greatest strengths. CDHB is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, or religion.

▶ Equity

We are committed to ensuring fair treatment, access, and opportunity for every staff member and patient. We actively work to identify and remove barriers that prevent full participation, and we tailor our approaches to meet individual needs.

▶ Diversity

We embrace the rich diversity of our workforce and the communities we serve. CDHB actively seeks to reflect the population of Canterbury and beyond, and we know that diverse teams lead to better innovation, problem-solving, and patient care.

▶ Inclusion

We strive to build a workplace culture where every person feels genuinely included, safe to be themselves, and able to contribute fully. We listen, learn, and take action to ensure belonging is experienced by all.

"Our people are our greatest asset. When we invest in equity, diversity and inclusion, we invest in the health and wellbeing of our entire community."

— Chief Executive, Canterbury District Health Board
9,000+ Staff across the Canterbury health system
80+ Nationalities represented in our workforce
50%+ Of our leadership roles held by women
100% Committed to equal opportunity employment

Our Key Initiatives

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Te Tiriti o Waitangi & Māori Health

CDHB is committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and actively works to improve Māori health outcomes. We support kaupapa Māori approaches throughout our organisation and work closely with Māori communities, whānau and hauora Māori providers to ensure culturally appropriate and responsive care and employment practices.

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Rainbow Inclusion

CDHB is proud to support Rainbow staff and patients. We have active rainbow networks and work to ensure our policies, facilities, and culture are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ identities. We participate in Rainbow Tick accreditation to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to rainbow inclusion.

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Disability & Accessibility

We are committed to supporting staff and patients with disabilities. This includes accessible workplaces, reasonable adjustments for employees, and a culture that values the contributions of people of all abilities. We work to remove physical, attitudinal, and systemic barriers across the organisation.

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Gender Equity & Pay Equity

We are committed to gender equity at all levels of our organisation. CDHB has been part of pay equity processes across the health sector and continues to work towards fair remuneration for all staff, regardless of gender. We actively support women into leadership roles and work to dismantle systemic barriers.

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Cultural Responsiveness

Our workforce reflects the multicultural nature of Canterbury. We provide cultural competency training and support for all staff, and we actively recruit from diverse communities. We celebrate cultural events and milestones throughout the year and support staff to express their cultural identity at work.

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Flexible & Inclusive Working

We recognise that our staff have diverse needs and life circumstances. CDHB offers flexible working arrangements where possible, and supports staff through different life stages — including parental leave, flexible hours, and accommodations for religious observance or caregiving responsibilities.

Staff Networks & Support Groups

CDHB has a number of staff-led networks that provide community, support, and a platform for change within our organisation. These groups play an important role in shaping our EDI strategy and creating a more inclusive workplace.

Māori Staff Network

Supporting Māori kaimahi and advocating for te reo Māori and tikanga Māori throughout the organisation.

Pacific Staff Network

Connecting Pacific staff and supporting Pacific health outcomes across Canterbury.

Rainbow Network

Advocating for LGBTQIA+ staff and patients and promoting rainbow inclusion across CDHB.

Women in Leadership

Supporting women at all stages of their careers to reach their full potential in health leadership.

Disability Network

Championing the needs and contributions of staff and patients with disabilities across our services.

Cultural Diversity Network

Celebrating the rich cultural diversity of our workforce and fostering cross-cultural understanding.

"Inclusion means that everyone — no matter their background, identity, or circumstance — has the opportunity to thrive at CDHB. This is our commitment to you."

— People & Capability, Canterbury District Health Board

Our EDI Framework

CDHB's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework guides our organisational approach and sets out our commitments, priorities and actions. Our framework is built on the foundations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, the Human Rights Act, and international best practice. We review our progress annually and report to our Board on key EDI metrics.

  • Building an inclusive leadership culture
  • Embedding equity into recruitment and promotion processes
  • Providing EDI education and training for all staff
  • Collecting and acting on workforce diversity data
  • Partnering with communities to inform our approach
  • Holding ourselves accountable through transparent reporting

Join Our Inclusive Team

We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. If you would like to find out more about working at CDHB or have questions about our equity, diversity and inclusion commitments, we would love to hear from you.

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