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| Corporate Social Responsibility |
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Commitment to Sustainability | Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Indicators Index | Commitment to Staff
Environmental Regulations | Environmental Commitment | Social Commitment | Commitment to Community
HCF Group Organisational Structure | Senior Managemet Profiles |
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| Commitment to Staff |
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Our people are dedicated and committed to providing exceptional customer service to members while achieving high levels of productivity. Our people remain loyal and willing to recommend HCF as an employer. HCF ensures a supportive workplace, free from harassment and discrimination is provided to employees.
Our Workforce
At 30 June 2009, 1,238 people were employed by HCF Group. Full-time staff accounted for 63%, 36% part-time and 1% temporary or casual employees. Women make up 74% of the workforce and men 26%. Twenty four percent of executives and middle managers within the Group are women. Overall, women fill 66% of all leadership positions within HCF.
Staff Satisfaction
Staff again rated HCF in the highest quartile for the categories of overall satisfaction, immediate leadership and engagement. Our results remained positive across the Group reflecting the high level of commitment from our people, the downward trend in absenteeism and voluntary turnover. The survey is conducted by an external organisation, Measured Insights, and HCF is benchmarked against 185 companies.
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Recruitment and Retention
The rate of voluntary departures from HCF was 15.3% this year, down from 21.9% last year. This reduction was helped, in part, by the implementation of a number of projects.
In December 2008, an on-line tool was launched which allowed external candidates to submit applications to a central database, either for an advertised position, or to lodge a general application for future positions. This direct method to attract candidates, not only reduced our recruitment costs, but gives candidates an opportunity to deal directly with HCF rather than through an agency. It also allows HCF to market its strengths as an employer to prospective candidates.
Once again our dental assistant traineeship had a positive impact on our dental centre network. Of the 18 trainees that commenced the 2008 traineeship 13 were offered full time employment – an increase of 13% on last year. The traineeship provides an opportunity for those seeking a career as a dental assistant to obtain certification through both on the job and TAFE training. Our third traineeship has been running successfully since February 2009.
Training
We ensure HCF training and
development courses strictly reflect
our business objectives for maximum
efficiency and effective results.
In 2008/09 we invested $1.5 million
in staff training, equating to $1,702
per employee, slightly ahead of last year.
In house training involved 22,049 hours
for 885 employees.
Training courses covered strategy
implementation from initial job training
through to special sales training and
the introduction of new processes and
technology. We provided support for
48 staff attending tertiary level external
development programs.
One of the most important highlights
in HCF’s commitment to our goal of
developing our people was reached
this year, with our accreditation as a
Registered Training Organisation by
the NSW Government. We are the
first health fund in Australia to
achieve full accreditation, which
allows us to issue nationally recognised
qualifications. Full accreditation means
that HCF can now offer all new
employees the opportunity to complete
a Certificate III in Customer Contact
and a Certificate IV in Frontline
Management. Currently there are
117 staff enrolled in these courses.
Following on from last year’s executive
development initiatives we supported
the participation of a senior executive in
the 2008/09 International Federation of
Health Plans Executive Development
Program, and once again facilitated this
prestigious international group’s 2 day
visit to Sydney with in house training
and healthcare provider visits.
Occupational Health and Safety
HCF has two Occupational Health
and Safety Committees which meet
quarterly. The Group and Dental
Committees are supervised by the
General Manager of Human Resources
who reports directly to the CEO. Both
committees positively support the health
and safety of our people by analysing
trends and identifying workplace risk.
Regular liaison with staff and managers
identifies occupational health and
safety risks and assists to improve
understanding of ergonomic practices.
A number of branches have participated
in ergonomic assessments and training
conducted by a third party organisation.
This has been particularly beneficial in
promoting correct ergonomic practices
for employees.
Our target this year was to maintain the
Group Lost Time injury frequency rate
below 6.6%. This figure was achieved
and the injury frequency rate decreased
to 3.8%. A number of initiatives to
identify and manage workplace injuries
have been implemented, which
contributed to the decrease.
Healthy and Fit Staff
The physical and emotional well
being of our people is important for
engagement and retention. HCF
continues to offer subsidised classes
for employees in pilates, yoga and
more recently, meditation.
Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP),
which provides confidential counselling
to employees and their families, is now
in its second year and continues to have
positive outcomes for those who attend.
