What are companies doing with regards to 'My Company'

Motiv8 is Markerstudy's central point for charitable activity, coordinating events like Markerstudy Day, the annual group wide activity fun day where staff raise money for local causes. Staff are also able to apply to Motiv8 for a donation towards their personal charity achievements and fundraising targets, offering up to £1,000 per quarter to good causes. Group charity initiatives from the last six months have included but are in no way limited to ‘Margo the Mini', a £16,000 restoration project which will see the 1969 Mini auctioned at the Classic Motor Show in November with all proceeds going to Prostate Cancer UK. There is also National Pet Month, where employees collected hundreds of tins of animal food and donated it to their local pet charities. Staff are encouraged to take a paid working day to support a charitable cause once a year. They are also able to volunteer for a charity for a week without the need to use their holiday entitlement. Markerstudy have developed two free road safety awareness programmes supported by Kent County Council that prepare children for life as a driver. Delivered to more than 24,000 young people, the programme is being delivered to an average of 500 children per week in Kent, which the company are keen to expand. Markerstudy also take care of their staff, for example they have supported some medium term absences while the employees seek drug and alcohol rehabilitation services and have also provided welfare support as and when needed. In one particular case they've also supported an employee to get off the homeless list.

Senior Managers are role models and consistently represent Markerstudy's V10 (values), building the organisation and ensuring they have a legacy for the future. They do this by encouraging monthly discussions to praise and provide feedback and support in demonstrating V10 behaviours, linking reward and recognition across the group to consistently demonstrating V10 and introducing their customer charter principles that take the values beyond the office environment to external customers. Managers also listen to ideas from staff and actively encourage feedback during ‘team forum' sessions and ‘walk the floor' opportunities. Many new ideas are elevated to the Board and developed. They also actively encourage fun as a part of the Markerstudy company ethos. Kevin is passionate about communicating with staff on a personal level. He is a people person, fascinated by what makes his organisation tick, devoted to improving benefits and dedicated to building a legacy. He has implemented a monthly ‘Messenger' column called ‘View from the Top', consistently voted favourite in staff surveys. There are also regular emails from him on important business announcements and rewards including prizes for internal competitions such as finals tickets at Wimbledon, VIP tickets to football and a box at the Rugby World Cup. He participated in the MSG Football tournament, led his own Dragon Boat Team at MSG FEST Dragon Boat Racing and even judged competitions including Markerstudy's Got Talent, Stars in Our Eyes and singing competitions/dance offs with large cash prizes. These are just a selection of the ways in which Kevin is hugely involved with his employees, something that also strengthens his leadership and positive impact within Markerstudy.

Maris have a monthly beauty treatment day, where a meeting room is taken over and staff can sign up for a free massage, a haircut or a manicure, it has proved to be a great way for staff to take 20 minutes out of their busy day to unwind. When the sign up list is put up staff always react excitedly and the list is full very quickly. They also provide a monthly lunch to employees. A local restaurant or food stall is selected, vouchers are printed and handed to staff to go and collect their free lunch. They give staff their birthday as a day's holiday, or a day within their birthday month. In addition, they close down between Christmas and New Year which is free time off for employees. The in house coffee shop, FOAM, provides fresh fruit, cereals, a daily snack and teas and coffees and is a unique and relaxing environment where staff can take a break at any time during the day. The office environment is also very comfortable with AC, plenty of natural light, comfortable seating and showers and lockers. Once a year employees are taken on holiday and gifted the time off. Any employee in a time of need is fully supported, Maris have paid for medical bills for four employees this year who have faced challenges. This year they decided to offer free health checks to employees where they brought in a doctor for a few days to examine vitals and discuss any issues with employees.

