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Grant Thornton UK LLP – Winner 2024, Best for All-Round Flexibility, sponsored by enei
Grant Thornton UK LLP has put people at the centre of its business strategy and key to their culture is the embedding of flexible working, showing a clear commitment to enabling diverse talent to thrive and growing an inclusive environment.
Lloyds Banking Group – Finalist 2024, Best for All-Round Flexibility, sponsored by enei
Lloyds Banking Groups’ (LBG) new initiatives are part of their transformation toward creating an inclusive workplace that works for their people and customers, and that fully supports employees in the moments that matter.
Royal Academy of Engineering – Finalist 2024, Best for All-Round Flexibility, sponsored by enei
The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is a people-first organisation that supports individual working styles and promotes inclusive ways of working to enable people to thrive and progress.
A big impact in a small business: how SF Recruitment made flexible working work in an SME
Flexible working makes a good business case, promising to deliver better engagement, productivity and staff retention. But these benefits can sometimes be seen as the preserve of big corporations, perceived to have the resources needed to make flexible working a success.
Reuben Sinclair – Winner 2023, Best for flexible working sponsored by Arnold Clark
Reuben Sinclair epitomises flexible working, with an approach that embodies trust and autonomy and an appreciation of the benefits of investing in people, borne out by the impressive progress evidenced.
Freestyle – Finalist 2023, Best for flexible working sponsored by Arnold Clark
Freestyle have developed ways of working that are underpinned by trust and a belief in autonomy, as well as recognising that flexibility can unlock individual potential and prevent burnout.
Independent Living Fund Scotland – Finalist 2023, Best for flexible working sponsored by Arnold Clark
Independent Living Fund Scotland are devoted to embedding a culture where everyone feels valued and supported through ‘life-friendly’ policies and practices.
Wates Group – Winner 2022, Best for All Families
Wates is a family-owned business that has instilled a family-first culture, putting measures into action that help their employees, along with their families, thrive.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield – Winner 2022, Best for All Families
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield strive to reflect the dynamism and diversity of the communities within which they operate and have put measures in place to achieve the best possible balance between work and home life for their employees.
North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) – Commended 2022, Best for Carers & Eldercare
North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) is working to ensure carers feel supported by introducing carer-friendly initiatives and policies that can adequately address their needs and facilitate conversations around caring.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield – Commended 2022, Best Family Network
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s ‘Working Families Together Champions’ family network operates to connect and support parents whilst also influencing positive policy change to enhance the family-friendly culture.
Wates Group – Winner 2022, Best for Fathers
Wates set out to democratise flexible working, recognising that driving a culture change in their predominantly male workforce begins with men. The policy framework they have built supports the 44% of the workforce who are fathers and helps to shift perspectives on flexible working.
British Army – Commended 2022, Best for Fathers
In response to a desire for flexible working, the British Army introduced a suite of options in their ‘Flexible Working and You’ policy in 2018. The range of options offers flexibility to fathers throughout different stages of their life and career and has achieved culture change on an enormous scale.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield – Finalist 2022, Best for Fathers
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield are working to create a culture which supports the needs of fathers, motivated by the understanding that those with childcare responsibilities will be more productive if their work life balance is supported.
Hill Dickinson LLP – Winner 2022, Best Flexible Recruitment
With a focus on flexibility and inclusivity, Hill Dickinson’s recruitment strategy makes a career in law more accessible.
SF Recruitment – Finalist 2022, Best Flexible Recruitment
SF Recruitment’s clear commitment to flexibility is communicated throughout their recruitment process, helping to attract and retain the best talent.
SF Recruitment – Winner 2022, Best Flexible Working
SF Recruitment’s dedication to flexibility is driven by a belief in the benefits for both individuals and the business, evident in the resounding success of their comprehensive flexible model.
People Untapped – Finalist 2022, Best Flexible Working
Flexibility runs throughout the thriving culture of People Untapped. As it goes from strength to strength, the business credits flexible working with its success and its engaged and high performing team.
Telescope – Finalist 2022, Best Flexible Working
Telescope have implemented successful flexible working and are seeking to evolve further to build on employee engagement and continue to be a desirable employer for new talent.
Santander – Winner 2022, Best for Mental Health & Wellbeing
Santander has a holistic approach to the wellbeing of their staff, implementing a package of support that allows employees to thrive.
Northern Lighthouse Board – Commended 2022, Best for Mental Health & Wellbeing
Northern Lighthouse Board recognises the value of supporting mental health in sustaining employee engagement and creating opportunities for growth. As such they have introduced a package of measures designed to enhance wellbeing and offer a safety net in times of crisis.
Arnold Clark – Finalist 2022, Best for Mental Health & Wellbeing
Arnold Clark’s commitment to supporting employees has led to a raft of measure that go the extra mile in helping people through challenging times and normalising conversations around mental health.
