Systemic bullying, hazing and abuse generally are identified with poor, weak or toxic organizational cultures. Cultures that are toxic have stated ethical values that are espoused but not employed, and other non-ethical values which are operational, dominant, but unstated. Such cultures thrive when good people are silent, silenced, or pushed out; when bad apples are vocal, retained, promoted, and empowered; and when the neutral majority remain silent in order to survive. Those who are most successful in such a toxic culture are those who have adapted to it, or adopted it as their own…
Allianz Employer of Choice for Women? Sorry, we didn’t quite understand that.
Such cultures thrive when good people are silent, silenced, or pushed out; when bad apples are vocal, retained, promoted, and empowered; and when the neutral majority remain silent in order to survive. Those who are most successful in such a toxic culture are those who have adapted to it, or adopted it as their own”.
(McKay, Arnold, Fratzl & Thomas, 2008).
Allianz again recognised as Employer of Choice for
Sydney, 14 March 2012
Allianz Australia has been recognised as an Employer of Choice for Women for the fourth year in a row by the Equal Opportunity for Women Agency (EOWA).
Allianz Managing Director, Terry Towell, said “Allianz was first recognised as an Employer of Choice for Women in 2009 and we are pleased to have been successful in receiving this highly sought after citation once again in 2012.”
Employer of Choice for Women status is awarded to non-government organisations that have demonstrated that they have policies and practices that support women across the organisation and achieve positive outcomes for both women and the business.
“Over 2,900 organisations report to EOWA each year and Allianz is proud to be one of the less than 5 per cent of those organisations and one of only two general insurance companies that have been successful in achieving Employer of Choice for Women status for 2012.”
Allianz was recognised for a number of its policies and practices, such as:
flexible work options including; part-time, role share, work from home, and flexible start and finish times;
its talent management program and the range of career development opportunities available for women including; Job Relief and Job Placement opportunities, and Management Programs for front line leaders;
the types of leave and benefits available for employees including the ability to purchase additional leave, paternity and adoption leave, family and emergency leave, and tools to assist employees with work/life balance; and
Allianz’s global and local approach to Diversity focusing on our diversity policies and procedures as well as our focus on its Senior Women in Management initiatives.
Mr Towell said “Allianz takes diversity seriously as we want our company to be a reflection of the community in which we operate and gender diversity is key to achieving this goal.”
Allianz Australia
General Insurance Company of the Year 2009, 2011*
Best General Insurance Company of the Year 2010, 2007,2006**
Allianz Australia delivers a wide range of personal, commercial and corporate insurance products and services to more than 2 million policyholders. Over 50% of Australia’s top 200 BRW-listed companies have some form of insurance cover with the group and the group provides workers compensation services to around one-fifth of Australian employees.
*Australia & New Zealand Insurance Industry Awards
**Australian Banking and Finance Insurance Awards
http://www.allianz.com.au/news/2012/allianz-again-recognised-as-employer-of-choice-for-women
Just consider the following “snippets”
An injured employee had “good reason” to feel harassed by the insurers (Allianz) who managed her compensation claim, a NSW court has ruled in finding her anxiety and stress were work-related. The Workers Compensation Commission, Deputy President Bill Roche heard the worker had suffered chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, social withdrawal and depression as a result of her physical injuries and the claims process: read article>>
Posted: 04 May 11 03:14
Post subject: Insurance – Workers Compensation
Organisation name: Re Allianz
Issue type: Complaint
Sorry to hear of your trouble P1, but listen to this re Allianz. Chubb Security worker night shift horrible work suffers a heart attack at work, immediate surgery, he has a good family history and multiple cardiac reports support the worker. The Employer makes sure when worker returns to work he is the lowest paid of all workers, no penalty weekend work and cardiac reports advise worker no-night shift. Chubb claims worker is aggressive when he yells at another worker to stop hitting him and Chubb hires a psychologist who tells worker not to take victim mentality by making a compo claim, he is bullied physically at work, compo denied by Allianz and the employer just ignore all the medical reports, 27 months later after extreme poverty, nowin nofee solicitors Maurice Blackburn get six months compo for worker but that is still unpaid months later Allianz now employ solicitors Minter Ellison to try and stop me being critical of Allianz on the internet, hence I found your story researching this case and I am compiling examples of other workers with valid workplace injuries refused compo by Allianz some bullied in extreme ways to not make claims.
click to enlarge snippet
http://www.notgoodenough.org/viewtopic.php?p=323399
The Equal Opportunity for Women Agency: there must be something about this Government agency…
The new VC, Professor McMillen has also just announed Employer of Choice for Women Citation2012 because “the university is an employer that supports women to succees in their careers and balance family responsibilities”.
