TAL Domestic and Family Violence Support Policy

If there is an immediate threat to you or your loved ones, please call emergency services on 000.

At TAL, we are committed to supporting customers who may be impacted by domestic or family violence to the best of our ability. If this applies to you, and you are seeking information on what to do next, please head to our Domestic and Family Violence page.

TAL’s Domestic and Family Violence policy applies to all customers, including those who hold or are covered under a TAL policy, as well as those who have made an application. This policy has been developed to promote the safety of our customers and outlines the ways we can assist impacted customers.

Understanding domestic and family violence

Domestic and family violence can affect anyone. It usually involves violent, threatening or abusive behaviour enacted by a former or current family member, with the result of coercion or control, causing fear or harm.

Domestic and family violence can include, but isn’t limited to:

• physical violence
• sexual assault
• emotional or verbal abuse
• psychological abuse or controlling behaviour
• stalking
• financial abuse, and
• abuse of older Australians.

Our commitment and priorities

TAL has made the following commitments to our customers:

• We will always treat our customers with empathy, respect, and understanding
• We will treat all information disclosed as confidential
• We will train our relevant staff on how to support customers who are experiencing family violence
• We will support any TAL staff member who we are aware is affected by family violence through various support services, additional leave, and flexible working arrangements. The same support will be offered to TAL staff who are vicariously impacted by domestic and family violence. 
• We will work with industry bodies and consumer groups to continue to refine our approach to supporting customers affected by family violence

For customers experiencing family violence, TAL will:

• Provide financial relief options to eligible customers as outlined in our Financial Hardship Policy
• Offer expert external support services
• Be flexible in our approach to claims and provide additional support for claimants through the claims process
• Refer them to emergency services if there is an immediate threat of harm, as their safety is paramount

Objectives of the Domestic and Family Violence Policy

Our Domestic and Family Violence Policy outlines the ways we can assist impacted customers. The ways in which we do this are outlined below:

• Making sure that safety is paramount for anyone affected by domestic and family violence
• Training customer facing staff to assist with recognising the early signs of domestic and family violence
• Training to improve employees’ responses to someone affected by domestic and family violence
• Protecting private and confidential information of customers affected by domestic and family violence
• Minimising the number of times a customer affected by domestic and family violence needs to disclose information about family violence
• Ensuring appropriate and sensitive claims handling processes for claimants affected by domestic and family violence

Protecting private and confidential information of customers affected by domestic and family violence

TAL will ensure that a customer’s disclosure of domestic and family violence is not shared with any parties that the customer has not agreed to. Special care will be taken to ensure confidentiality and non-disclosure to joint or policy owners to mitigate any potential risk of harm for the victim. All this information will be noted in the customer’s record. Only the passing on of customer details to referral services if agreed to by the customer is permissible under this policy.

TAL will discuss safe ways to communicate with the customer and recording the plan on their file—for example, asking them:

• Whether it is a good time to talk; or
• If it is safe to leave phone messages.

For more information on TAL’s privacy policy please click here.

Minimising the number of times a customer affected by domestic and family violence needs to disclose information about family violence

TAL will ensure all relevant information is captured in a timely and convenient way, to minimise the contact needed with a customer affected by domestic and family violence. We will ensure all addresses, phone numbers, email addresses etc. are up to date, and a clear way of making future contact is captured in the customer’s record, and ensuring to the extent possible that any follow up is conducted by the same person the disclosure was given to.

Informing customers, employees, about information and assistance available to people experiencing domestic and family violence

We will inform customers of this policy, which is available on the TAL website. Customers will be offered support relevant to their situation, including offering expert external support services, in so far as TAL is able to provide support or refer customers to that support service. Relevant employees will have training on supporting customers who are affected by domestic and family violence. Our training for employees and information for customers will be updated regularly.

Ensuring appropriate and sensitive claims handling processes for claimants affected by domestic and family violence

If you let us know that you are affected by domestic and family violence, we will be flexible in our approach to claims and provide additional support for claimants through the claims process. We will not request evidence of an intervention order to access this support. We commit that a disclosure of family and domestic violence will have no adverse impact on the claims process or claims decision.

TAL will ensure all staff interacting with customers are aware of our domestic and family violence policy and financial hardship policy and what support they offer to our customers.

Collections and domestic and family violence

TAL does not use external debt collections services to enforce or seek outstanding premium amounts. We have processes to contact our customers in relation to outstanding premiums before their policy lapses and to assist customers to retain cover if they choose.

If we become aware of a family and domestic violence situation, we will handle any calls regarding lapsed policies with the utmost sensitivity and care – ensuring the customer’s wellbeing above all else.

Financial hardship

We ensure that all TAL staff interacting with customers are aware of our Domestic and Family Violence Policy and Financial Hardship Policy and what support options are available for our customers.

Product design and domestic and family violence

We take into consideration the potential impacts and implications of family and domestic violence when designing our products.

Customer complaints procedure

Complaints with respect to our Domestic and Family Violence Policy, including our compliance with it, can be raised using our customer complaints procedure. Complaints regarding failures and shortcomings in relation to this policy (and others) will be directed to our Internal Dispute Resolution team for review. You can find out more about how to make a complaint, as well as our Complaints Policy, on our website.

Policy review

TAL will ensure this Policy remains current, relevant and aligns with regulatory obligations, any requirement of the Life Insurance Code of Practice, and any other applicable policies.

All associated training and procedures will also be reviewed regularly and updated as appropriate.