Countdown was one of the first companies in New Zealand to embed a Family Violence Policy across its business. Ahead of the government’s Domestic Violence-Victims’ Protection Act coming into effect on April 1, Countdown has shared the successes their programme has seen.
Kiri Hannifin, general manager of corporate affairs, safety and sustainability for Countdown said its Family Violence Policy was introduced in November 2016 and has so far actively supported 28 team members impacted by family violence. She said that 86 percent of the team seeking support had been female and more than 100 paid days off had been provided to the team using the policy.
On top of paid days off, Countdown has provided free counselling sessions, variations to hours, relocation, and longer-term leave. “Countdown recognises what a significant issue family violence is and as a large employer, we wanted to do something meaningful to support our team and show leadership on a really important issue. We are committed to providing a safe and supportive workplace at Countdown, and we care about our team and their families. Implementing policy was just the right thing to do.”
“We are very willing to share our policy, knowledge and learnings from the last couple of years and we encourage other businesses to think strongly about what they can do to support their team who might be impacted by family violence.”
