Client case study
A centralised gateway to support for Woolworths Group
185,000 employees
157,000
retail
9,200
logistics
15,200
support
3,350
fulfilment
157,000
retail
9,200
logistics
15,200
support
3,350
fulfilment
Industry
Retail
Supermarkets
Workforce diversity
Customer-facing
Warehouse
Transportation
Corporate
Casual/Seasonal/Temporary
Geographies
Australia
New Zealand
Who is Woolworths Group?
Woolworths Group is the largest company in Australia and a major retail operator in New Zealand, comprising of leading supermarkets and consumer retail brands such as Woolworths, BIG W and Countdown. As one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest private employers, it comprises a diverse and multicultural workforce of
Who is Woolworths Group?
Woolworths Group is the largest company in Australia and a major retail operator in New Zealand, comprising of leading supermarkets and consumer retail brands such as Woolworths, BIG W and Countdown. As one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest private employers, it comprises a diverse and multicultural workforce of nearly 185,000 team members serving over 29 million customers each week. At Woolworths, their people are at the heart of everything they do, and their leaders are deeply committed to creating better experiences together for their customers, their communities and each other.
nearly 185,000 team members serving over 29 million customers each week. At Woolworths, their people are at the heart of everything they do, and their leaders are deeply committed to creating better experiences together for their customers, their communities and each other.
Situation
In 2020, as the world we knew drastically changed, the team at Woolworths was reacting to keep their communities fed, but also keeping their team members supported and safe.
Dedicated to their teams' safety and wellbeing, Woolworths Group looked for a solution that would enhance their support program. One that allows them to further reduce the barriers to help, and provide the organisation with more insight so they can be one step ahead in preventing wellbeing challenges going forward.
Case complexity
Driven by a large and diverse team of frontline retail workers, the COVID-19 pandemic amplified a number of existing safety and wellbeing concerns and brought new challenges to the Woolworths organisation. Woolworths needed a solution to cater to:
- A large, culturally and socio-economically diverse workforce
- A high percentage of shift workers
- A simpler support framework which made it easier for their team members to navigate the right help at the right time
Sonder wellbeing insights
said they would not have sought help if Sonder was not available
use live-chat as their preferred communication for mental health support
said they would not have sought help if Sonder was not available
Sonder for your organisation
Unlike a traditional EAP, Sonder’s human-centric service offers Woolworths accessible, 24/7 support for team members and their families. Our holistic approach considers all aspects of a person, meaning their wellbeing is supported in every way - across safety, medical and mental health.
Find out how Sonder’s tech-driven solution lowers barriers for team members to access help and supports leaders in preventing future organisational challenges by providing visibility and insights into their people’s wellbeing needs.
“Sonder enhances accessibility to care for Woolies staff by leveraging technology, 24/7 support, and timely data insights which drive meaningful business decisions.”
Craig Cowdrey, CEO at Sonder
Related posts
Do employees need medical support more than mental health support?
Over the years, employee wellbeing initiatives “to keep employees happy” have been many and varied. They’ve included everything from yoga studios, food trucks, NASA sleep pods, climbing walls, puppytoriums, karaoke parties, music-jam sessions, wine bars, massage, in–office scooters, volleyball courts,…
Organisational change and employee wellbeing: 5 tips from 10,000+ cases
Rapid transformation has become a staple of the modern workplace. Technological advances and skills shortages combined with rising costs and productivity pressures, mean that organisations are continually exploring ways to gain a competitive edge. But, whilst leaders tend to love…
How can organisations better support 24/7 workforces?
With round-the-clock access to many goods and services, it’s sometimes easy to forget about the people that power our always-on world. For example, the: Factory workers producing goods day and night; Truck drivers travelling across the country while everyone else…
There's so much more to share
Sonder is reimagining health, safety and wellbeing support. Sonder proves human centric care leads to earlier intervention. Sonder impacts one person at a time to drive meaningful change across an organisation. Sonder understands people and how to support them.
