Health, safety and wellbeing

Our approach

Our approach to health, safety and wellbeing aims to support the physical, emotional and financial wellbeing of our people.

Our health and safety strategy applies globally but is tailored for individual countries. The objective is to promote a healthy workforce, to maintain a safe system of work and to proactively support the physical and emotional wellbeing of our people. We have developed a global health promotion program providing accurate health information and activities for our employees worldwide. Health and Safety Committees exist in each state in Australia, and in New Zealand, India, Singapore,Hong Kong, the Philippines the United Kingdom, Manila and Fiji and some of the Pacific islands.

The primary role of these committees is to provide a forum for communication and consultation regarding implementation of health & safety strategies and operational management plans. The interests of employee and employers are represented at these forums to enable free and open discussion to occur and agreement to be reached with management and employee representatives from a variety of business units in attendance.

We have occupational health, safety and wellbeing plans in place for all countries in which we operate. Our health, safety and wellbeing programs provide employees with information and resources on individual and family health matters.

We aim to keep staff healthy and safe wherever they are working. Some of our initiatives include:

  • best practice ergonomic standards applied to branch and building design and refurbishments
  • tools to support employees working away from a typical office environment
  • a comprehensive health and safety training program including mandatory courses for all staff
  • regular workplace seminars on a range of health issues such as heart health, diabetes, asthma, men's and women's health, and mental health.

We regularly monitor our performance and set targets to help reduce work-related stress and improve the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees. Regular health and safety reports are issued on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. Each year a group report is generated and discussed with Management Board and the Board of Directors.

Our health and safety (H&S) systems ensure effective management of risks and issues. There are three levels of health and safety planning:

  1. The H&S Group Plan is developed, monitored and reviewed at regular intervals. It describes activities to improve our health and safety management system and performance.
  2. Three-year strategic H&S plans are developed to reduce injury and illness and better integrate activities in the way we do business.
  3. Annual operational H&S plans ensure that activities support the work group H&S risk profile and that adequate resources (time, people and budget) are allocated. They set out at the workplace level what actions will be completed, how those actions will be carried out, who will carry them out and by when.

To ensure the integrity of our Health and Safety Management System we engage external auditors in Australia and New Zealand to undertake independent verification of our health and safety framework and management system.

Wellbeing programs

A number of team-based and Group-wide programs are helping to enhance the physical, emotional and financial wellbeing of our people. These include:

  • Health Checks: provides a paid physical check-up during working hours to all Australian staff every two years. Many of our operations around the world provide a range of health checks and run local health promotion campaigns for staff.
  • ‘My Health’ online: available to Australian and New Zealand staff and is an on line resource, with interactive modules aimed at identifying and educating staff on a variety of health issues..
  • Influenza vaccination program: offered to all staff in Australia and New Zealand and a range of other countries where it is relevant.
  • Global health promotion program: involves monthly health promotion activities and awareness information and resources focusing on various health problems with the aim of creating awareness and providing information to staff. Individual regions and countries conduct relevant health promotion activities for example, skin cancer (Australia), HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Dengue fever (Asia and the Pacific).
  • Health seminars: carried out in all Australian, New Zealand office sites, Bangalore and some other Asian office locations. Seminars focus on five core global health promotion topics aimed at awareness, prevention strategies and advice.
  • Participation in the Corporate Games.
  • Participation in the Global Corporate Challenge, a team-based workplace fitness initiative to encourage people to increase the distance they walk.
  • 'Financial fitness': an online portal providing staff with information to help them understand and manage their personal finances.
  • MoneyMinded financial literacy education program, is available to staff online.

Find out more:
Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program is a confidential counselling service available to all ANZ employees. The service provides professional guidance and support with work or personal problems such as trauma, bereavement, relationship difficulties or dealing with change. The first three sessions are paid for by ANZ.
ANZ Health and Safety training programs
All employees are required to complete mandatory online health and safety training on an annual basis, as part of our ‘ANZ Essentials’ (risk accreditation framework). Training curriculum helps managers to identify essential and role specific training requirements for each employee. Training courses include; general health and safety awareness, emergency preparedness, safe computer use, manual handling, managing hazards and incident management.

 

2011 results

We aim to provide employees with a satisfying, happy and healthy workplace. As part of our approach, we continue to invest in engagement initiatives that help to reduce absenteeism and work-related stress.

This year ANZ Bangalore received the prestigious Golden Peacock Award for Occupational Health & Safety – 2011, awarded by the Government of India.

