Several prominent New Zealand employers have been recognised for providing a place of refuge for victims of family violence
A number of prominent New Zealand employers have been praised this week after an advocacy organisation agreed they provide a safe haven for workers who are affected by family violence.
The Warehouse Group, Fonterra, and Sky City have all received the Workplace Refuge endorsement recognising their achievements in preventing and responding to family violence.
The endorsement, provided by Women’s Refuge, acknowledges and celebrates businesses that are actively providing a safe space for staff experiencing family violence and are working towards finding solutions for both victims and perpetrators.
To earn the recognition, an organisation must illustrate that family violence is prevented, victims and perpetrators of family violence are helped, communication and networking are increased, initiatives are prioritised, and leadership in driving change is demonstrated.
“When you consider that most people are spending eight plus hours a day at work, having a responsive workplace where family violence can be talked about, and where people being harmed have an opportunity to be supported properly, can also protect against the loss of productivity and added costs involved in on-going harm to employees,” says Dr Ang Jury, chief executive of Women’s Refuge.
The Workplace Refuge endorsement is part of the Women’s Refuge Responsive workplaces program, which is a suite of tools designed to support family violence policy in the workplace.
These include in-depth training that focuses on response and best practice support, an early intervention poster campaign that focuses on subtle early warning signs, and a microsite that sits on an organisation’s intranet.
Julie Simpson, acting chief people officer for the Warehouse Group, says the suite of tools helps the company support staff right across the country, regardless of their location.
“Being a large organisation with well over 12,000 team members, any issue that impacts New Zealand is an issue that impacts our people,” she says.
“Having a range of policies and effective support systems means that we’re able to help people experiencing family violence get advice and take the time they need to keep safe.”
Matt Trent, social responsibility manager with Fonterra, says the program has already had a meaningful impact in the workplace.
“Since launching we’ve been able to support a few of our staff in tough situations, which I’m really proud we’re able to do,” he said. “Reinforcing the message and that help is available is an on-going process for us.”
Claire Walker, group GM of HR at SKYCITY, also said the initiative was about supporting employees as people, rather than just assets.
“We have a strong culture around doing the right thing and supporting others, and we recognise that we’re employing a whole person, not just who someone is at work, so that’s why we’ve invested in policies like our Domestic Violence policy,” she said.