Macfarlanes LLP – Winner 2022, Best for Mothers
Macfarlanes’ commitment to creating a family-friendly workplace where everyone can thrive is reflected in the initiatives and practices they have introduced, the success of which is evidenced by their impressive retention rates, showing Macfarlanes is somewhere mothers want to build their careers.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield – Finalist 2022, Best for Mothers
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield are embracing new ways to support mothers in achieving the best possible balance between work and home life, to ensure they are recognised as an employer of choice.
Fragomen – Finalist 2022, Best for Mothers
Fragomen has concentrated its efforts on implementing measures that support women to thrive in their career at all stages, with a work-life balance that allows them to give their best to both their role and their family.
SF Recruitment – Winner 2022, Best Small Employer
With flexible working as a core part of their business model, SF Recruitment’s gives employees the autonomy to work in the way that suits them and build a fulfilling career that will sustain the business long term.
SenseOn Tech – Finalist 2022, Best Small Employer
Since its launch in 2017, SenseOn has enabled flexible working practices, empowering employees to take ownership of where, when and how they work to boost productivity and grow the business.
TPP Recruitment – Finalist 2022, Best Small Employer
By proudly embracing flexible working, TPP Recruitment are able to be more inclusive, sustain a productive workforce, and ensure they are an appealing prospect for new talent.
Hill Dickinson – Finalist 2021, Best for Flexible Working
Hill Dickinson is an international commercial law firm employing more than 850 people. The company encouraged flexible and agile working long before Covid-19, with the emphasis being on the employee choosing how they work.
Streamline Corporate – Finalist 2021, Best for Flexible Working
Streamline Corporate is a provider of branded merchandise, branded clothing and print. The organisation began flexible working in 2011 and it’s starting point has always been ‘yes’ to flexible working requests.
Together Housing – Winner 2021, Best for Flexible Working
Together Housing is one of the largest non-profit housing associations in the North of England, managing over 36,000 homes. With 1,493 employees, the organisation has always offered flexible working from day one and prides itself on this being one of the main benefits.
Pitney Bowes – Finalist 2020, Best for Flexible Working
Promoting flexible working as ‘the norm’ has helped technology firm Pitney Bowes retain employees with 77% indicating that it is important to them in a recent engagement survey. Productivity metrics are increasing because of a wide set of initiatives designed to elevate flexible working, one of which supports older employees so they can ‘wind down…
Incremental Group – Winner 2020 – Scottish Top Employer Awards (Flexible Recruitment)
Incremental Group firmly believes that work is a thing you do and not a place you go.
Scottish Water – Winner 2020 – Scottish Top Employer Awards (Public Sector)
Scottish Water is a public sector organisation providing vital water and wastewater utility services across Scotland, enabled by a workforce of 4200 employees.
Scout’s Scotland – Winner 2020 – Scottish Top Employers Awards (Third Sector)
Scout’s Scotland understands that people need to be able to balance work and life at home in a healthy way.
Hymans Robertson – Winner 2020 – Scottish Top Employers Award (Large Employer)
At Hymans Robertson, working flexibly is fundamental to the way we do business. We encourage and actively support the use of agile working for all staff across the business.
Warmworks – Winner 2020 – Scottish Top Employers Award (Medium Employer)
Warmworks delivers the Scottish Government’s Warmer Homes Scotland programme, designed to provide energy efficiency improvements to households that are in or at risk of fuel poverty.
Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure – Winner 2019, Best for Embedded Flexibility
Incorporating greater flexibility to job roles and regularly communicating the benefits of flexible working to staff means more than 60 per cent of employees now work flexibly, and job applications have increased by 38 per cent.
Response IT Services – Finalist 2019, Best for Fathers
A small firm where flexible working is the norm for all fathers and is modelled by the three (male) directors, who accommodate family activities around their work.
Suffolk County Council – Finalist 2019, Best Flexible Working Initiative
Showcasing senior men and women employees who work flexibly in a variety of ways, talking realistically and practically about the challenges and benefits of flexible working, has helped normalise flexibility.
MHA Larking Gowen – Winner 2019, Best Flexible Working Initiative
Encouraging flexible hours and remote working from home or client offices along with an office redesign to create quiet space, hot desks and collaborative space has increased chargeable time while reducing sickness and absenteeism, staff turnover and costly overtime.
Global Witness – Finalist 2019, Best Flexible Working Initiative
Giving employees control over how they manage their daily hours and where they work has increased wellbeing among staff.
Deloitte – Commended 2019, Best for Embedded Flexibility
A top-down culture supports flexible working, which is common among employees.
Freestyle – Finalist 2019, Best Embedded Flexibility
This digital agency offers flexibility over hours and location from day one and is constantly seeking and listening to employee feedback.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield – Winner 2019, Best for Line Managers
URW provides a comprehensive range of measures to ensure line managers are supported and supportive. This includes one-to-one guidance from HR, checklists, and training in supporting employees transitioning into caring, and managing flexible workers.
