http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.stonz.co.nz en-us Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:41:43 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/157894/resident-doctors-support-service-rdss--supporting-our-rmo-workforce/ The RDSS works with and in support of RMO Units on the ground to deliver the vision of “a well, well trained medical workforce for today and into the future” balancing the critical service delivery role of the RMO workforce with RMO wellbeing and training.The RDSS team has valued the opportunity to work in partnership with STONZ over the past year. We had the pleasure of speaking at the delegates conference in November where we provided an update on some of the work currently underway or in ... Tue, 09 Dec 2025 13:46:31 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post157894 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/157888/christmas-giveaways/ This year, we have two fabulous hampers to giveaway and a dinner for 2 at Eight Restaurant, Cordis Auckland.Keen to enter? Check out our Instagram or Facebook page to find the competition posts and follow the instructions to enter.... Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:08:23 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post157888 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/157887/delegate-conference-2025/ Our recent Delegates Conference was an incredible success, bringing together passionate and committed representatives to shape the future of our work. The energy in the room was inspiring, and the discussions were both constructive and forward-thinking.A key focus of the conference was working on our claims for our upcoming negotiations. Delegates engaged in robust conversations about priorities and strategies, ensuring we are well-prepared to advocate effectively in the next bargaining round.We... Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:42 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post157887 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/157885/delegate-spotlight/ Dan grew up in Wellington and has returned to the region for ophthalmology training, having also completed his medical student years here. He first became involved in advocacy as an RDA delegate during the time STONZ was created, before moving across to STONZ for its stronger focus on training, career development, and a more favourable collective agreement.   As a delegate, Dan values supporting members on a personal level while also contributing to the union’s broader direction and colle... Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:45:43 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post157885 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/157884/parental-leave-survey--report--2025/ As part of preparations for our negotiations in 2022, we completed a survey of members who provided valuable feedback about their parental leave experiences. These responses were central to STONZ being able to progress the ‘Best Practice Guidelines’ which were agreed as part of our last negotiations.In June 2025, STONZ conducted a follow-up to our 2021 Parental Leave Survey, aiming to assess progress and identify ongoing challenges faced by RMOs during parental leave.The updated report revea... Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:41:08 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post157884 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/154032/rdss-update-on-relocation-payments/ Rotation date realignment – January 2026Remember that January 2026 is a rotation realignment year.  Every seven years or so is a realignment year. This is needed to ensure the rotation in January does not fall too close to Christmas and New Year’s Eve.If there are any issues with your current accommodation due to the 1-week extension i.e., tenancy runs out early, please get in touch with your RMO Unit ASAP to discuss support available to you.The dates for the 2026 RMO year are:House Off... Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:32:39 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post154032 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/151023/furry-friends-and-medical-life--giveaway/ Being an RMO is busy, and it can be challenging to balance personal and professional life.Getting a dog is a big leap in personal responsibility (especially for those of us who don’t have kids) that can be very rewarding but also make the work-life balance that little bit harder.A quick summary for those who don’t have time to read this entire blog:Coming home to a loving furry friend every day is really rewarding but also a big commitment of time and finances.Think carefully about your time... Mon, 25 Aug 2025 13:28:38 +1200 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post151023 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/143063/appendix-8-moving-towards-winter/ It’s been a cracker summer (for most parts of Aotearoa), but unfortunately winter is on its way, and we need to ensure that districts and services have contingency plans in place/planning underway – particularly where they know there will be vacancies across the winter months.In the latest round of negotiations, STONZ introduced an important addition to the roster management framework: Appendix 8 – Chronic Cross Cover Situations. This new clause is designed to address the challenges faced ... Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:36:36 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post143063 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/143064/accommodation-costs-blowing-out/ We're writing to provide you with an important update regarding our advocacy work to amend the STONZ National Manual Accommodation Guidelines.STONZ has formally submitted a proposal to the STONZ National Engagement Forum (SNEF) to address the outdated cost per night caps on accommodation for RMOs travelling for employment and training purposes. This proposal was submitted on 7th March 2025.The current accommodation caps, set at $200 within New Zealand and $250 overseas, have been in place since ... Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:36:26 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post143064 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/post/138730/stepping-up-a-personal-experience/ Transitions are a natural part of life, particularly in a career in medicine. Whether that be into our first clinical placements, moving from Trainee Interns to being a PGY1 House Officer (I still remember the panic of writing my first script), House Officer to Registrar, Registrar to Trainee, Trainee/Fellow to Consultant. Bearing in mind, that list of transitions is not exhaustive.In preparing to “step up” to being a junior registrar I thought about writing about my experience to reflect on... Tue, 03 Dec 2024 10:10:44 +1300 http://www.stonz.co.nz/blog/#post138730