IAG is being awarded the DVFREE Tick by Shine, New Zealand’s specialist anti-domestic violence non-profit organisation, demonstrating its commitment to creating a domestic violence-free workplace where staff can feel safe and supported. 

IAG is the fifth employer, and first insurer, to be awarded the DVFREE Tick by Shine.

IAG’s Blair Williams is the executive sponsor of the organisation’s DVFREE Tick work programme. He says the work is an important part of making the world a safer place for IAG’s people and its communities.

“New Zealand’s domestic violence statistics are horrific, so with more than 3000 people working for IAG across New Zealand we know this issue affects our people and their whānau.  There have been cases where we as an organisation have supported our people who have been brave enough to ask for help, but we realise there are many more who have not spoken out and who need our help. 

“By working with Shine to achieve the DVFREE Tick, we hope it makes it more accessible and safer for our people to come forward, and know the support is there for them. We’ve also worked to ensure our leaders and ‘First Responders’ around Aotearoa are better equipped to offer that support, which will make a real difference.

“As the country’s largest general insurer, providing insurance to more than 1.7 million Kiwis, we take our role in the community very seriously. To be recognised with the DVFREE Tick for how we support our people and their whānau is very humbling and a privilege, and I want to thank Shine for the vital work they do for Kiwis,” Mr Williams says.

Shine’s DVFREE Advisor Holly Carrington says she is thrilled to welcome IAG to the DVFREE Tick family. “As a collective force, employers can play a massive role in addressing New Zealand’s epidemic of domestic violence,” says Carrington. “I have been so impressed with IAG’s team, who have paid attention to every detail to ensure they are doing everything they can to get this right and provide the best support possible for their people.”

As well as a new Domestic Violence Policy, updates to other policies, and adding a section about domestic violence and where to get help added to their staff intranet, the DVFREE Tick has seen key IAG staff trained as ‘First Responders’. These staff are equipped to deal with domestic violence issues and create safety plans for staff at risk.

“The business community has an important role to play in improving the safety and wellbeing of their people, and to be part of the solution to New Zealand’s epidemic of domestic violence,” Mr Williams says.

Information about DVFREE services and the DVFREE Tick are available at www.dvfree.org.nz, and can help employers take a best-practice approach, rather than doing the bare minimum required by law. Shine also offers Shine’s free guidelines for employers to download.

A number of other employers are also currently working towards the DVFREE Tick. Dozens more are engaged with DVFREE training and policy consultation services, while hundreds have downloaded the DVFREE Guidelines for Policy and Procedures and expressed interest in the programme.