Routes to Work South
Employee surveys informed Routes to Work South that flexible working was important to its team. As a result, over 34 per cent of employees, 75 per cent of the management team and 66 per cent of co-ordinators now work flexibly.
LUC – 2019 Scottish Top Employers
LUC is an organisation that truly recognises the importance of advertising flexible jobs.
Previse – 2019 Scottish Top Employers
At Previse the winning formula for a great working culture is rooted in diversity.
PKAVS – Scottish Top Third Sector Employer 2019
PKAVS is a small charity providing services for over 5000 people across Perth & Kinross.
Arnold Clark – 2019 Scottish Top Employers (large private sector)
Arnold Clark is breaking the mould when it comes to flexible working in the automotive trade.
Deloitte – Winner 2019 Scottish Top Employers (large private sector)
The Deloitte approach to flexible and family friendly working is all about; trust, output and good communication.
Morgan Sindall – Finalist 2018, Best Large Private Sector Employer Award
Refreshed family friendly policies include maternity, adoption and Shared Parental leave with 13 weeks on full pay and 13 weeks on half pay. All senior management teams have undergone unconscious bias workshops and the firm has held virtual careers fairs so applicants with families can take part from home. Now 62% of employees work flexibly,…
Designated Group – Finalist 2018, Best for Embedded Flexibility Award
The entire team at business services firm Designated Group work remotely, manage their own time and work the number of hours they choose.
Oliver Wyman – Finalist 2018, Best for Embedded Flexibility Award
Management consultancy, Oliver Wyman, allows employees to purchase up to 20 days’ extra holiday or apply for unpaid leave of up to six months to help maintain a healthy work life balance.
Lloyds Banking Group – Winner 2018, Best Large Private Sector Employer Award
Lloyds Banking Group has integrated family friendly working throughout its business. From being up-front about flexibility in job adverts and offering enhanced maternity and Shared Parental Leave to facilitating an enormous employee support network and running a successful programme for people returning to work after a career break, its family friendly polices permeate everything it does. …
Highlands and Islands Enterprise – Joint Winner 2018, Best Public Sector Employer
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) promotes economic growth across the region and offers a range of flexible working options to all staff, including those approaching retirement, to ensure they perform at their best. Key Points Uncapped ‘special leave’ for emergency situations Flexibility promoted to all employees including those approaching retirement Staff turnover 6.25 per cent…
Ministry of Justice – Winner 2018, Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) launched its Smarter Working programme to help create a culture that is truly flexible, where people can fully commit to life both inside and outside of work. Employees have been given the support and technology that enables them to work from their core office, their home or one of many commuter hubs. The focus is on ‘what’ work is done, rather than ‘where’ work is done.
Royal Air Force – Joint Winner 2018, Best Public Sector Employer
Retaining talented personnel is key for the Royal Air Force. The organization are constantly looking at new and innovative ways of being an employer of choice. Key Points 26 weeks’ full pay for maternity, adoption and Shared Parental Leave 200 personnel taken up SPL since its introduction 96.3% of servicewomen return after a period of…
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield – Finalist 2018, Best Large Private Sector Employer Award
Between three quarters and 100 per cent of employees work flexibly. Coaching is offered to parents as well as a Family Buddy scheme. Parents can also access a Working Families Network of employees and use parental leave guides to navigate options. Enhanced maternity, adoption and Shared Parental Leave include three months full pay and three…
Barclays – Winner 2018, Best for Embedded Flexibility Award
Dynamic Working is Barclays’ ongoing programme to get the best from employees and teams. From recruitment adverts and onboarding processes, to a rolling programme of line manager training and continuous communication about the success of dynamic working for colleagues across the business, it is driving measurable change in how employees work. Key Points Around 60…
Public Health England – Finalist 2018, Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
A Flexible Working Champions Network was launched in 2016 to promote a flexible work culture and support employees and managers to make this a reality. More than 2,000 employees took part in a staff survey on the subject and the Network’s original 15 Champions is now bolstered to over 70. The organisation monitors flexible working…
Yorkshire Building Society – Commended 2018, Best Flexible Working Intiative Award
Yorkshire Building Society launched its Finding the Balance (FTB) programme in May 2017, bringing together and updating policies on family friendly, flexible and agile ways of working. Flexibility is a ‘day one’ right for all staff, who are actively encouraged to ‘work wherever you want’ if practical and desired. Enhanced – Parental Leave has been…
Includem – Scottish Best Third Sector Employers – joint Winner 2018
Includem was the joint 2018 Winner of the Top Scottish Employers for Working Families Awards - Third Sector category.
Young Enterprise Scotland – Top Scottish Employers – Joint winner 2018
Young Enterprise Scotland was the joint 2018 Winner of the Top Scottish Employers for Working Families Awards – Third Sector category.
Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland – Winner 2018 Scottish Top Employers (public sector)
ILF was the 2018 Winner of the Top Scottish Employers for Working Families Awards - Public Sector category.
