Giving Something Back - The extent to which employees feel their organisation has a positive impact on society
Giving Something Back focuses on the organisation’s social responsibilities. If key factors such as ‘Leadership’ and ‘My Manager’ are performing well, it can influence the improvement of all the other factors, boosting your overall engagement.
At the start of the first lockdown the company's You Make us Proud video applauded nursery teams even before the weekly clap for the NHS launched. At a time when income was severely impacted and restrictions limited occupancy, investment in core service provision and employee support initiatives was maintained and increased.
The company topped up the pay of anyone on furlough to 100% and all job advertisements highlight full partnership in the business to promote its employee-owned structure and the annual tax-free dividend payments made. The same maximum amount, based on hours worked, is awarded to all from apprentices through to Michael Thompson, the Chairman.
Colleagues elected Cancer Research UK as their charity of the year for 2020 – and raised more than £76,000 for the cause. The pandemic did impact fundraising, however – employees achieved a sum of £167,653.27 the year before.
The Cello Academy has been running for 14 years and connects all of the Cello businesses through the process of management learning and development and includes The Aspire Programme for new managers, The Inspire Programme aimed at mid-level managers and project leaders and The Senior Leaders Programme.
During lockdown Cello Health has regularly sent employees treat boxes containing games and activities,stationary to use for work and special treats including chocolates and champagne. Employees who are recognised for going above and beyond for their clients and colleagues have been rewarded with gift vouchers and additional time off.
For the last three years Cello Health has been supporting The Trussell Trust and its foodbanks including throughout lockdown. Cello Health also held virtual fundraisers including a bake-off and charity quiz and donated £10,000 to Findacure, a charity which supports people with rare diseases.
Training increased in volume over the past year as an important tool to keep employees engaged in their roles. The company helps to put people through exams and several staff members passed their qualifications in recent months.
Half of Caspian's directors and managers are women, as well as 43% of the staff overall. The company has been nominated for the Women in Insurance awards and in 2020 was the first brokerage to sign the Lloyds of London Inclusivity Pledge.
Caspian introduced paperless documents, using remote training to bring in the e-signature system quickly. Not only did the streamlined process make the company's service greener but improved its service, tripling its Trustpilot review in 2020 compared with 2019.
Managers at Cardlytics care about the job satisfaction of their team members and get behind wellness initiatives – even laughter yoga to boost morale. A mental health workshop provided managers with the skills to spot the signs of employees who may be struggling.
Every member of staff has an individual training budget of £1,000. As well as internal training courses, Cardlytics offers self-development workshops for employees to explore interests. A mentorship programme allows people to share experience, knowledge and skills as well as perspectives and cultures.
Employees are allowed one day a year to volunteer for a good cause. Staff members support local planting projects and community schemes. Although fundraising plans were disrupted by the pandemic, Cardlytics staff contributed to charities supporting those with disabilities or ill health including £1,200 for NHS Charities Together.
Capco runs fortnightly Lunch with Leadership calls to provide business and people updates and to answer employee questions with different leaders leading each call. Virtual quarterly Town Halls celebrate individual and team successes and showcase new initiatives, as well as providing general business news.
Capco has kept staff feeling connected with regular informal team catch-ups and a range of events and activities including quizzes, bingo and a performance from a magician. Employees participated in a team-based running challenge in November, which saw them clock up nearly 20,000km and raise £3,500 for charity.
Last year Capco raised £50,000 for a range of charities including Hackney Foodbank, and Veterans Aid and employees completed 400 hours of volunteering despite the ongoing pandemic. Staff continued to support education and youth empowerment through various initiatives including pro-bono consulting.
December survey results showed that 92% of Camelot employees believe the business operates with integrity and 96% of them feel well led. The executive team sent out care packages to everyone to thank them during this uncertain year, and the chairman personally called anyone who tested positive for Covid-19 to offer support.
Camelot allows employees to claim up to £1,000 off gym memberships and this subsidy now includes online classes. Everyone can access virtual appointments with GPs, counsellors, physiotherapists – and get life, money and wellbeing support. To help working parents and their children, the firm made an additional 15 days' paid leave available.
Last Christmas, Watford Borough Council and local cycle-hire scheme Beryl Bikes encouraged residents to take part in a Laps To Lapland initiative to fundraise for the Watford Helps Covid-19 charities appeal. The aim was to collectively cycle the 6,307km distance from Watford to Lapland and back, and Camelot donated over £6,000 to the cause.
Departments arrange virtual team meetings on a regular basis and staff have taken part in a range of online social activities. These included coffee mornings, photo competitions and the annual Christmas party which featured various breakout rooms including a quiz, craft workshops, a film and a virtual escape room.
The organisation has three trained mental health first aiders and all employees have access to the meditation and mindfulness Headspace app. Staff are encouraged to speak with their line managers regularly and let them know of any problems working from home.
The organisation has used thermal imaging equipment on its buildings to pinpoint areas of heat lost to maximise the efficiency of any improvement works. Eco-friendly initiatives range from a beehives project to using only fair-trade or rainforest alliance certified coffee and it has switched to reusable glass milk bottles.
Managing director Helen Jackson, who took over in 2016, has expanded Bush & Co's services to meet clients' needs. In a weekly vlog, she joins colleagues listing what they are grateful for, and explains the thinking behind business decisions in a monthly Biscuit Briefing to all staff.
Bush & Co's first response to the pandemic was to emphasise how much the business cared for employees and their families. The firm set up an advice hub and sent “happy post” such as chocolate and sleep masks to people's homes. Managers joined in lunchtime yoga and mindfulness sessions.
Under a joint venture on case management services, in partnership with organisations such as the Child Brain Injury Trust and the Spinal Injuries Association, Bush & Co donates support funds for life to people who are referred as part of the litigation process, no matter how their injury was caused.
Since its launch three years ago more than 1,300 employees have been through the company's Aspire development programme, which won ‘People Development Programme of the Year' at the Learning Awards in February. Over 950 of those participants have been promoted into the role they wanted.
Employees can nominate staff for a monetary award for “brilliant work” through the employee recognition scheme, ‘Just to Say'. The most exceptional examples are recognised at the annual Consumer Live event, which last year involved 18 livestreams, 68 awards, and was broadcast on BT Sport and hosted by Tess Daly and Rylan Clark-Neal.
The recently launched plastic reduction programme called ‘Get Drastic on Plastic' has set a goal that by 2025, all plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable. BT Consumer encourages customers to return their products so they can be recycled or refurbished.
At the end of 2020, each member of the team received a personal letter, a bag of goodies and an award from the chief executive, Antony Mayfield, to recognise their hard work and say thank you for getting through a hard year.
A “Walk the Mind” team social involved the whole team committing to take time away from their screens, outside if possible, and share photos. They all took their walk at the same time, making them feel connected even though the pandemic kept them apart.
Brilliant Noise participated in a local scheme called Tech-Takeback, donating all its unused or old laptops, printers and hardware to be distributed to families who needed them for homeschooling. Staff have taken part in clean-ups on the nearby beach.
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