The 2024 Working Families Best Practice Award winners highlight diverse array of family-friendly workplaces
Published: 26 Jun 2024
Outstanding employers and family-friendly champions have been celebrated today as Working Families, the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers, announced the winners of the 2024 Best Practice Awards.
The annual awards, held at London’s Apothecaries’ Hall, celebrate forward-thinking employers whose inclusive cultures and flexible working practices are setting new standards for employee-friendly workplaces.
There are nine categories in the awards, with winners ranging from large organisations, such as BNP Paribas to SMEs like Independent Living Fund Scotland. This year, individuals were also recognised in the new category, Family-Friendly Champion of the Year.
The entries were judged by an expert panel, including Working Families Ambassador Elliott Rae, author and social changemaker, who was guest judge in the Best for Fathers category, sponsored by Rolls-Royce. He is currently leading the charge on his latest campaign ‘Parenting Out Loud’, which aims to change workplace cultures to empower working Dads with caring responsibilities.
Speaking about the awards, Elliott said:
It was a pleasure to judge this year’s award for Best for Fathers, and what a selection of entries to choose from! These pioneers are living and breathing the idea of parenting out loud, bringing parenting into the work sphere to usher in real cultural change and gender equality. Well done to all the well-deserved finalists, who have earned their place as social changemakers.
Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive of Working Families said:
Yet again, we have been blown away by the calibre of our finalists. Every single one is demonstrating how dynamic the future of work can be when we think outside the box and put people first.
The winners demonstrate that any organisation can build flexibility and family-friendly workplaces, regardless of size or sector. From small businesses and charitable societies to international banks and the armed forces, our winners show innovation, practicality and compassion.
I’d like to congratulate all the finalists for their dedication to being employers who aren’t afraid to do things differently and go the extra mile for their people and their business. Their inspiring family-friendly policies and supportive practices are helping transform the world of work for future generations so that everyone, from families to businesses, can reap the rewards.
The winning organisations are:
Best for Mothers
Winner – Royal Air Force
Best for Fathers – sponsored by Rolls-Royce
Winner – Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Best for Carers & Eldercare
Winner – Phoenix Group
Commended – Forward Carers CIC
Best Family Network – Sponsored by BlckBx
Winner – bp
Best for All-Round Flexibility – Sponsored by The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei)
Winner – Grant Thornton UK LLP
Best Small Employer
Winner – Independent Living Fund Scotland
Best for Mental Health & Wellbeing - Sponsored by ILF Scotland
Winner – ClwydAlyn Housing
Best for Supporting Different Pathways to Parenthood – Sponsored by Adoption UK
Winner – BNP Paribas
New! Family-Friendly Champion of the Year – Sponsored by Arnold Clark
Winner – Anna Homewood at Aldermore Bank
Find out more about the Best Practice Awards.