SST Sensing – Winner 2018 Scottish Top Employers (SME)
SST Sensing were the winners of the 2018 Top Scottish Employers for Working Families, medium category.
Senshi Digital – Winner 2018 Scottish Top Employers (SME)
Senshi Digital was the 2018 Winner of the Top Scottish Employers for Working Families Awards - SME employer (small) category and Innovation category.
Pursuit Marketing – Winner 2018 Scottish Top Employers (SME)
Pursuit Marketing was the 2018 Winner of Top Scottish Employers for Working Families Awards - SME employer (medium) category.
University of the West of Scotland – 2018 Scottish Top Employers
University of the West of Scotland (UWS) wants employees to feel valued and believes that family friendly working gets the best out of people.
Barclays – Winner 2018 Scottish Top Employer Awards (large private sector)
Barclays was the 2018 Winner of the Top Scottish Employers for Working Families Awards- Large Private Sector category.
Older workers individual case study: the part time worker
Norman Binions, 62: Messenger for a law firm in The City of London ‘I started here in 1999 aged 50 as a fully-fledged messenger. That could mean anything from decorating to heavy lifting, sorting and delivering the post. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t work – I’d just sit at home and…
Older workers and active ageing individual case study
John Hush, 85 Manager of Co-op Funeral Services branch, Berwick upon Tweed (recently retired) ‘I started out on 4thAugust 1948 as a joiner at the Co-op in Berwick upon Tweed and retired the day before my 85th birthday last year working full-time throughout! If I’d continued for another 12 weeks, I’d have worked at the Co-op…
Ministry of Justice, Finalist 2012, The National Grid Best for Innovation Award
The London 2012 Olympics provided the MoJ with an opportunity to trial flexible working in an effort to reduce travel to and from London by staff. A short pilot was undertaken in February and arrangements were adopted during the Olympic Games period.
Allianz, Finalist 2012, Best for Engagement Award
Allianz is an insurance company, employing over 4,000 people in the UK. They found that by investing in ways to engage with their staff, many employees remained with the company for a significant proportion of their careers. By offering a range of flexible work opportunities and where possible accommodating their employees’ specialised needs, staff are…
Royal Bank of Scotland, Finalist 2012, The Lexington Gray Best for Flexible Working Award
Royal Bank of Scotland is a large global bank, employing over 90,000 people in the UK. Flexible working is seen as a core component in being an employer of choice and also helping the bank deliver improved services to its customers. The development of a flexible working culture across the company is driven by a…
Northern Trust, Winner 2012, The Lexington Gray Best for Flexible Working Award
Founded in 1889 and headquartered in Chicago, Northern Trust is a financial services company employing 1,400 across Europe, Middle East and Africa. (EMEA). Like many organisations, they have a suite of flexible working policies on offer, but they recognise that it is the day-to-day uptake and use of these policies which is the real test…
Henmans LLP, Finalist 2012, The Lexington Gray Best for Flexible Working Award
Henmans LLP is a law firm based in Oxford, employing 123 people. The initial impetus for flexible working began before 2000, when two partners reduced their hours to better fit in with family life. This started in train a process which led the firm to challenge the belief that lawyers needed to spend 10 hours…
Forum for the Future, Finalist 2012, The Lexington Gray Best for Flexible Working Award
Forum for the Future is a voluntary organisation employing 66 people. Being small, their challenge is to offer flexibility whilst at the same time preserving a strong ethos of the organisational team. To do this they have adopted a wide range of flexibility which is deployed on a semi-formal basis. Most staff work at home…
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Finalist 2012, The Lexington Gray Best for Flexible Working Award
At the Trust, which employs over 3,000 people, all employees have the right to request to work flexibly. However, the Trust has recognised that with employee needs constantly changing they need to develop their understanding of the policies and practices which underpin their flexible working culture. Following the creation of a role specifically designed to…
Barclays, Finalist 2012, The Lexington Gray Best for Flexible Working Award
Barclays is a large bank employing over 140,000 people globally. Since 2002 they have made flexible working available to all staff, as part of a business wide focus on attracting and retaining talent. The drivers to promoting flexibility have been numerous: strengthening employee engagement; becoming a destination ‘employer of choice’; improving female retention and career…
American Express, Finalist 2012, The Lexington Gray Best for Flexible Working Award
American Express employs over 6000 employees in the UK. They have committed, at a strategic level, to create a diverse and flexible culture. This strategy is driven by the UK Diversity Council, which is chaired by the UK Country Manager and made up of senior leaders from all American Express businesses throughout the UK. American…
Dell Corporation Ltd, Finalist 2011, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
Dell have invested in the technology to allow people to work from home, providing employees with the tools and training they need to move to home based working. Additionally they offer financial support to do this. Training for managers and staff is provided to ensure that home based working is not stigmatised, and managers are…
Chwarae Teg, Finalist 2011, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
Chwarae Teg offers a comprehensive approach to flexible working including flexi time, opportunities for compressed hours and flexi place working where the emphasis is always on the quality of work and not when or where the work is done. Annual leave is calculated in hours, allowing employees the flexibility to take their leave in hourly…
Centrica, Winner 2011, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
Centrica take a lifecycles approach to flexible working, recognising that people will have different needs at different stages of their lives and careers. Wellbeing and flexible working are linked and developing a healthy workplace culture means one where people are able to find the work-life balance they need. Work:wise is a project which offers ‘anytime,…
Allianz Insurance UK, Finalist 2011, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
A wide range of flexible working policies are available. All staff are entitled to work flexibly, not just parents and carers. The underlying notion of this is that parental responsibilities are constant irrespective of the time of day and that everyone is different in their approach to parenthood and way of dealing with its demands.…
