One day off a year, with full pay, to volunteer your time for your favourite charity. That's what staff at Norwich Union Australia have just been offered.
One day off a year, with full pay, to volunteer your time for your favourite charity. That's what staff at Norwich Union Australia (NUA) have just been offered.
Norwich Union implemented the staff volunteering policy through their Group Charities Committee, Guiding Star. From 1 July, each full time staff member is entitled to take an annual volunteering day off as paid leave.
According to Allan Griffiths, CEO NUA, the team at Norwich Union is embracing the new volunteering program with vigour and excitement.
Volunteers are encouraged to choose a particular volunteering opportunity that appeals to them. Be it selling daffodils for the Anti Cancer Council or packing Christmas Hampers for the Salvation Army – it's up to the individual to decide how they want to make the most of their annual volunteering day.
If a staff member has a particular passion for a cause, they can elect to volunteer for that cause through the seek.com/volunteering website.
Staff can also choose to join a special volunteering project, in partnership with Norwich Union and Conservation Volunteers, involving the regeneration of natural flora around Port Philip Bay.
The volunteering program is additional support for the Guiding Star Workplace Giving program, which has been operating at Norwich Union for over two years. The company makes a corporate donation to six selected organisations which fit within the Guiding Star charter. There is also a staff payroll deduction scheme allowing staff to make direct donations before tax to any of the selected organisations.
"We are very proud of our status as one of the leading 'employer of choice' companies in Australia. Norwich Union works hard on corporate social responsibility. In addition to our environmental policies, we pride ourselves on recognition of work/life balance and maintaining social responsibility. The volunteering program is another integral cog in the mechanics of a balanced and rounded approach to work. Contributing to society go hand-in-hand with being a staff member of NUA," says Allan Griffiths.
The volunteering program supplements NUA's policies relating to social responsibility, equal opportunity, contract of employment and flexible working arrangements. The annual NUA Corporate Social Responsibility report reinforces accountability and transparency relating to NUA’s corporate governance.
For further information, please contact:
Simon Morgan
Group General Manager Public Affairs
(03) 9829 8892
0407 966 632
Note to editors:
- Norwich Union Australia is a group of two specialist financial services companies; Navigator and Norwich Union Life. Portfolio Partners, the Australian funds management arm of Aviva plc, is a sister company to Norwich Union. Through these companies we provide products and services in the areas of wealth creation, wealth management and wealth protection for more than 300,000 customers throughout Australia.
- Globally, Norwich Union Australia is part of Aviva plc, the world’s seventh largest insurance group, the largest insurer in the UK and one of the top five life companies in Europe. Aviva was formed in May 2000 through the global merger of CGU plc and Norwich Union plc.
- Aviva is the worlds seventh-largest insurance group and the biggest in the UK. It is a leading provider of life and pensions products to Europe and has substantial businesses elsewhere around the world. Its main activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance. It has premium income and investment sales from continuing operations of A$68.32 billion, and more than A$488 billion of assets under management (as at 1 July 2003). The group has more than 59,000 employees and 25 million customers worldwide.
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