In 2011, activities included the following:

  • Long term recovery and resilience workshops held to support staff impacted by natural disasters.
  • We introduced ‘Being Prepared’ booklets for all ANZ staff globally to help them to prepare for and respond to unexpected events, such as natural disasters, at home and at work.
  • We continued to provide employees with health services and access to health information.
  • We continued to offer employees a free and confidential counseling service via our Employee Assistance Program.
Global Corporate Challenge
This year, we had 496 ANZ-sponsored teams (and 13 self-funded teams) competing in the 2011 Global Corporate Challenge, representing all the regions ANZ operate in.
  2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Funded teams 496 579 573 376 298
Self funded teams 13 5 6 21 60
Total 509 584 579 397 358

ANZ was ranked as the second most active company in Australia, with 90% of participants in this year's GCC reporting an improvement to their overall health and 78% reporting an increase in morale in the office.

Other positive affects include:

  • 52% of participants reporting a loss in weight with an average weight loss reported – 4.67kg
  • 63% of participants reported an improvement in their quality of sleep
  • 79% of participants reported an improvement to their daily energy levels
Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate

We are actively working to reduce our LTIFR - a standard measure of the effectiveness of occupational health and safety programs.

This is achieved by continuous improvement of the operational health and safety  plan, risk strategies and targeted  programmes ongoing of analysis of cause of incidents and injuries.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate for Australia and New Zealand

Lost Time Injury Frequency Claims

Australia LTIFR claims*
2011 1.5
2010 1.7
2009 1.4
2008 1.41.4
2007 2.0
2006 3.4

* LTIFR claims - An Australian financial industry measure which includes LITs that result in claims. This measure is not applicable in other countries.
MyHealth

In 2011, 3,036 staff in Australia received a free health check, bringing the total to over 22,000 since 2005.

During Mental Health Awareness Month (October), we hosted a series of free information sessions for  ANZ employees in many office locations, hosted by mental health experts. In addition webinar and other on line resources were made available for those in other locations.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
In 2011, there was an increase in the number of employees accessing the Employee Assistance Program in all countries/regions .
Country 2011 2010
Australia 5.1% 4%
New Zealand 6.8% 6.4%
Asia 0.67% .39%
Pacific 1.4% .2%
India 5.2% 3.6%
Health and safety course completions
Course Total number of completions
Health, safety and wellbeing (all staff once off) 12,603
Emergency preparedness (all staff annually) 51,637
‘Using your computer safely’ (all staff who use a computer, once off and refreshed as required) 5,555
Manual handling (line managers-once off) 3,230
Managing hazards (line managers –once off) 2,988
Health and safety incident management (line managers) 1,175
Branch network conflict management training  (annually branches- Australia) 6,546

Focus for 2012

We continue to set annual targets to: implement employee wellbeing programs and to continue to reduce our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate, in Australia (by 5-10%), New Zealand (by 5-10%) and stay under an LTIFR of 1.0 in India.

Key focus areas for 2012:

  • increasing global implementation of our health and safety plan
  • undertaking health and wellbeing programs
  • reviewing and improving our risk management programs.

 

2010 results

We aim to provide employees with a satisfying, happy and healthy workplace. As part of our approach, we continue to invest in engagement initiatives that help to reduce absenteeism and work-related stress.

In 2010, activities included the following:

  • We introduced a number of facilities in the design of our new global headquarters in Melbourne to improve the working environment, including opening the ANZ Wellness Centre and providing staff with discounted access to gym facilities.
  • We extended our Volunteer Leave Policy, offering one day of paid volunteer leave to all employees.
  • We introduced our Change Management Policy to support employees experiencing change.
  • We continued to provide employees with health services and access to health information.
  • We continued to offer employees a free and confidential counselling service via our Employee Assistance Program.
Absenteeism*

We monitor absenteeism monthly to ensure that our human resources team can quickly identify and action hotspots and aim to reduce the instance of work-related stress. We experienced a slight increase in absenteeism from 2.4 to 2.56 hours per million work hours, which could be attributed to the significant and rapid impact of change on some employees during our restructure and the impacts of the Global Financial Crisis.

Our absenteeism rates remain low compared to industry benchmarks. The industry benchmark is 6.57 (InfoHRM) for days absent per full-time equivalent (FTE) per year and ANZ is 5.5 in Australia.

* Australian data only
Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)

We are actively working to reduce our LTIFR - a standard measure of the effectiveness of occupational health and safety programs.

In 2010, we undertook a significant awareness campaign to highlight the need to report lost time injury incidents. As a result, our LTIFR has increased in New Zealand businesses. Specific actions are in place to continue to improve our LTIFR performance in Australia and New Zealand.

Lost time injury frequency rate: Australia and New Zealand

Australia LTIFR claims*
2010 1.7
2009 1.4
2008 1.4
2007 2.0
2006 3.4

* LTIFR claims - An Australian financial industry measure which includes LTIs that result in claims. This measure is not applicable in other countries. 
My Health

In 2010, 3,191 staff in Australia received a free health check, bringing the total to over 48,000 since 2006.