Accenture, Finalist 2011, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
Accenture have invested heavily in leading edge technology to enable colleagues to connect up globally, reducing the need for extensive travel and allowing flexibility for employees collaborating across time zones. They have also taken a lifecycle approach to flexibility, recognising that employees will have changing flexibility needs throughout their careers. Flexibility is available to all…
Southdown Housing, Finalist 2017, Best Third Sector Employer Award
Flexible working is embedded in the organisation’s culture: 20 per cent of the senior management team work part-time and many staff also work remotely or from other locations. Roles are advertised as flexible by default in the recruitment process. The organisation makes a pledge that it will be a flexible employer and managers are recruited…
AB World Foods, Finalist 2017, Best Large Private Sector Employer
Enhanced and competitive family-related benefits. ‘Summer Hours’ scheme enables employees to finish early on a Friday – 62 per cent take up. New flexible working trial: Employees in the commercial departments now have the flexibility to be able to work from home on a Monday and Friday and benefit from core office hours of 10am-4pm…
Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Finalist 2017, Best Public Sector Employer Award
All staff can access flexible working and have the technology to work remotely. The organisation recruits from a large geographical area and does not see location as a barrier. 25 per cent of staff have agreed flexible working arrangements in place, with informal local flexibility such as remote or occasional working from home encouraged. New…
Virtual Sales Team, Finalist 2017, Best for Flexible Recruitment Award
Virtual Sales Team’s business model is designed on flexibility and all external roles are advertised as flexible. The company has set a target that full-time staff will not exceed 20 per cent of the workforce, aiming to create a diverse team of employees who provide a better quality of service for clients. Overall, 83 per…
OUTiCO, Finalist 2017, Best for Flexible Recruitment Award
Pharmaceutical SME OUTiCO actively recruits on the basis of flexibility. As well as using the Happy to Talk Flexible Working strapline, it is including flexibility in the advert headline, attracting candidates who are looking for better work-life balance. Flexible contracts are offered as standard – 100 per cent of staff have flexibility. The company uses…
Berwin Leighton Paisner, Finalist 2017, Best for Flexible Recruitment Award
A new office was set up to operate in a more flexible way, challenging law firms’ traditional ways of working. Home-based team of real estate lawyers recruited as part of this drive. Flexi-time system trialled in the firm’s Manchester office. Together with formal flexible arrangements this means 96 per cent of the Manchester office have…
Holiday Extras, Finalist 2017, The Cross River Partnership Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
Extended its flexible working scheme Anywhere Anytime to give complete flexibility to the team. Under Anywhere, Anytime+ employees can work wherever and whenever they want as long as their objectives are delivered and they are contactable. Managers trained and given autonomy to make agreements that are right for their team and the business. All team…
AB World Foods, Finalist 2017, The Cross River Partnership Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
The ‘Summer Hours’ initiative was introduced to enable employees to go home early on a Friday in the summer months. In return for working extra hours Monday-Thursday, employees can finish work from 12.30pm on Friday, allowing them more flexibility in the traditional holiday period. Initially introduced as a trial, it received excellent feedback and was…
Civil Service, Commended 2017, Best Public Sector Employer Award
The Civil Service has shown consistent leadership and innovation in flexible working and inclusion. In total, 24 per cent of employees work part-time and many others work flexibly in some way – such as home working, term time working or compressed hours. Managers are trained on flexible working and job sharing is actively supported –…
Sky, Commended 2017, The Best Large Private Sector Employer Award
Sky has worked hard to challenge myths about flexible working and 90 per cent of the organisation works on a flexible basis. The culture focuses on employee performance instead of desk time and is committed to helping employees achieve their personal goals and work-life balance. Leaders have begun to talk about flexibility and promote the…
Anglia Ruskin University, Commended 2017, The Allen & Overy Innovation Award
Anglia Ruskin University’s formation of a Part-Time and Flexible Working Forum in response to employee concerns about work-life balance was noted by the judges. The forum has worked to improve career development for flexible workers, promote the benefits of flexible working to reluctant line managers and generally display the organisation’s commitment to flexibility. Evidence from…
Inspiring Scotland, Winner 2017, Best Third Sector Employer
Uses flexibility to compete with the salaries offered by larger organisations Flexibility is proactively offered and is the norm Employees are encouraged to suggest new ways of working The judges were impressed by the way Inspiring Scotland uses time to compete with private sector organisations offering bigger salaries. Its flexible culture attracts and retains high…
Dulas, Winner 2017, The Deloitte Best for all stages of Motherhood Award
100 per cent retention rate for mothers five years after the birth of their first child All requests for flexibility approved Mothers make up two-thirds of the senior management team Engineering firm Dulas is bucking the trend in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics) businesses, with its extremely successful retention strategies for new mothers…
Turn IT On, Winner 2017, The Direct Line Group Best for Embedded Flexibility Award
Managers act as role models in their use of flexible working and shared parental leave Options to work flexibly are actively promoted Performance of flexible workers monitored to ensure their work is fairly recognised ICT support business Turn IT On actively recruits staff to work flexibly, innovating to support those who work in non-traditional ways.…
FanDuel – Highly Commended 2017 Top Scottish Employers for Working Families
FanDuel’s ethos is based on productivity and a good work-life balance. If employees can do a job from a different location or within different hours, every situation is treated individually to assess if the company can support it
Inspiring Scotland
Flexible and family friendly working makes business sense to Inspiring Scotland. It is intrinsic to its company values and as such is mentioned explicitly in the recruitment stage.
