Fair Deal

Crafted

Crafted’s ‘Go Awards’ showcase the agency’s great people, the values they epitomise, and the amazing work they’ve done. Its yearly Crafties awards celebrate teams’ successes as well as naming an individual as ‘Craftie of the Year’. The agency also rewards employees through its annual profit share, which is shared equally, regardless of role.

Crafted organise regular social and team building events to help develop interdepartmental relationships. Events include everything from summer parties and awards evenings, to gaming nights and craft evenings. The agency also took its whole team to the Crystal Maze Experience in London for a bit hit of nostalgia and team building.

All managers have regular check ins with their line manager to encourage support within their role. Crafted also has a learning and development matrix which managers can access, which includes leadership courses such as Peerspective, allowing managers to benefit from a peer group-esque approach to development and coaching.

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Marketing & Media Agencies

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Eficode UK

The marketing and solutions experts and SLT teams have both held several “away days” where they have a day away from the business and discuss pertinent work without any distractions. Following the day they have a social evening. Teams are allocated a budget to use on team bonding nights out, meals, entertainment, and milestone awards.

The Eficode UK Community Hero Award encourages people in its extended community to nominate people they feel show decency, remarkability or mastery, reflecting the Eficode UK values. The winner from the nominations receive a £100 gift certificate as a personal reward and the organisation donates £100 to a charity of winner’s choice.

Annually, the senior team choose an “employee of the year” and two runners up. The winner receives £2,500 and the runners-up each receive £1000. Recently, Eficode UK introduced a “Now That” reward scheme. Every SLT member has a discretionary budget to give non-monetary rewards to any employee or their family for going above and beyond.

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Technology

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Bluestones Investment Group

Team spirit is so important to its culture, this year, 40 staff won a long weekend in Dubai. In previous years, they have jetted off to Ibiza, Las Vegas, and New York. It also hosts regular social events including its annual black tie awards evening and its BIG Summer Social.

Staff have clearly defined career paths and are offered training and development, ongoing support, and a genuine opportunity to progress. It has actively managed and regularly reviewed career development programmes, training opportunities, and subject matter experts providing on the job training. It has additionally supported a range of people with professional accreditation and CPD.

All staff have access to a range of benefits including vouchers and perks, offering savings on shopping, dining out, and everyday spending. Health and dental insurance is also available to everyone. Additionally, as well as a competitive salary, top achievers are awarded at the annual awards ceremony - a black-tie dinner.

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Accord Marketing

Beyond formal incentives, Accord offers an 'appreciation spotlight' to celebrate individual contributions. The organisation also runs Employee of the Quarter and Employee of the Year schemes, with nominations from peers, which reward hard work and make employees feel valued by both colleagues and managers.

Accord is passionate about having a positive community impact. Each year, the company selects a charity and organises a series of fundraising activities, such as a Tough Mudder obstacle course and a Bake-Off style competition. This not only raises money for important causes but also builds team spirit.

Accord champions a flexible working model and provides fresh fruit and healthy snacks, as well as access to gym rates, to encourage healthy lifestyles. A team of trained Mental Health First Aiders offers confidential support, and an email embargo from 7pm to 7am ensures employees can fully disconnect.

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Marketing & Media Agencies

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Zest

Zest allocates a dedicated training budget and holds monthly meetings to assess learning priorities. A new Learning Management System enhances access to materials and a comprehensive skills and development project aims to map clear career pathways for those wishing to advance within the organisation.

The company provides a fair deal through performance-related pay increases throughout the year. Additionally, a yearly bonus is awarded based on both company performance and personal performance, directly linking individual contributions to overall organisational success.

Managers at Zest are supported with a comprehensive Manager Toolkit, offering guidance on recruitment and performance management. This is complemented by proactive conversations with the People Team, along with ongoing training and development opportunities to help them confidently navigate their responsibilities and grow in their roles.

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Utilities

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Norman Broadbent

Initiatives like 'NB Olympics' and regular practice-area ‘hub’ meetings instil a sense of camaraderie and teamwork among employees, fostering a sense of belonging and fun within the group.

Through comprehensive support programs, mental health counselling, and a flexible hybrid work model, Norman Broadbent prioritises employee wellbeing, fostering a healthy work-life balance and mitigating the impact of stress on personal health and performance.

With perks such as extended maternity leave, increased annual leave, and a day off on one’s birthday, Norman Broadbent offers a competitive benefits package, demonstrating its commitment to fair treatment of its employees.

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Recruitment

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Cinnamon Care Collection

Managers are highly trained in listening skills and in spotting and managing problems. They are encouraged to coach and mentor their successors, and the company offers a 360-degree feedback programme for leaders, all of which contribute to creating a supportive environment where team members feel comfortable asking for help.

In addition to a competitive 3.5% pay rise for care team members, the company’s career structure is a significant part of its reward strategy. It also offers the 'Spice of Life' benefits programme, which supports employee wellbeing, purchases, health, and pensions, ensuring a fair and rewarding employment experience.

Teams are encouraged to engage in physical activities together, such as walking for charity. The ‘Celebrating Cultures’ initiative promotes an inclusive environment where teams and residents embrace different cultures. The 'Sprinkle of Cinnamon' project also unites team members to make residents’ wishes come true, fostering a sense of shared purpose and camaraderie.

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Health & Social Care

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ForHousing

ForHousing holds regular webinars with open Q&A sessions, and also have various staff groups across the organisation. It also covers the cost of lunch once a month to help and does a hog roast lunch around Christmas time as well as other festive events. It further has Viva Engage to connect colleagues across the organisation.

Through its GIFT (Get Involved Find Time) programme, a network of volunteers work across the organisation to engage colleagues with volunteering activities in the communities and to lead on fund raising initiatives for its spotlight charity.

Through the STAR platform, real-time, multi-directional reward and recognition is available anytime anywhere. Colleagues can recognise one another via STAR platform any time, offering both monetary and non-monetary recognition options: eCards, Nominations, and Instant Awards. The social 'Wall of Fame' offers recognition, allowing others to comment and join in on recognition moments.

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Housing Associations

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CD (UK) Ltd

The Health and Wellbeing team are all Mental Health First Aiders and they take action and lead the group. The organisation also has a Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Plan, which includes a calendar of activities to help team CDUK.

The organisation provides its staff with plenty of opportunities to support local charities and has a very active community group. It raise funds by doing various activities, including the Dragon Boat Race. It is also planning a litter pick for the local community later this year.

CDUK provides a profit-related pay scheme based on turnover and individual KPIs. It also has a Hero of the Quarter Award for someone who has best demonstrated the organisation’s values. It further gives Birthday and Long Service Awards, and has a thank-you portal to recognise help, support and hard work.

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Construction & Engineering

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Brighter Places

Brighter Places supports personal growth through initiatives like the Brighter Places University programme and traineeships. These efforts have led to one in four promotional opportunities and 50% of management opportunities being filled by internal colleagues.

Brighter Places offers a Flexi Benefit scheme of up to £700 for wellbeing, a 6.16% pension contribution, and 30 days of annual leave. The organisation also provides an interest-free loan of up to £1000 and up to 14 weeks of company sick pay, ensuring a fair deal for their employees.

The ethos at Brighter Places is one of collaboration, trust and respect, encouraging a sense of belonging and team spirit. The company actively fosters a blame-free and supportive working environment, ensuring everyone feels valued and part of the team.

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Housing Associations

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Fairness Counts

Crafted

Eficode UK

Bluestones Investment Group

Accord Marketing

Zest

Norman Broadbent

Cinnamon Care Collection

ForHousing

CD (UK) Ltd

Brighter Places

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