During Mental Health Awareness Month (October 2009), we hosted a series of free information sessions for all ANZ employees in all office locations, hosted by mental health experts.
Global Corporate Challenge

This year, we had 579 ANZ-sponsored teams (and five self-funded teams) competing in the Global Corporate Challenge, representing 22 countries around the world. For the first time we had teams participating from Cambodia, Samoa and Korea.

ANZ performed well in this year’s challenge, with five teams finishing in the top 100.

  2010 2009 2008 2007
Funded teams 579 573 376 298
Self funded teams 6 6 21 60
Total 584 579 397 358
Employee Assistance Program
In 2010, there was a reduction in the number of employees accessing the Employee Assistance Program, with a decrease in India (from 6.0% to 3.6%), New Zealand (from 7.9% to 6.4%), and Australia (from 4.6% to 4.0%, a total of 959 employees).
Country  
Australia 4%
New Zealand 6.4%
Asia .39%
Pacific .2%
India 3.6%
ANZ Centre new 'Healthy' Building

In 2010, we completed the move into ANZ Centre, our new global headquarters in Melbourne. The new building was designed and developed with great care and consideration for employees, with facilities and services available that enhance the working environment and promote health and wellbeing.

The ANZ Centre offers fresh air, natural light, and easy access to outdoor open spaces. More than 500 bikes spaces have been provided, with easy access to bike paths. The ANZ Wellness Centre  provides access to yoga, Pilates, physiotherapy and massage. Yoga, meditation and relaxation rooms are available at some of our other major office sites, and continue to form part of design considerations. Staff are offered access to discounted gym services and personal training at the Docklands YMCA centre.

Focus for 2011

We have set targets to implement employee wellbeing programs and reduce our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate in Australia (by 5-10%), New Zealand (by 1-5%) and stay under an LTIFR of 1.0 in India.

2009 results

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate

We continue to focus on reducing our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) - a standard measure of the effectiveness of occupational health and safety programs - achieving a record low in Australia.

The LTIFR in Australia has reduced for the fourth year in a row. This year we achieved a 21% reduction down from 2.4 in September 2008 to 1.9 for 2009.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate - Australia

The LTIFR claims rate for Australia is 1.4.

LTIFR in New Zealand has gone from 2.0 to 1.5, a 25% reduction.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate - New Zealand

We measured LTIFR in our India operations for the first time in 2009, with a result of 0.6.

My Health (Australian Health Check programme)

  2009 2008 2007 2006
Total health checks 16,870 12,268 9,000 7,028

Global Corporate Challenge

ANZ had a record 579 teams or 4,053 employees participating in the 2009 Global Corporate Challenge from 20 countries across the globe. ANZ was the fifth most active company globally in the program, with two ANZ teams finishing in the overall top 10.

  2009 2008 2007
Funded teams 573 376 298
Self funded teams 6 21 30
Total 579 397 358

Employee Assistance Program

Our Employee Assistance Program, a free staff counseling service, was used by 4.6% of staff in Australia, 7.9% in NZ and 6% in India with very small numbers in other parts of the world. 

Move to ANZ Centre

By early 2010, around 6,500 ANZ employees will have moved to ANZ Centre, ANZ's new global headquarters, designed to provide our people with a vibrant and healthy place to work. Best practice health and safety features include: flexible work zones; maximum use of natural light from the 10-storey atrium and fresh air intake that exceeds Australian building standards; and 500 bicycle spaces and easy access to bike paths.

The future

Occupational Health and Safety Operation plans were completed for all ANZ countries in Asia and the Pacific in 2009 and monitoring against these plans will commence in 2010.

2008 results

We continue to focus on reducing our Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) - a standard measure of the effectiveness of occupational health and safety programs - achieving a record low in Australia.

The LTIFR in Australia has reduced for the third year in a row. This year we achieved a 20% reduction down from 3.0 in September 2007 to 2.4 for 2008.

THE LTIFR claims rate for Australia is 1.4.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate - Australia

LTIFR in New Zealand has gone from 1.6 to 2.0, a 26% increase. As there is no clear reason for this result, an external audit is being undertaken to confirm the accuracy of the data and to set an appropriate target for 2009.

Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate - New Zealand

Staff also continued to be active participants in our My Health and Global Corporate Challenge programs. ANZ won the silver award for most active company globally in the Global Corporate Challenge and the gold award for the most active company globally (for companies with 200+ teams). We had two teams in the top 10 teams, Fiji and India.

My Health

  2008 2007 2006
Total registration 12,928 10,000 6,000
Total health checks 12,268 9,000 7,028

Global Corporate Challenge

  2008 2007
Funded teams 376 298
Self funded teams 21 60
Total 397 358

Employee Assistance Program

Employee Assistance Program usage rates were Australia 4%, NZ 7%,and India 4% with very small numbers in other parts of the world. 

The future

The global implementation of ANZ's health and safety management system is progressing well. New Zealand will be the major focus over the next 12 months, along with the Asian region.

 

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