Leadership

TOPdesk

Staff are encouraged to take screen breaks, especially when working from home. Training is provided on proper rest breaks. Employees are advised not to have work apps on their personal phones to avoid overworking and are discouraged from working overtime and at weekends.

There is access to an employee assistance programme and mental health first aid training for all managers and others. The company focuses on men's mental health during Movember, and staff have access to platforms that give gym and spa discounts. Free face-to-face counselling is offered through TOPdesk's health care plan.

The company believes in the accessibility of its leadership. It has a flat hierarchy with an open-door policy and an ethos of leaders who serve. Leaders adhere to the agile-working methodology and minutes of management meetings are published.

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Technology

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The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

The society uses blended learning. Its model includes online learning, bite-sized training, work-based learning, learning games, project-led activities, acting-up opportunities, secondments, involvement in staff-led initiatives, learn-and-share forums and support to obtain further qualifications.

Staff nominate a charity to support each year, based on recommendations submitted by colleagues. In 2021, it was Swan UK, which supports children with syndromes without a name. It received £3,000 thanks to staff-led activities such as quizzes and sweepstakes, as well as match-funding from the society of up to £1,500.

The society has continued to work predominantly remotely, but leaders have increasingly sought opportunities to connect with people in person, while sustaining virtual opportunities. The leadership continued to work towards its ambition to engage staff with its vision through leader-led "home-team’"discussions which provide a space for staff to give feedback on a range of topics.

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Not For Profit Body's

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St. Gemma's Hospice

Wellbeing initiatives include sessions on resilience, looking after yourself, managing time and managing stress. Clinical supervision has been increased and there are counsellors on site to deal with immediate issues. Relaxation and mindfulness sessions, as well as recordings, are available and a wellbeing week focuses on all areas of mental and physical health.

An external provider has been used for team-development training, as well as to encourage cross-team collaboration. Monthly IT skills sessions help staff to improve their technical know-how. The hospice has a bespoke clinical leadership course. Nursing staff are supported through nationally recognised courses, including non-medical prescribing and master's and doctoral degrees.

The hospice's ambition is to develop an accessible leadership and management framework that outlines leadership expectations, behaviour, and training opportunities, as well as a managers' competency checklist setting core standards for those who have line management responsibility within the hospice.

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Charity's

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Horizon Platforms

A wellbeing activity calendar outlines the areas that will be focused on each month, including support for New Year's resolutions, lunchtime walking clubs, walking meetings, the cycle-to-work scheme, hydration awareness and flu vaccines. Managers are trained in mental health first aid and are encouraged to back home and hybrid working.

In 2021, a group of co-owners tackled the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the company's chosen charity, Cancer Research, and raised £6,500. This year staff will take on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in aid of Dementia UK. A sponsored dog walk will take place for those who fancy something less strenuous.

Each year, the leadership team commits to a set of priorities that focus on people. Leaders also act as role models for the company's values. The team meets daily and considers the values in all decision-making and activity.

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Business Services

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Appello

A team of staff produces a bi-monthly newsletter, The Wrap Up, which is sent to the whole business. It provides updates on new joiners, career changes, promotions and births, as well as spotlighting particular departments, products or processes.

Senior managers have been leading from the front in making adjustments within their teams to support more flexible working and developing internal opportunities for people to carve out a long-term career with Appello.

Development is supported through succession-planning and encouraging staff to apply for internal roles, before jobs are advertised externally. Since the last survey, more than 20 staff have been promoted or transferred to fellow departments to progress their careers and widen their skill sets.

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Technology

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TopHat

TopHat aims to offer equal opportunities and wants to encourage more women into the business. It has begun internal apprenticeship schemes in lean manufacturing and has employed young people through the government's Kickstart Scheme. It provides opportunities for people with disabilities and has, in the past, worked with ex-offenders.

The senior team has articulated a clear strategic plan that focuses on business growth. Key objectives are shared with all members of the organisation so that everyone understands how vital their roles are in delivering the organisational goals.

The company says it offers excellent training and development opportunities, career progression and the use of new robotics technology. Managers undertake first line manager training and there are executive development programmes for senior management and early talent.

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Property

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Moonpig

Staff have free access to 12 video therapy sessions per year, along with other mental health tools. Initiatives to support the health of employees include a £100 wellbeing allowance to spend on a subscription, such as gym membership — or even Netflix — along with virtual social events, financial wellbeing workshops and resilience training.

Various channels — digital as well as in-person — are used to ensure staff understand Moonpig's vision and strategy, and feel an integral part of what the company is trying to achieve. The annual Strategy Day brings the company's strategic vision to life with activities and keynote speakers from across the business.

Employee-led groups include the LGBTQ+ committee, gender balance committee and the 'Moonpig Against Racism' committee. Staff have also volunteered their skills to help the diversity-in-tech social enterprises, Stemettes and Cajigo, which support young women and non-binary people in tech careers.

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Technology

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River Island

Islanders told the company that being kept up to date on what was going on in the company was important to them, so chief executive Will Kernan writes a weekly update to all business areas. He also sends video messages and there are quarterly town hall business updates. Senior leaders have also sent wellbeing messages.

River Island's ethos is "Our community is always open" and it has partnered with Blueprint for All, which was formerly the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, to help the company identify how to become an inclusive place to work and shop. It has learnt where some improvements can be made simply by listening to staff.

To thank staff for their efforts last year, which in spite of Brexit, a global pandemic and supply-chain problems, was a positive one for the company, they were given a bonus. The high-street market has been challenging, but passionate, hard-working Islanders ensured that the company remained resilient.

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Retail

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Portview Fit-Out

Portview's Live Better, Feel Better programme is led by in-house occupational health nurse, Norma McKibbin, who is a qualified cognitive behavioural therapy practitioner. Last year, she was highly commended in the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Ambassador of the Year category of the British Safety Council’s International Safety Awards.

Using the Hub, Portview's employee engagement platform, heads of department give video updates on their departments. Managing director Simon Campbell and line managers run virtual coffee mornings — no work chat, just a hello. Team leaders give daily briefings to talk about workload and deadlines.

Everyone keeps in touch through the Hub, which is fun, informative, educational, honest and fresh. It showcases Portview's culture and helps to inspire and enable people to go the extra mile and seek opportunities for continual improvement to benefit themselves, the organisation and its clients.

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Construction & Engineering

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Motorpoint

At monthly Foody Fridays or Munchie Mondays, depending on the teams' working patterns, takeaways are delivered to all team members. The business encourages teams to go out together and have fun at quarterly events, which it funds.

Communication is a priority within Motorpoint, and, as the organisation grows, it focuses particularly on maintaining leadership visibility. Chief executive Mark Carpenter hosts a monthly Happy Hour to update staff on the business and make sure that its values are lived. All staff can attend and questions are welcomed.

Staff brandishing buckets and sponges washed customers and employees' cars to raise £3,000 for radio company Global's Make Some Noise day. At Christmas the business hosted drive-in cinemas at six sites, inviting customers and teams to watch Elf. Profits went to the organisation, which helps small charities that work to improve people's lives.

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Automotive

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Leadership Drives Engagement

TOPdesk

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

St. Gemma's Hospice

Horizon Platforms

Appello

TopHat

Moonpig

River Island

Portview Fit-Out

Motorpoint

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