Your employees’ financial wellbeing and maintaining a successful organisation are connected. A survey by the Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission showed:

• An average of 20 hours per employee per month was lost because of money worries. Women were more affected by financial stresses than men. 
• Women were more likely than men to hide or conceal their situation from family or friends (61%), feel ill or unwell (59%), or lose sleep (57%).

Read more about the Te Ara Ora Retirement Commission survey research.

Strategies you can use

There are a few strategies you can use as an employer to be aware of economic harm.

Check pay details

Confirm pay details when an employee is signing a new contract or a new person is employed. You could create a tick box on the employment form. Some examples are:

• Is this your bank account?
• Do you have access to the money in this account?
• Do you need another option?
  E.g. wages split, a portion paid into another account or paid in cash?

Check email

Ask if your employee wants to create a different email to use for payslips or other confidential information.

Provide information

Make sure you provide economic harm information during the interview or as part of role induction. 

For example: “As an organisation, we have a family violence and economic harm policy. We have strategies in place to support anyone experiencing it.”

Create an open workplace culture

Create an open workplace culture that encourages communication and support to make it easier for employees to raise concerns.

Implement a wellbeing programme

Implement a workplace wellbeing programme where workplace support is offered to address financial harm. 

For example: 

• Increase awareness about available wellbeing options – including domestic violence leave, or cashing-up a week’s annual leave. 
• Contact us about providing a workplace financial wellbeing programme

Put information on your intranet

Put family violence and economic harm information on your staff intranet. You could include:

• What economic harm is
• Safety plans whilst at work
• Services that are available to assist
• Banking information
• Availability of financial support options such as Good Loans

Find out more about our Good Loans financial support option.

Decorate the office

Put notices, posters and pamphlets around the office to make economic harm more visible, raise awareness and provide support.

When hanging notices up, it’s worth noting economic harm isn’t always associated with family violence – it’s often thought to be elder abuse.
It’s also worth noting that the words abuse or violence can sometimes be a barrier; they are commonly associated with extreme physical violence – think about using the word harm instead.

Raise awareness of flexible working hours

Ensure that your employees are aware you have flexible working hours and conditions to access support if they need time off – as per legislation.

Read more about Managing family violence leave – Employment New Zealand.

Host employee training

Host employee training that provides basic knowledge around economic harm. Or you can contact us about tailored training to support your employees and clients.  

You could also speak to your employee assistance service, such as EAP services or Benestar to see what resources they may have available.

Find more resources with the Employment Assistance Programme (EAP).

Find more resources with Benestar.

Develop a workplace policy

Develop a workplace policy or regularly review your workplace policies, safety plans and procedures. Shine offers a DVFree accreditation programme that provides workplace policies, guidelines and a best practice response to family violence.

Learn more about the DVFree accreditation programme.