Our people
UNDERSTANDING OUR EMPLOYEES
Since the introduction of paid maternity leave in July 2008, more than 1,080(1) women at all levels of the organisation have accessed this benefit.
Options available to new parents include up to 104 weeks of parental leave, a Stay in Touch program for those on parental leave and access to reduced workloads and flexible work options upon return.
We continually seek new and improved ways to stay ahead of the changing needs of our workforce. As part of our retention strategy we conduct engagement surveys to identify employee issues and priorities for action. In FY2008 over 51,000 staff were surveyed. A general trend in this research has been levels of engagement and commitment to the organization and manager - as well as intent to stay - that exceed international benchmarks.
We conduct focus groups in each business to discuss gender diversity and issues relating to work-life balance. In the first eight months of 2009, 791 employees attended these sessions.
Exit interviews form part of the separation process for all salaried staff, and are regularly analysed to identify trends and opportunities for new policies or initiatives.
In fact Woolworths uses the information from all engagement surveys, focus groups and exit interviews to refine its employee offer. Many initiatives including more flexible work options and new wellness programs can be directly linked to the insights gained in this way.
Flexible work options
Flexible work options tailored to individual needs have proven to be an important factor in retaining people as their work-life balance needs evolve.
The number of part-time roles at Woolworths has risen from 58,474 in June 2008 to 60,023 in April 2009. This includes more part-time roles at managerial level. For example 30 women currently work in such roles in the IT Division.
In addition we continue to offer job-share opportunities, a flexible work option that has led to an increase in the number of shared roles across the business, including in our buying and store operations teams.
Parental leave
Since the introduction of paid maternity leave in July 2008, more than 1,080(1) women at all levels of the organisation have accessed this benefit.
Options available to new parents include up to 104 weeks of parental leave, a Stay in Touch program for those on parental leave and access to reduced workloads and flexible work options upon return.
(1) Excludes ALH and PEL.