Maris base their business process around a Four Stage Plan. The Four Stage Plan takes the four different areas of the business; Finding it, Winning it, Adjudicating it, Delivering it, and sets out the ideal process and golden rules within each. Team leaders and department heads are responsible for communicating the process, ensuring the staff understand and employ it. At Maris, they are committed to continuous improvement, increased performance and quality standards and a desire to keep improving on their place in the Top 100 year on year. Their achievement of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 18001 has allowed them to engage the whole business, involving them in the setting up of new systems, training them in the operation of the systems and asking for input and suggestions for improvement. The prime objectives have been communicated company-wide and have really focused the entire company, as can be seen by the fantastic quarterly results that they have seen this year. It really affirms the commitment to the philosophy, CANI – Continuous and Never-ending Improvement, Maris' focus to be the best they can.

At the start of 2015 m/Six launched their "Beer Mats" programme. Every employee has been given twelve cards which they can award to anyone who has gone the extra mile for them. The mats can be redeemed for a free coffee or drink at the pub and this has allowed people to be recognised for their hard work. It has also afforded m/SIXers a new way to interact with one another, strengthen bonds between teams and individuals and to spread some positive vibes across the whole agency.

m/SIX understand that to attract and retain talent their people need to come first. By ensuring their people are happy, motivated and challenged they come to work inspired to create better work for their clients. The company put a lot of thought into developing a benefits package that promotes a collaborative work culture and strikes the right work life balance. Just some of the other benefits, processes and fun things that everyone working at m/SIX enjoys include Running Club, Monday Night Football, 3pm finish on a Friday during the Summer months, Childcare vouchers, an Employee Assistance, Life Assurance, Health Insurance, Private Medical Insurance, Season ticket loans, Free eye tests and Partner Discounts with companies like Apple and Majestic Wines. There are also Personal Finance Clinics, Film and Food nights and even a Book Club.

Lush works on a flat structure, which allows all employees to access Leaders in the company. Board members look to their teams for leadership and encourage them to take the lead where possible. All support and Senior Management staff are visible and available at any time to discuss ideas or concerns staff may have. Mark is heavily involved in the day to day running of the company, helping to develop the teams whilst also inventing fragrance and products. Mark always attends the European Communication Meetings, as well as travelling to other Communication meetings around the world so staff are able to see and talk to him on a regular basis. He visits and works on the shop floor from time to time, which really gives the staff a buzz, as well as openly telling employees that they can contact him via his personal Facebook page.

Lush donate products good for multisensory purposes to a local charity that cares for the elderly suffering with dementia and Alzheimers. The company also have a staff member whose son has to attend a local special needs school. The children there love Lush products, so the company regularly donate products to them and their families to use. Products are also sent to Women's prisons to help build their self-esteem before coming out to the real world in hope that this kick-starts a new life for them. Regular donations are made to small local charities, campaigns and organisations working in the areas of environment, animal protection and human rights, with funds raised from Lush's Charity Pot hand and body lotion. During the last financial year in the UK, the company donated over £1.6 million. Lush's Green Team also volunteered at Livability in Holton Lee and helped to set up a composting bin made from recycled bottles. Livability is a charity that supports people with special needs or disabilities and at Holton Lee they have the opportunity to learn about gardening and to be immersed in nature. Last year Lush also fixed a solar dehydrator for them and will be helping to repair it this month for another year of service! The charity can use it to dry herbs.

Lorica consider themselves to be a very baby friendly company. They have a very effective and accommodating system in place for all expecting parents. Once they are made aware of a pregnancy for a staff member they hold meetings to discuss their plans and run a risk assessment of their work station, providing back and feet supports where needed and generally making it as comfortable and suitable as possible. They also allow time to be taken for anti-natal appointments, which are fully paid. After the pregnancy they offer 'Keeping in touch days', whereby the employee will visit the office to catch up with everyone and often show off the new baby. Meetings are then arranged with Line Managers where they discuss returning to work conditions. The company are extremely flexible concerning the changing of hours or reductions from full to part time hours. They encourage employees not to check their emails whilst on holiday, instead naming team members/Line Managers to pick up important emails in their absence so that a holiday can remain a holiday.