The university has “many career enhancements programs and opportunities designed to support the development of our professional and academic female staff”.
But what about these women – 114 of them who have responded to the survey on workplace bullying?
The experiences of these women who still work at the Uni and those who have been thrown out are described on this blog – you don’t even have to buy it like McConkey’s “100 Women”.
Oh, and today, the Herald reports that a man working at that university has just committed suicide… But, hey, maybe that doesn’t count, cos he was a male…
New Lambton man dies after ingesting toxic compound
EMERGENCY ward patients at the Calvary Mater Hospital were evacuated ‘‘as a precautionary measure’’ after a University of Newcastle academic ingested a deadly toxic compound.
The academic, 32, of New Lambton, died at the hospital early on Saturday morning.
On Friday night, he ingested sodium azide, a common laboratory preservative that has a similar effect on the body to cyanide, and is also used in car airbags.
His death is not being treated as suspicious by police.
The hospital’s emergency ward was evacuated and the air-conditioning system shut off due to concerns that ‘‘off-gassing’’ caused by the substance could affect others.
When it comes into contact with water or acid, sodium azide emits a toxic gas with a pungent odour.
Two paramedics and a policeman had to be decontaminated.
The man is believed to have swallowed the compound about 8pm on Friday in the university’s science laboratories.
He was treated by a toxicologist at the hospital, but had consumed a deadly amount of the substance.
[Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/new-lambton-man-dies-after-ingesting-toxic-compound/2492264.aspx]
Tell us, Will WorkCover investigate the man’s death and bullying at the university?
Also, you will note from the university home page that it received an employer of choice for women award (just like our friends at Allianz).
Could the two organisational cultures be exactly the same?
Thank you to our loyal Anonymous Contributor 
for sourcing the article.
Shortlink: http://aworkcovervictimsdiary.com/?p=5825
What a load of b/s. This company is handling my claim and they are akways stuffing things up like payments and their customer servuce sucks. My case manager is always in meetings and not available to talk to me – the injured worket.
Self recommendation is no endorsement Allianz
Isn’t it interesting that NOBODY else mentions that ALLIANZ (or that uni for that matter) have been recognised, nominated,cited or whatever for the employer choice for women? Allianz has to SELF PUBLISH their own “award”, how apathetic. They certainly did not win any “consumers” awards, that’s for sure.
I have create an award and I am accepting nominations now.
The award is for:
ALLIANZ BULLYING OFFICE OF THE YEAR
I am now accepting nominations and am pleased to announce that, already, we have received our very first nomination.
Allianz Charlestown NSW office, Workers Compensation Division.
“We should win this wonderful award cos we is fully sick. Yah bro! Also, staff from this office are responsible for the good work mentioned in the article above http://aworkcovervictimsdiary.com/2012/02/bullying-workers-comp-insurer-allianz-pays-the-price/ ”
Please can we win? Thank you. p.s. Happy to bully an injured worker to death if required.
Oh, I am not sure, cos I am nominating Xchanging’s office in Melbourne!!! They should be nominated at all cost, at least be in the run up for a great prize. As per their brand Xchanging could well stand for EXCHANGING things like yes for NO.
Unless you kill an actual claimant (you know, “pics or it didn’t happen”) you suckers have no chance!
Is it not enough that a court of law sentences your company and that a judge trashes you or your colleagues publicly?
Don’t you have ANY feelings for a genuinely injured worker who died because of the way their claim was handled? Oh my God. May you be severely injured soon, what goes around comes around, karma you know….