CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTIY STATEMENT
Since 1932 we’ve been putting our member’s health first. As Australia’s largest not-for- profit health fund, we take our responsibility seriously to care about the impact that our business has on our members, our people, the communities in which we operate and the environment. We know that we can drive sustainable growth, while also making a positive difference to our communities.
We’ve started our sustainability journey and we know we have lots more to do. To guide us on our way we have policies and practices in place to help us drive sustainable growth, while reducing our environmental impact and increasing our positive social impact.
Our approach to corporate social responsibility is based on five principles:
Commitment to our Members
At HCF, we’ve always put our members first and we’re committed to making health care understandable, affordable, high quality and member-centric. That’s our vision and gives us a clear focus on the difference we want to make and the role we’ll play to meet challenges of the future.
As well as Private Health Insurance, our lines of business - Life Insurance, overseas visitor health insurance, Eyecare and Dental Services - are here to give members better value and affordability. We’ll always put people before profit.
Our commitment to our members is also outlined in our Member Service Charter.Commitment to our People
We know our people are one of our most important assets. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing an outstanding people experience, which is guided by our values, so that we can in turn better deliver for our members. We work with our people to create a work experience that is inclusive, supportive, safe and respectful. We also listen to our people so we can respond to things that matter to them. We’re proud to attract and retain the best people, who can continue to develop their skills to deliver outstanding member experiences.
We work to provide a healthy and safe work environment that puts our people’s wellbeing first.
Commitment to our Community
HCF has a long history of contributing to the Australian communities in which we operate. This contribution is made through good corporate citizenship, behaving ethically, generating value within the Australian economy and by direct community support.
The HCF Research Foundation is committed to improving health and wellbeing outcomes for HCF members and all Australians by providing funding and support to encourage health services research for the benefit of all. The Foundation funds researchers and providers to identify high quality, safe, and effective care and to facilitate translation of findings into practice.
HCF has implemented investment restrictions applied to tobacco producers, controversial weapons and companies assessed to be breaching the United Nations Global Compact principles that represent responsible human rights, labour, environmental and anti-corruption practices. It also has restrictions on exposures to industries associated with adult entertainment, alcohol production, fossil fuels, gambling, nuclear power generation and palm oil production.
In addition, HCF is committed to the fair and humane treatment of people in its operations and supply chains and we have taken steps to develop a policy and processes to ensure we can identify and address risks associated with modern slavery.
Commitment to our Environment
We understand the link between the environment and the health and wellbeing of the community. That’s why we’re looking at ways to reduce our environmental impact. We’re at the beginning of our environmental journey and we’re committed to the sustainable use of resources, as well as ensuring that we meet legal and regulatory compliance in all our activities, including obligations under environmental legislation.
We’re focusing on minimising and offsetting the impact of our operations across our water and energy usage, as well as the use of raw materials, including office paper. Across our Dental Centres we take care to manage the disposal of clinical waste to comply with community environmental standards.
Across our commercial offices, we’re taking steps to improve and measure our environmental impact such as building management systems which allows us to track and manage water, power and gas consumption in real time. In our cleaning contracts we’ve also implemented recycling across our commercial offices and we report, track and audit our waste. We’re also working towards our Green star and NABERS ratings at HCF House to further reduce our environmental impact.
Commitment to Corporate Governance
At HCF we’re committed to maintaining the highest standard of corporate governance and to a transparent and accountable approach to business across all areas. This is supported through a robust governance framework as outlined in our Corporate Governance Statement.
We’re dedicated to conducting business in strict compliance with applicable laws and with the highest standards of personal and corporate integrity. These standards are defined in our Code of Conduct and apply to all HCF Group employees, contractors and consultants.
November 2022