Lorica consider themselves to be a very baby friendly company. They have a very effective and accommodating system in place for all expecting parents. Once they are made aware of a pregnancy for a staff member they hold meetings to discuss their plans and run a risk assessment of their work station, providing back and feet supports where needed and generally making it as comfortable and suitable as possible. They also allow time to be taken for anti-natal appointments, which are fully paid. After the pregnancy they offer 'Keeping in touch days', whereby the employee will visit the office to catch up with everyone and often show off the new baby. Meetings are then arranged with Line Managers where they discuss returning to work conditions. The company are extremely flexible concerning the changing of hours or reductions from full to part time hours. They encourage employees not to check their emails whilst on holiday, instead naming team members/Line Managers to pick up important emails in their absence so that a holiday can remain a holiday.

All London Diocesan staff are invited to a Summer BBQ in June and a Christmas Party in early December. Both are open to all and are a great way for staff from different business areas to meet one another. The organisation have a social committee who oversee the event but departmental teams are invited to get involved in the set up and to help build teams by laying tables, preparing food and overseeing the BBQ. 60-80 people would attend dependent on holiday etc. In between these events the Social Committee organise smaller social gatherings around a specific interest. These are usually after work or in a lunch break, for example Cheese and Wine Tasting and the Theatre.

Local Care Force constantly look to motivate their employees – the vision is that everyone looks forward to coming to work! They appreciate their team, thank them when they work late and continually express their gratitude and appreciation. They have a shift pattern to help avoid rush hour, help with child care and allow staff to go to the gym. A number of incentives run throughout the year, including activities to incentivise those who aren't targeted or on bonuses. Innovative Incentives for the administration team are taken just as seriously. A recent example is Bingo cards with customer-service related tasks to complete for prizes like luxury hotel stays, bar tabs, a parking pass and team meals out. There are often days dedicated to a given task like quality assurance or new business, where the team are given a week to plan, with prizes worth making a serious effort for, including recently an all-expenses paid holiday to Barcelona! The eventual winner of the holiday to Barcelona took a colleague with him to help celebrate his success, a real testament to Local Care Force's ethos of being friends and not just colleagues. The Management Team are dedicated to praising those who work hard, when a record or target is hit or someone simply goes over and above. The Management Team reward their entire team with a paid lunch or a meal after work to promote morale and strong relationships. Any praise is also emailed company wide, with the team positively commenting each time.

Local Care Force constantly look to motivate their employees – the vision is that everyone looks forward to coming to work! They appreciate their team, thank them when they work late and continually express their gratitude and appreciation. They have a shift pattern to help avoid rush hour, help with child care and allow staff to go to the gym. A number of incentives run throughout the year, including activities to incentivise those who aren't targeted or on bonuses. Innovative Incentives for the administration team are taken just as seriously. A recent example is Bingo cards with customer-service related tasks to complete for prizes like luxury hotel stays, bar tabs, a parking pass and team meals out. There are often days dedicated to a given task like quality assurance or new business, where the team are given a week to plan, with prizes worth making a serious effort for, including recently an all-expenses paid holiday to Barcelona! The eventual winner of the holiday to Barcelona took a colleague with him to help celebrate his success, a real testament to Local Care Force's ethos of being friends and not just colleagues. The Management Team are dedicated to praising those who work hard, when a record or target is hit or someone simply goes over and above. The Management Team reward their entire team with a paid lunch or a meal after work to promote morale and strong relationships. Any praise is also emailed company wide, with the team positively commenting each time.

To celebrate livin's 52nd position in the Times Top 100 they ran 52 ‘Great People Moments.' The moments were designed to make staff feel good about themselves and their role in the business and ranged from fun activities to surprise treats. Examples include a One Direction ticket extravaganza, free health checks, free Starbucks, a hike in the Lake District and much more. In addition to the Great People Moments the company also invested significantly in the health and wellbeing of staff with the launch of the Every Penny Helps scheme. 85% of staff take part and the extra pennies from their monthly salaries has raised nearly £1400 for the Healthy livin Fund. Matched by livin, nearly £3000 has been raised to fund a range of activities, facilities and staff services. The funds are put towards fitness classes, fitness equipment hire, healthy lunches, bikes for use over lunch breaks, group walks, beauty and massage treatments and health checks. A telephone based Employee Assistance Programme is available 24/7 for all staff and their immediate families to access counselling and guidance on matters as diverse as financial worries, stress and household issues. Livin's commitment and approach to staff wellbeing was recognised last year with the award of the Better Health at Work bronze award and this year they've just been evaluated for silver status.

