For workers here, it's all about care | Northland News | Local News in Northland

One of Northland's biggest and most successful businesses was named a top New Zealand workplace at a survey-based national awards event held in Auckland last night.

Whangarei and Kaipara lines company Northpower took one of two highly commended awards in the 2008 Unlimited/JRA Best Places To Work Awards, for its efforts to improve employee engagement levels.

Southern Cross Travel Insurance took the top award.

As well as being a lines company, Northpower owns and operates New Zealand's largest electricity distribution contracting business and employs more than 400 workers.

The accolade recognised the company's innovative approach of lifting safety to a new level by involving families as well as employees. The aim was to encourage staying safe at home as well as work. The catch-cry is "taking the power of six to 2500" - Northpower has six safety trade coaches and a total of 2500 in employee family groups.

Initiatives included family safety days, the Kids' Newsletter, a revamped staff newsletter and interactive board visits to the field.

The field visits were designed to strengthen the link between the board and the front-line - "active caring from the top and support for good work carried out in the field", the company said.

Every initiative was aimed at increasing safety awareness and the willingness of everyone to "actively care" for the safety and well-being of others.

The springboard for the programmes actually came from the Best Places To Work Awards. Northpower analysed the data from the 2006 Awards and used it to build the employee involvement programmes.

Northpower chief executive Mark Gatland, who attended last night's awards, said the programme had increased families' awareness of the work done by field staff and the company's safety regimes, and had "generated a huge sense of pride and belonging".

He said staff contributed their own time at the family safety days: "Their response just blows me away."