Today, social attitudes towards male parenting are evolving quickly, which is having a direct impact on fatherhood in the workplace.

Balancing work and family life is a tricky and constant juggle for working dads, with many admitting they feel work has an impact on their ability to be a dad, as well as wanting to spend more time with their kids[1]. Men’s priorities are changing, and workplaces are changing in response, which is a significant step in the right direction.

While we know change isn’t easy and we still have a long way to go, here are five things your workplace can adopt today to empower fatherhood and help make dads feel happier at work.

  1. Create a caring culture. If your workplace can show a commitment to work-life balance, this can have a huge impact on retaining great employees. The first step to creating a caring culture is listening – find out what’s important to your employees with a genuine and open conversation.
  2. Acknowledge fatherhood as a 21st century priority, both at work as well as at home. Gone are the days when it was widely accepted that dads went off to work while mum stayed home to raise the kids. Today, many dads want to be more actively involved and present in their children’s lives.
  3. Encourage young fathers to take parental leave. Unfortunately, there still remains a stigma to taking paternity leave. Many new dads might worry about not being promoted or even losing respect from fellow colleagues. Encouraging and applauding dads for taking parental leave and maintaining promotions will foster an empowered culture.
  4. Be flexible with the work environment where and when you can. In a recent study, 95% of respondents rated flexibility in the workplace as important[2]. Whether that’s varying start and end times for daycare drop off or working remotely, it all adds up to creating a progressive workplace.
  5. Share experiences from role models of all genders who have made mindful trade-offs and choices to create their own unique balance between work and family life. It’s also important to gender-neutralise all talk when it comes to parenting and care to help remove outdated ideas of gender-specific roles.

 

[1] https://supportforfathers.com.au/resources/resources/work-and-family-balance/
[2] https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/three_steps_to_a_father_friendly_workplace

John took home the title at the NT Insurance Industry Awards, which was held at the NT Insurance Conference (NTIC) in Darwin, 27-29th of April this year. The NTIC continues to provide industry professionals practicing in the Northern Territory the opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of the insurance sector, as well as undertake professional development at the highest-level.

Nominations for the Industry Awards are open to anyone who has worked in the Insurance Industry for 12 months or more. This year’s awards were focused on recognising those that go above and beyond. Those that possess a real ‘roll up your sleeve’ attitude that makes the Territory one of the most unique places to live and work.

The award of BDM/Underwriting Professional of the Year 2022 recognises an individual working within an underwriting department or business development role, who has demonstrated a superior level of technical knowledge and customer service.

A few words from John about his award:

“To receive this award from an industry I admire so much, makes me both humbled and honoured. I am thankful to the GT Team and dedicated NT brokers who I work with every day who encourage me to be the very best I can be”

This award is a true reflection of John’s hard work and dedication to his team and his clients at GT Insurance. The entire GT team would like to send our congratulations to John.

GT Insurance are extremely proud to announce that three women from GT Insurance have made it through the nomination stage and into the final 50 for Insurance Business’s annual Elite Women in Insurance, an initiative to seek out and recognise outstanding female leaders in the industry.

Congratulations to these three deserving GT women:

 

More about Elite Women

At the start of every year, Insurance Business invites insurance professionals from across the country to nominate their most exceptional female leaders for the Elite Women in Insurance list. Nominees had to be working in a role that related to, interacted with or in some way impacted the general insurance industry and have demonstrated a clear passion for insurance. Nominators were asked to describe their nominee’s standout professional achievements over the past 12 months, along with their contributions to diversity and inclusion in the industry and how they’ve given back through volunteer roles and charity work. The Insurance Business team reviews all nominations, examining how each individual had made a meaningful contribution to the industry, narrowing down the list to the final 50 Elite Women in Insurance.

Well done to all the nominees and everyone who made the final 50!

We have partnered with TRANSAFE WA, a not-for-profit initiative helping to deliver education and resources that support a safe, professional and sustainable road transport industry. We are proud supporters of iNSTRUCKTA! Safety Truck, a travelling exhibition trailer visiting schools and community events throughout Western Australia, with a mission to educate road users of today and tomorrow on how to safely interact with heavy vehicles.

 

GT Insurance offers additional benefits for transport Clients and motor vehicle fleet customers using Facial Recognition Technology. Together with speeding, driver fatigue and distraction continue to be major causes of fatal accidents on Australian roads each year. Heavy vehicles are certainly not immune with studies showing truck drivers are TWICE as likely to crash when they’re fatigued. Yet, tragically, research conducted by Monash University reveals an even more alarmingly statistic…

Truck drivers are 11 times more likely to crash when fatigued and distracted at the same time.*

 

It’s a disturbingly high figure, and one of the reasons why GT Insurance is proud to actively encourage and reward customers who use Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) in their motor vehicles on Australian roads.

Increased safety.

More effective and affordable than ever, today’s FRT systems use inward facing cameras to monitor the driver’s eyes and head position, as well as distraction-based behaviours such as illegal mobile phone use. When the system detects something amiss, it can provide a real-time alert – such as an audible sound or seat vibration – to get the driver to refocus back on the road, to potentially reduce the risk of being involved in an avoidable accident.

Reduced costs.

To support transport Clients and motor vehicle fleet customers who have FRT technology installed in their vehicles, GT has created a suite of additional cover benefits. These differ from Policy to Policy, based upon a number of variables and eligibility, but may include:

 

If you’re interested in learning more about the potential benefits and savings of FRT, please contact us today.

