As domestic and family violence continues to be an issue for so many people, continued awareness and education is always important.
One company that took that a step further was QBE Australia Pacific, who used the extensive Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council Love ≠ Control campaign resources to educate their staff across Australia and New Zealand.
QBE Australia Pacific head of diversity, inclusion and wellbeing Catherine McNair said QBE was committed to continuously enhance and embed their family and domestic violence (FDV) workplace response.
“In 2019 we launched our refreshed FDV employee policy inclusive of paid leave and financial support, in addition to a dedicated First Responders Network of employees to support our people, teams, and leaders,” she said.
“As a Family Friendly Accredited Workplace, it’s important we acknowledge the experience of all families, including those who may sadly be experiencing domestic family violence and abuse. Normalising the conversation so that our people feel confident to access the support they need now or in the future remains a priority and we do this in two ways: ongoing awareness; and building the capability of our network.”
For QBE Australia Pacific, as part of their workplace commitment to raising awareness around family and domestic violence issues, each year they run an internal campaign in the lead up to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November.
This year they decided to focus on coercive control as the theme of their campaign.
“Our network members leveraged our internal social media channel to share content focussed on QBE’s family and domestic violence workplace response and the support pathways available, along with providing an overview of coercion, which was brought to life through the lived experience of those who bravely volunteered to share their stories as part of the Love ≠ Control storytelling initiative.
“We’ve seen a significant uptake in the content, with around 25 per cent of our Australian workforce viewing each post published so far.
“We believe this is in large part thanks to the courage of those who were willing to speak up and share their stories as part of the campaign, in support of others who may be experiencing these issues.
“We’re seeing more conversations and experiencing more people speaking up and seeking further information.
“What this signals to us is the important role of a workplace in leaning into these societal issues to normalise the conversation, given the data shows that domestic violence and abuse issues impact around one in four women in Australia.”
Since sharing in this education and information, QBE has found that awareness is foundational to their strategy.
“To support our people to feel safe to speak up for themselves and others, and ensure when they do, we are ready to listen without judgement and offer the support pathways available.”
