STAFF NEWS - SkyCity Entertainment Group
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
27 AUGUST 2021 #300 STAFF NEWS
◀ Cover image: To lighten the spirits of our team of 5 million, we lit up our Sky
Tower this week to spread cheer around Aotearoa!
COVID-19 Alert Level 4 – a week in As the number of cases in the current community outbreak
continues to rise, we’ve been reminded this week about the
review importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19.
—
New Zealand moved to Alert Level 4 at 11.59 Tuesday 17 SkyCity supports the government’s call for all New
August and our teams across Auckland, Hamilton and Zealanders to be vaccinated, and in a recent survey, we
Queenstown moved swiftly to ensure our operations closed heard that 80% of you wanted more information about
in accordance with Alert Level 4 guidelines. the COVID-19 vaccine. Based on this response, we were
excited to welcome New Zealander of the Year and leading
As one of New Zealand’s largest and most popular venues, microbiologist, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, to a staff only event at the
SkyCity is unsurprisingly a place of interest in the latest SkyCity Theatre a few weeks ago.
COVID-19 outbreak with the confirmation of a customer
and one of our own staff members testing positive with Dr Siouxsie shared her specialist knowledge about
COVID-19. Our thoughts are with them and we hope they COVID-19 and the vaccine with SkyCity staff who attended
make a speedy recovery. the event both in person and online. It’s not too late to get
vaccinated. To get a better understanding of this vaccine
With these challenges, we mobilised a team focused on watch Dr Siouxsie’s presentation here.
working closely with public health authorities to provide as
much information as possible for contact tracing purposes.
Our teams worked at pace to identify staff considered close-
contacts for both the MGF and Level 3, Platinum exposure
events, and have completed:
435 initial phone and welfare calls to staff
762 follow-up welfare calls to staff
Thank you to all those involved in our response to this latest
COVID-19 outbreak – your efforts have ensured that we were
able to respond appropriately to this challenge.
Our strong planning has ensured we have responded quickly
to this current outbreak and will stand us in good stead to
respond to further outbreaks in Australia and New Zealand!
▲ Our Senior Leaders Nirupa George (CCAO); Claire Walker (CPCO); Julie Amey
(CFO) and our CEO Michael Ahearne recently got their vaccinations and
encourage each of you to get vaccinated too!
Vaccination centres
There are several vaccination centres across the
Auckland region and you’re able to book an appointment
either online, over the phone and some centres are taking
walk-ins.
Vaccinations are taking place at GP Practices, Mass
Community Vaccination drive-through’s and several
chemists and pharmacies such as Unichem (which you are
able to book by ringing a Unichem pharmacy directly). To
learn more about the vaccination programme click here.
With a workforce as diverse as ours, it’s important that
we continue to encourage and support each other to get
vaccinated especially members of our team who are from
communities with lower numbers of vaccinations.
Click on the following if you would like further information:
Information for Māori whānau, hapū, and iwi – click here
Information for Pacific communities – click here
Pacific COVID-19 Vaccination helpline: 0800 21 12 21
We’d love to share your vaccination pictures with our team
of 2000 – send your photos to wildcard@skycity.co.nz. It
takes a village to fight COVID-19, we can do it!
—
Do you have a story to tell or feedback to share
about Wildcard? Email us at wildcard@skycity.co.nz
to let us know!
Our Annual Results for FY21
—
On Wednesday we announced our annual results for the
year ending 30 June 2021.
We all know that the 2021 financial year was a challenging
one for our business, but despite the ongoing disruption
and volatility, I’m pleased to share that SkyCity has
maintained a strong financial position and delivered a
credible operating performance when open, all while
protecting the health and wellbeing of our people.
Our domestic gaming business has performed well when
the business was open and operating normally at alert
level one. However, our hospitality businesses including
hotels, food and beverage and attractions and International
▲ Jeremy, Customer Strategy Manager – Performance & Analysis and Anita,
Administration Lead- HR Operations.
Business continue to be significantly impacted by
international border closures.
