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.

Time to shine

ILF Scotland is driven by its core values of trust, dignity, respect and an intrinsic desire to enable individuals with complex impairments to thrive. They live and breathe these values with their employees and make an effort to understand what works well for them. They have developed a people first approach to the organisation and created a ‘Performance by Design’ environment where the work is built around people’s individual life commitments – whatever they may be. In return, they achieve their corporate aims and have highly committed, high-performing employees who take personal responsibility for being their best for others.

This approach is underpinned by a comprehensive strategy and suite of HR policies, enhanced provision and the ability to work anywhere, anytime and anyplace. Flexible working is an integral part of their corporate strategy and formally cascades into their annualised operational plans, measured against KPI’s.

They constantly strive to improve their employee offer and are currently investigating a way to enable everyone who employs staff through their funding to be flexible employers, thus spreading good practice across Scotland.

Illuminating ideas

ILF Scotland believe that due to the intrinsic nature of their family friendly working culture they have achieved the following:

• Market leading low overheads
• Staff turnover down to 2.63%
• Testimonies from employees about their enhanced lifestyle
• High levels of staff CPD
• Low sickness rate; average 4.5 days per annum per employee
• 100% staff working flexibly.
• Staff survey shows that: 100% of staff feel valued and appreciated; 98% staff were treated with respect and dignity as individuals; 86% felts strategies/goals were communicated clearly.
• Maternity / Adoption Leave: 26 weeks’ full pay; followed by 13 weeks’ statutory.
• No minimum length of service to receive maternity leave and employees do not have to pay back enhanced maternity pay if they do not return.
• Paternity Leave: 6 weeks paid leave and all ante natal appointments are paid.
• Time off for Dependents is available to all carers, mothers and fathers (5 days paid, 5 days unpaid leave).

“When I joined ILF Scotland I knew they were a family friendly employer, but I had come to believe that all companies just put a policy in place to tick a box. I tentatively asked to work 7am-3pm two days a week for personal reasons. My request was granted without questions or suspicion. 9 months later and my personal life is transformed. I spend quality time with my daughter, my mental health is better and I have time to exercise again. ILF Scotland doesn’t have a family friendly working policy, it has life friendly working.”