NHS Lothian – Highly Commended 2017 Scottish Top Employers
Carers are actively encouraged to discuss their caring responsibilities with their line manager, and managers are asked to consider who in their team may have a caring role out-with the workplace and offer appropriate support.
Lloyds Banking Group – Winner 2017 Scottish Top Employers (large private sector)
Family friendly working is in Lloyds Banking Group’s (LBG) DNA.
EY, Winner 2016, Best for Flexible Recruitment Award
Key Features EY has a recruitment drive to double the size of the business in the next four years and flexible working is being used to attract and retain the best talent. A communications campaign called ‘The Future is Flexible’ has seen applications to EY increase by 27 per cent. Partners and hiring managers have…
West Midlands Police, Finalist 2016, The Innovation Award
Key features A good example of an individual employee taking the initiative to reform flexible working for their team to ensure a workable service while meeting staff needs. Proper consultation with the staff involved to restore trust and to discuss their preferred ways of working in detail. The development of an approach for the whole…
ScottishPower, Finalist 2016, The Direct Line Group Best for Embedded Flexibility Award
Key features A ‘business as usual’ approach to flexible working while still implementing new ideas to embed flexibility further. Managers are trained in managing flexible working and in 2015 over 90 per cent of requests for flexible working were agreed. ScottishPower is implementing ‘smart working’ to enable employees to adopt less formal flexible working to…
Barclays, Winner 2016, The Direct Line Group Best for Embedded Flexibility Award
Key features Thoroughly embedded flexibility born out of listening to staff and colleagues. Barclays has moved from a point where flexibility was available to everyone for personal reasons to a point were dynamic working is how Barclays achieves its business. Support is available for whole teams to develop dynamic working together. In the future, Barclays…
Sacker & Partners LLP, Joint Winner 2016, The Cityparents Best for all stages of Motherhood Award
Key features Mothers benefit from a personal one to one mentoring scheme where they are carefully matched with their mentor to ensure they get the best support. Senior grade gender balance is impressive with 60 per cent of partners being female and the majority of these are mothers. Flexible working is widespread, including at senior…
Pinsent Masons LLP, Winner 2016, The Centrica Best for Modern Families Award
Key features All employees are able to access family support and work-life policies and 24 per cent of the workforce works flexibly. Flexibility has significantly increased retention – turnover in the corporate team reduced from 30.2 per cent to 17.5 per cent Project Sky addresses gender imbalance at senior levels – de-stigmatising working less than…
Allen & Overy LLP, Finalist 2016, The American Express Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
Key features A step beyond formal flexible working to a way of working that reflects a real flexible culture. iFlex enables anyone to work from home on an ad hoc basis and it is possible without seeking permission. Peerpoint is a global flexible resourcing for lawyers who want to work on shorter term contracts. 91…
Royal Air Force, Highly Commended 2016, The American Express Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
Key features New leave options that demonstrate a real commitment to flexibility in the armed forces, traditionally a difficult environment for flexibility to work. Introduction of the ability to swap, enhance or bring forward leave, enabling personnel to take their leave in a pattern that suits them and their family. To date 496 service personnel…
Cisco, Winner 2016, The American Express Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
Key features Cisco is leveraging their latest technology to drive employee mobility and flexibility in the company. Employees who work flexibly give back 60 per cent of reduced commute time to Cisco; employees personally save approximately £700 per year on commuting costs and those who work flexibly are 22 per cent more likely to be…
West Dunbartonshire Council – Winner 2016 The Carers Scotland Best for Carers and Eldercare Award
Family Friendly working dovetails into the Council’s “Be the Best” strategy. This creates a working environment where employees can excel, and supports the organisation’s key ambitions.