Staff profile: Meet Anita Butler and Results summary:
Jeremy Hirst from SkyCity Pride Group normalised profit after tax (NPAT) is up 36.3%
— and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and
Anita and Jeremy were recently appointed as the new Co- amortisation (EBITDA) is up 25.5%, but well below (17%)
Chairs of our SkyCity Pride Employee Resource Group. We FY19 like for like EBITDA comparative.
caught up with them recently to hear what they’d like to
achieve as the new leaders of this group. Reported EBITDA is down 8.9% and reported NPAT is
down 33.7% down versus prior year.
What would you like to achieve as Co-Chairs of SkyCity
Pride Group? Strong balance sheet and financial flexibility –
comfortably met financial covenants for June 2021
Firstly, thank you to Kim Stone for the leadership and testing period and FY21 dividend of 7cps declared.
guidance she has provided over the past two years and the
support she continues to provide to our committee and Auckland delivered resilient local gaming activity, but
group! Our goal is to represent our rainbow family in an this was offset by non-gaming performance being
inclusive way, to be the voice for our community so we all significantly impacted by COVID-19.
feel empowered, visible, and proud to be part of SkyCity. Hamilton and Queenstown delivered strong EBITDA
We have three main areas we would like to focus on over performances led by local gaming revenue growth
the next 12 months: combined with disciplined cost management.
Our committee purpose and pillars In Adelaide, the expansion project completed on time
and on budget during December 2020, with consistent
We want to create opportunities for members of our performance when open.
community and our allies to meet, support and connect
with each other at SkyCity. In the coming year, we plan Our online casino’s revenue and earnings have grown
to recognise significant days on the rainbow calendar over the period, with over 45,000 active customers.
including to celebrate Pride month next February in style.
To view the full results, please click here.
We are also working with the business to ensure that
Going forward our strategic plan is focused on our core
SkyCity is an inclusive workplace for our community.
business, executing our major projects, continuing to
We would like to ensure appropriate rainbow education
navigate the business through COVID, delivering on the
is available to all employees as well as policies and frame-
omnichannel opportunity and the efficient allocation
works to create a safe place for our rainbow community
of capital. Underpinning this is our commitment to the
to bring their whole self to work, each and every day.
wellbeing of our people and ensuring we play our role in
What does the SkyCity Pride Group do and how does it helping the communities around us thrive. We will also
support SkyCity staff? continue to place significant importance on our host
responsibility and AML obligations.
As newbies to the roles of Co-Chair’s, we are currently
working through our ideas around what we will be doing It has taken enormous skill, energy and dedication from
and how we will support employees – more our teams to deliver a solid performance, despite the
to come on this in the coming months! challenging environment. We are resilient, our business
is strong, and we will get through this turbulent time
If you are interested in being part of our
together.
SkyCity Pride group, please send us an
email rainbow@skycity.co.nz or join our A huge thank you to you all for your commitment and hard
SkyCity Pride Facebook group for updates: work over the past year.
Life in lockdown!
—
The lockdown is an opportunity for many people and
whānau to come together to support each other, to reflect
and to try new things. We’re sharing a series of stories
from our SkyCity whānau of their lockdown experiences
here. Today you’ll meet Cecilia Qian (Restaurants Manager
Casino) and Luse Sanalio (Wardrobe Attendant).
Cecilia Qian
Celebrating a Decade of Depot!
—
In the hospitality business, longevity is rare so it's worth
celebrating when a restaurant hits a milestone like 10 years,
which Depot did earlier this month.
Opened by Chef Al Brown as part of SkyCity's Federal Life will get easier; we just need to keep going.