 

*. SOURCE: Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) https://www.monash.edu/muarc/news-and-events/articles/world-first-study-tests-distraction-and-fatigue-in-drivers

 

As anyone who operates in the taxi business will tell you, it’s a fast-paced and dynamic industry. While this certainly has many benefits, it can also expose taxi operators to a wide range of sudden and unexpected hazards which need to be protected against.

The risks to taxi owners are very real - whether it’s caused by other road users, passengers, or simply a lapse of attention by the driver, taxis are significantly more likely to be affected by damage claims than private vehicles. It’s also important to be aware that taxi owners can be held liable for personal injury and property damage claims, regardless of whether they were driving at the time or not.

Tailored taxi cover you can trust.
GT Insurance remains as committed as ever to protecting your Client’s vehicles with two highly competitive levels of taxi cover:

GT Driveline Platinum Taxi Package
GT Driveline Essential Taxi Package

Each package is fully supported by locally-based underwriters and claims specialists, together with expert assessors and repairers Australia wide. To learn more about our specialised taxi covers, simply click on the links above.

Are your taxi clients fully protected?
If your client’s circumstances have changed, or it’s been a while since you last reviewed their current insurance, now is the right time to consider the benefits of switching to GT Taxi Cover.

To get a tailored quote, please email us.

Or click here for the GT Taxi Cover PDS.

While relaxation and enjoyment are the main things to look forward to this holiday season, it is important to be aware that driving over this busy Christmas period presents some difficult challenges for drivers. In order to stay safe on the roads this holiday period, follow these simple tips.

 

GT Insurance has won the 2020 Underwriting Agency of the Year Award at the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) Convention, held earlier this week.

We are very pleased to announce that GT Insurance was named the Underwriting Agency of the Year at the prestigious 2020 National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) Convention earlier this week.

The NIBA Convention, held virtually for the first time, brought together over 500 brokers to recognise the outstanding achievements of businesses in the insurance industry and inspire brokers to look towards the future of our industry.

GT Insurance shines bright

This award is particularly special to the GT Insurance team as it is a representation of their customers, who are Insurance Brokers, and the continued support they’ve received from them over the years to help them get to where they are today.

Tony Dodd, CEO of GT Insurance, commented on the dedication of the GT Insurance team when it comes to improving the services they offer their members and partners.

“What an honour it is to be recognised by a leading organisation who I believe truly makes a difference in our industry. Great things in business are never done by one person – they're done by a team of them,” Tony said.

“Winning this award would not have been possible without the entire GT team. It is a testament to their hard work, engagement and unwavering support of the values of our company.”

Congratulations to all our GT Insurance team on this outstanding win.

GT Insurance is extremely proud to be the Winner of the 2020 Mansfield Awards “Specialty” category, recognising claims excellence and emphasising the important role claims professionals play in the Australian insurance industry.

This year’s awards were supported by around 2,000 responses from brokers and other intermediaries, with supporting data from ASIC and AFCA.

CEO of GT Insurance, Tony Dodd, commented, “as our distribution is supported via Broker business, we value the vital role a Broker plays in risk assessment and mitigation. To be recognised through The Mansfield Awards is a great honour as it is judged by Brokers themselves. Our core value is “Fairness” and this positive acknowledgement confirms that this is being demonstrated in our claim’s outcomes. I am tremendously proud of our claims team and thankful to LMI Group. We are committed to continually improving and working towards better outcomes for our customers.”

Funds raised via the sponsorship of The Mansfield Awards are used to cover event costs with the surplus being donated to the ‘Amal Mulia Orphanage’ in Sumatra, Indonesia to assist with rebuilding and providing care for children orphaned by the earthquake and resultant tsunami in 2007.

Congratulations to all the 2020 finalists & winners! We look forward to next year’s event.

Did you know mental health conditions are estimated to cost the Australian economy $180 billion p.a.1? It’s a significant figure and it runs far deeper when you take into account the immeasurable human cost to families and communities.

TRANSPORT IS NOT IMMUNE.

Each year, thousands of Australians are impacted by mental health conditions, from every corner of society. As a fairness focused business with long and proud ties to Australia’s transport sector, GT Insurance has been looking for a way to make a positive difference to mental health within the Industry for some time now. That’s why we’ve recently become an official sponsor of a new Australian not-for-profit foundation, Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds. 

HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, SAFER.

Launching in August 2020, Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds is a unique collaboration led by some of Australia’s leading transport operators including Toll, Woolworths Group, Linfox, Qube and Ron Finemore Transport. The collective aim is to act as an umbrella body for the entire industry, developing a single, national mental health and wellbeing strategy for truck drivers, distribution centres and warehouse staff. It’s a long road, but a hugely important one

GT Insurance is extremely proud to be a founding sponsor and supporter of the new organisation, providing both financial and professional support. There are already several key initiatives being developed, and we look forward to sharing news about them in the coming months.

For now, why not start a conversation about the importance of mental health within your own business circles, and perhaps find out more about Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds by visiting their website healthyheads.org.au.

It’s a small step, but it could make a big difference down the road.

  1. SOURCE: PRODUCTIVITY COMMSSION, October 2019 https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/mental-health/draft/mental-health-draft-overview.pdf