Scottish Parliament – Highly Commended 2016 The Fathers Network Scotland Best for all Stages of Fatherhood Award
The parliament recognise the importance of fathers at all stages - from before the arrival of a new baby, when they return to work following parental leave, and as they go through each life stage.
American Express, Commended 2015, The Centrica Best for Flexible Working Award
American Express (AmEx) has taken a multi-stranded approach to ensuring flexible working is, as it suggests, “embedded into its very DNA”. It is clearly outlined in formal policies, and accompanying leader guides have been created to support the implementation and understanding of these policies. Training on how to manage flexible working requests is also available…
DLA Piper, Finalist 2015, The Santander Best New Flexible Working Initiative
DLA Piper’s initiative has given a real boost to flexibility by rebranding and relaunching it as ‘agile working’. In particular, DLA Piper has focused on career progression, often a challenge for flexible workers, through the use of job-sharing supported by clever use of technology. For the rebrand, the firm developed two guides: one for employees…
Cafcass, Winner 2015, The Centrica Best for Flexible Working Award
Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) is a non-departmental public body that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children; gives advice to family courts; makes provision for children to be represented; and provides information, advice and support to children and their families. Cafcass has undergone a wholesale transformation; in 2010 the Public…
Barclays Bank, Finalist 2015, The Santander Best New Flexible Working Initiative
Barclays has made its belief in flexible working real through a wholesale commitment to change. Its year-long Dynamic Working Campaign (DWC), developed in 2014, recognised that people have many roles throughout each life stage, at home and at work, and need time, flexibility and energy to fulfil them all. DWC has developed a culture where…
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Finalist 2015, The DTCC Best for Innovation Award
The Projects Task Force (PTF) was set up in 2012 in response to a need for greater flexibility in dealing with emerging priorities and a belief that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) was not maximising the benefits of staff looking to work atypically (part-time or remotely). The organisation saw this as an opportunity to…
EY, Finalist 2015, The Santander Best New Flexible Working Initiative
Professional Services firm EY recognised that introducing flexible working was more about a change in culture than a change in policy or legislation. For that reason EY engaged a Working Families Change Management and Optimal Performance specialist to design and deliver an internal programme of behavioural and operation change. The change programme, designed to scale…
National Assembly for Wales, Finalist 2015, The Centrica Best for Flexible Working Award
Flexibility has been embedded within the National Assembly for Wales through the creation of the ‘People Strategy’ which stresses the need for the Assembly to be exemplar and leader of best practice, especially in the way it acts as an employer. Employees have access to a range of flexible working options, including; flexible working hours,…
UK Civil Service, Finalist 2015, The Santander Best New Flexible Working Initiative Award
Civil Service Resourcing and the Civil Service Job Share Working Group have developed an online tool which allows all civil servants to identify and contact each other when looking for a job-share partnership. The aim is to uphold the Civil Service’s commitment to being a flexible employer and to increase the number of staff finding…
Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Winner 2015, The Santander Best New Flexible Working Initiative Award
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has implemented an ambitious initiative to enable people to take significant leave when needed and return to work against a background of austerity and the challenge of overseas working. The FCO’s Special Unpaid Lead (SUPL) offer is unique, allowing employees breaks from the office for up to five years…
Centrica – Winner 2015 Scottish Top Employers (large private sector)
At Centrica success depends on its people and it knows that family wellbeing really matters.
Skyscanner – Commended 2015 Scottish Top Employers (large private sector)
Skyscanner strives to ensure working parents can balance their work and family commitments, recognising that such an approach is vital for staff happiness, engagement and productivity.