With a real focus on team interaction and to support the delivery of Plan A, livin's new business strategy this year launched 'Connected Leaders.' All participants undertake a transactional analysis questionnaire to identify individual behaviour preferences and how these effect relationships. Through a series of coaching sessions staff are then equipped with skills to effectively manage their own and others behaviours to improve relationships. Ongoing team interaction is supported through livin's internal social media platform, Yammer. 100% of staff have profiles and the platform has 98% engagement rate, with 44 subgroups of cross department teams working of specific projects. 'Eurofever' was a companywide employee engagement event which demonstrated livin's multi-cultural awareness at the height of the European football event in 2016. Teams were selected randomly at a FIFA-style grand draw, with the Chief Executive presiding. Departments were challenged to display not only their own football team's colours in their work areas but to also come up with innovative ways of promoting the countries culture. Flags were raised, fascinating weird and wonderful facts were presented in wall art, histories were written and fun was had through quizzes and interactive art. The Berlin Wall was raised once more and staff were encouraged to write slogans on it - even The Hoff was resurrected (but didn't appear for a visit). Staff even brought in sweet and savoury food they had made to share with their team from their 'countries', including German sausage, pizza, pasties and goulash.

Since 2014 Lightsource have supported the community of Koh Krolor in Cambodia. Through payroll giving, the company donated £100,000 to Koh Krolor last year alone. The support Lightsource has provided to this project has meant meaningful and lasting change for the families and children of these 40 villages in the Koh Krolor district, as more than 11,000 people have directly benefited from work that World Vision is doing. In 2015 a Lightsource team and many members of the local community installed a 10kW solar array on the local high school, providing enough renewable energy to the school to power the sewer, a couple of computers, lights and fans. The solar installation further improved the local environment through also powering a water pump for the community, as well as providing a reliable and clean source of electricity. The company are committed to benefitting the host communities in which all their solar farms are developed, so offer a Community Benefit fund for all solar developments. So far Lightsource have committed over £7million to communities around the UK.

Lightsource moved from its former base at Old Bailey to a new custom-built office space to accommodate its in-house team. The fast-paced and dynamic nature of the solar industry means that team interaction is key to the company's success. The open plan office space of more than 30,000 sq ft allows for quick and easy communication between teams, including the Senior Management Team, ensuring everyone can work together closely in order to meet often tough deadlines. But the work hard/play hard ethos is echoed in the Lightsource Social environment. The offices large breakout areas, complete with retro arcade games and table football, are where you'll find table football tournaments in full-swing or maybe one of the Senior Management trying to hit top spot on Pac-man! Open and honest interaction between staff and teams is led by the CEO, who hosts regular company update events for all staff. These updates include the latest news on a business front, upcoming events and candid Q&A sessions, where all staff are encouraged to ask any question they like with the promise of an open and truthful answer from the Senior Management Team.

LCF Law understand that their people are their strength and as such they ensure that they support their development wherever they can. The company appraisal process is heavily geared towards personal growth and the development of skills both directly relevant to the employee's job role and those that are important for the individual. They fund courses for their team, ranging from soft-skills coaching all the way to professional qualification lasting several years. They have also embraced apprenticeships and currently support the development of seven, with three more being actively recruited for the Summer. They make sure that their employees have the time they need to fulfil their development goals with paid time off for studies, exams and activities in a wide variety of areas.

The partners and heads of department exemplify the values of LCF Law and demonstrate this on a daily basis. This can be seen in a number of ways, including through hard work, going the extra mile for clients, promoting their values through charity events and community involvement and in their interaction with every member of staff. They hold themselves to a high standard and are ideal role models for the team. Simon the CEO takes the time to get to know every employee, welcoming new starters to the firm personally, greeting and conversing with everyone as he walks around the office and always being available for a conversation or to give encouragement.