Street redevelopment on 10 August 2011, Depot Eatery and These are the words Cecilia Qian, our Restaurant Manager
Oyster Bar has been an institution for Aucklanders and Casino, says to herself as a reminder to remain focused on
a destination for visitors from all over the world. Brown's what is in her control at this time.
vision was to design and build a restaurant that invoked the
same informal, straightforward, and honest conviviality that This lockdown has been slightly different for her. Firstly,
comes with true, genuine Kiwi hospitality. some of her own staff members are self-isolating and so
they have developed ‘team bubbles’ and are providing
Brown says the staff and their style of service have been key each other with as much love and support to alleviate the
to Depot's success. anxiety many of them have been experiencing. A key focus
Lizzie Leuchers, our for them has been mental health and well-being, and truly
effervescent Corporate being kind to each other. Secondly, Cecilia has two children
Event Manager, has in school, this time around, and with her daughter turning
supported Depot since 5 recently and in her second day of school when we moved
before it opened. We into Alert Level 4, Cecilia has been focusing on creating as
caught up with her much fun for both her children to learn this lockdown.
recently and she answered Like most people prior to lockdown, Cecilia used to find herself
a few questions for us: without enough time to do things but now that days are much
quieter she says there is a whole range of possibilities. She
How do you feel about a
has been having lots of fun with her family and this lockdown
Decade of Depot?
they’ve built a new themed aquarium, done some DIY-training
It’s certainly a milestone on how to be a handy-man, had movie nights and made
and I joined SkyCity the posters to display on their front windows for their neighbours.
same year- such a razzle
To top it off, Cecilia has started doing online shopping
dazzle start at SkyCity!
with her children. Online grocery shopping has become
What role did you have ▲ Lizzie Leuchers with Dame Valarie
really important for her as she adheres to the message of
Adams.
in planning, and opening stay home, save lives. She’s getting her kids involved in
Depot? the process and they’re now doing the shopping for the
household as well other household work – a fun way to keep
My role was to host at the ‘Hard Hat Party’ in February
them engaged this lockdown!
2011 – we literally turned an HR office into a demolition site
and then turned it into ‘the’ party place. Three amazing
Luse Sanalio
establishments opened in 2011, one after the other –
Al Brown’s Depot, The Grill by Sean Connolly, and Red
Hummingbird by Luke Dallow. Blue Hard hats, tool belts,
sledge hammers, amazing food created and served by Al and
Sean and dangerously delicious cocktails created by Luke.
How did you feel seeing Depot open for the first time?
It was exciting, Federal St was the buzz of the town because
nothing quite like this had taken place before…suddenly a
foodie precinct was born, and everyone wanted to be part
of the action!
What’s the most memorable moment from opening night?
For Luse Sanalio, this lockdown has been a great experience
My first turbot fish slider, closely followed by my first taste
so far, and like many of us she has been able to get a few
of Sugar Pie.
things done around the house that she’s been putting off
What has been your favourite moment at Depot over for a while now like arranging her wardrobe where she says,
the years? “I was pulling out a couple garments and thinking, ‘I can’t
believe I wore this’! It feels great to get rid of some things
There are so many! But these certainly come to mind.
and donate it to charities and be able to replace it with new
Walking past Depot every morning and getting to know items which has meant the inevitable…online shopping!”.
the regulars. I have met many fascinating people starting
As a Wardrobe Attendant, Luse usually has an early start but
with a ‘Hi’!!
she is relishing the opportunity to sleep in and have that
Watching Sir Mad Butch devour a pork hock single extra rest in the mornings and has made some time in the
handed! evenings to get in some good quality exercise with walks
around her neighbourhood. When she’s not exercising,
Best pickup of the day – a piccolo with gingernuts on the
Luse has been catching up on a few television and Netflix
side (good old Griffins!!)
series that she hasn’t had the chance to watch.
Trying on Sophie Pascoe’s Gold medal
The best part about lockdown for Luse is that she’s been
Hosting actress Jane Seymour to her first meal in New able to spend more time with her family, cooking, baking,
Zealand and sitting street-side under the trees and hanging out with them!
On Christmas Eve 2020 – joining the ‘Hundy Club’ by —
eating a cray dog, a whitebait fritter, and a Paua Pie… Share your experience of lockdown with us.
mmmm mmmmmmmm Definitely worth it! Email: wildcard@skycity.co.nz
You can also read