Allianz, Finalist 2013, The RBS Best for Flexible Working Award
Sector: Insurance Location: All UK Employees: 4,500 Allianz recognises the importance of the family and the need to support working parents and carers in ways that help them balance their work and family lives. The starting point is the understanding that parental (and caring) responsibilities are constant irrespective of the time of day and that…
Plantronics, Commended 2013, The RBS Best for Flexible Working Award
Sector: Technology/Communications Location: Royal Wootton Bassett Employees: 120 UK based, 3,500 worldwide Plantronics is a medium-sized company specialising in the technology sector. They have developed what they call an ‘ultimate’ approach to flexibility which allows complete flexibility about how, where and when work is done. Even if they are in the office, there are a…
Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Finalist 2013, The Best for Innovation Award
Sector: Healthcare Location: London Employees: 3,197 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is committed to supporting working parents, through a number of initiatives and policies. However, the Trust has had to be creative and innovative in how they can provide support for a number of reasons. They are based in a very expensive part…
British Gas, Finalist 2013, The Best for Innovation Award
Sector: Utilities Location: all UK Employees: 28,000 British Gas has demonstrated a well developed and comprehensive approach to carers which has widespread coverage across the organisation. Supported from the highest levels of the organisation, their core message is that supporting carers in the workforce isn’t just about being a good employer, but that it is…
Plantronics, Winner 2013, The Best for Innovation Award
Sector: Technology/Communications Location: Royal Wootton Bassett Employees: 120 UK based, 3,500 world-wide Plantronics is a medium-sized company specialising in the technology sector. They have taken an approach to flexible and family-friendly working which they themselves say starts and ends from the proposition that employees can be trusted to deliver whatever working pattern they choose. By…
CiC Employee Assistance, Joint Winner 2014, The Childcarescheme Top Small Family Friendly Employer Award
CiC Employee Assistance is an employee assistance provider, specialising in trauma and critical incident management, which delivers programmes to organisations covering 450,000 employees across the globe. Their support lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provide a service to all sectors from the NHS to corporate banks. CIC’s focus on…
Brand Learning, Joint Winner 2014, The Childcarescheme Top Small Family Friendly Employer Award
Brand Learning is a global consultancy with unique expertise in lifting the capabilities of people and organisations to drive growth by creating better value for their customers. Founded in 2000, by Mhairi McEwan and Andy Bird with hubs in London, Singapore and New York, the team of 120 employees have worked with over 100 leading…
Lloyds Banking Group, Commended 2014, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
Lloyds Banking Group has a long track record in flexible working, as one of the first employers to open up flexibility to all employees more than 15 years ago. However, it recognises that it needs to be proactive in this area as employee expectations around work–life balance increase, and the business environment changes too. The…
American Express, Finalist 2014, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
American Express has taken the approach that flexible working is business as usual, and that it isn’t simply an optional add-on. Flexibility, in its view, is a necessity to help employees work to their full potential. American Express has developed a programme, BlueWork, that integrates flexible working into the core culture of the company. It…
Barclays plc, Finalist 2014, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
Barclays’ aim is to foster an organisational culture where flexible working is recognised, appreciated and valued, because it sees the benefits it brings in productivity, responsiveness to customer and client needs and the attraction and retention of talent. Flexible working is seen as standard practice, and employees have a comprehensive suite of working patterns, including…
BT Group plc, Commended 2014, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
BT facilitates agile working and promotes it where it is appropriate for the needs of its customers, the business and its people. They equip employees to work flexibly in both time and place. Agile working is a major element in their transformational workplace strategy and is one of the things which make their business a…
Centrica, Winner 2014, The National Grid Best for Flexible Working Award
Centrica wants to be the leading energy company, and it recognises that its people are the key to realising this ambition. To this end, it has committed to developing flexible working as a way to create a working environment that is inclusive, attracts and retains the best people, and encourages them to fulfil their potential.…
RBS, Finalist 2014, The DTCC Best for Innovation Award
RBS is a UK centred bank and is committed to flexible working, understanding that it brings with it customer and business benefits as well as helping individual employees achieve a good work–life fit. But in order to ensure that its flexible working programmes were successful, RBS realised that it needed to help employees feel confident…
The London School of Economics & Political Science, Commended 2014, The DTCC Best for Innovation Award
The London School of Economics (LSE) is a leading teaching and research university. To sustain its reputation as a world-leading academic institution it needs to be able to recruit and retain the best people, through being a flexible, fair and diverse employer and ensuring that employees can progress their careers at LSE without having to…
Informa Business Information, Commended 2014, The DTCC Best for Innovation Award
Informa Business Information, a division of Informa PLC, is a publisher of predominantly digital information, providing products and services to a large range of sectors, from pharma to maritime and commodities to law. When they decided to move offices in London in 2013, they identified an opportunity to look at the way that their employees…
Scottish Government, Winner 2014, The DTCC Best for Innovation Award
The Scottish Government is moving to be a smaller, more flexible organisation, operating within constrained running costs. It needs to embrace new ways of working within the office environment. At the same time, it recognises that staff would benefit from working more flexibly, in the hours they work, how they work and increasingly, where they…
Northern Trust, Finalist 2014, The E-ON Best for Engagement Award
Northern Trust has a longstanding commitment to care for its employees. To this end, the Company has established a flexible working and family-friendly culture that respects and supports work-life balance. In 2012, responses to the Employee Engagement Survey suggested areas for possible enhancement, so it became one of Northern Trust’s three global priorities. Additionally, following…
University of Lincoln, Finalist 2014, The Citymothers Best for All Stages of Motherhood Award
The University of Lincoln provides a suite of support for employees through all stages of motherhood. The university has made every effort to help employees balance their work and personal commitments and at the same time pursue career development and growth. The university has a set of provisions, along with a ‘supporting new and expectant…
Case study library supported by a donation from the Wainwright Trust
The now-closed Wainwright Trust was set up in 1988 in the name of equal pay and opportunities pioneer David Wainwright. Following David’s tragically early death in 1987 the Wainwright Trust raised money, commissioned and published research, funded and helped produce invaluable tools in the fight for equal pay and opportunities and held annual events to bring together and update people committed to and active in the area of equality at work.