The self referral program is accessible
either face to face or via the telephone
and also provides support if and when a
critical incident occurs.
Employment Agreements
The HCF Dental Centres Workplace
Agreement which covers 192 dental
employees and the HCF Workplace
Agreement which covers 294 clerical
and support employees came into affect
in December 2008, for a period of two
years. Through extensive consultation
and feedback sessions with staff, we
secured a high percentage ‘yes’ vote
from staff for both agreements and no
re-work was required by the Workplace
Authority after lodgement. All other
staff are employed on an individual
employment contract which includes
standard conditions of employment
across the group.
Senior Executive Remuneration
Our executive remuneration policy is to
link all performance rewards, including
merit pay to specific and quantifiable
performance targets for individual,
business unit and corporate objectives
using balanced scorecards. This means
all general and middle managers have
at least one significant performance
objective, target and measure linked
to financial results, satisfying customers
and other stakeholders, developing
operational excellence and the
organisation’s strategic capabilities. A
minimum of 30% up to a maximum of
40% of any performance reward in any
year is formally linked to meeting these
non-financial objectives. The HCF
Reward and Performance Management
System provides for three components:
- nominal base salary including
superannuation, salary sacrifice
and FBT;
- other non-financial benefits
(these are at HCF’s discretion); and
- at risk, short term incentives (up
to a maximum of 35% of base pay).
HCF follows a rigorous and transparent
annual salary review process which
includes a formal performance appraisal.
The results of individual managers are
compared with their individual and
business unit key performance indicators,
targets and performance hurdles which
are aligned with both the annual
business plan and three year strategic
plan. The total remuneration of the
CEO and those executives reporting
directly to him, including the payment
of any short term incentive, is reviewed
by the Board Remuneration Committee
and approved by the Board at the end
of each financial year.
HCF obtains independent advice from
a remuneration consultant each year
to ensure its salary structure, scales and
position grades are competitive with
the market and reflect best practice
for executive reward. This advice is
reviewed by the Board Remuneration
Committee and, depending upon their
recommendation, approved by the Board
as part of the annual business planning
and financial budget process. Any
increase in nominal base salary ranges
is indicative only and does not guarantee
a fixed increase in any executive’s
remuneration in any year. The Board
Remuneration Committee also reviews
non-executive director fees each year
after obtaining expert advice from an
independent remuneration consultant
to ensure they are appropriate to the
level of responsibility and demands
placed upon non-executive directors and
comparable with similar responsibilities
in the market. The Committee’s findings
are reviewed by the Board who submits
any recommendations to HCF’s
constituents for approval at the
Annual General Meeting.
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Equal Employment Opportunity
HCF believes in equal opportunity for all and we are committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). Recruitment, promotion, performance planning and review and remuneration decisions are based solely on an individual’s relevant skills, qualifications, abilities and aptitudes for successful performance in a particular position. This is without regard to factors that are discriminatory in nature. In this way, HCF ensures our people consistently produce high quality work that satisfies both their needs and those of the organisation. Our commitment to internal development and advancement has this year seen the promotion of 19 staff into more senior positions. HCF pays equal salaries for equal work. Differences in the average salary for male and female staff reflect the higher proportion of males in some of the more senior or specialised positions within grades.
People Systems
During 2008/09 our on-line performance
management tool was upgraded,
providing functionality to enable
managers to better document and
measure employee performance.
Appraisals were reviewed by managers to
ensure individual objectives contained
an element of stretch and were aligned
with and linked to corporate objectives
using the balanced score card approach.
Each year, HCF takes part in a
benchmark study by Mercer Human
Resource Consulting to compare our
training, staffing, turnover and injury
rates to that of the finance and
insurance industry. The results are
set out in the tables above.
Manchester Unity
The Manchester Unity and HCF
merger continued to successfully progress
during 2008/09. All those involved in
the merger have contributed greatly,
working together to ensure the merger
of the two organisations is seamless.
All Group employees have been
provided with regular communication
updates regarding the progress of the
integration and the future direction of
the Group, ensuring all employees are
involved in each step of the merger.
During the month of June 2009 all
Manchester Unity Workplace Agreement
staff were successfully transferred across to
HCF. Further people integration strategies
will develop over the coming months.
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