If an employee has given an outstanding contribution to the organisation they will be recognised by the management team for their efforts. They can receive a bronze. silver or gold award which represents varying monetary rewards. Gold 5%, Silver 3%, Bronze, 1% (percentage of annual salary). The managing Director delivers the awards to the selected employees and their pay slips are adjusted accordingly.

Constantly at the forefront of technology, they are Market leaders in the implementation of Skype for Business and innovators within the UC hosted market. The leaders' commitment to staff development is consistent and rewarding allowing the company to be competitive and exceptionally knowledgeable in their field of expertise. They respond to the customer quickly and efficiently and work quickly with partners to meet customer demand. Leaders are always available and constantly consider suggestions from the business. Processes are created with the customer experience in mind, understanding them and our value to them. The company is dedicated solely to one channel partner and they develop strategies and forecasts in support of this partner without having to compromise to accommodate other parties. Their commitment is dedicated to their service which has been determined by their leaders. The company deliver the best available service, on time and within budget and are able to do this because of the level of commitment from their leaders with regard to their on-going training and support.

The company has weekly departmental meeting for staff to become empowered with the freedom of idea and knowledge share in the agency. Monthly open door sessions are held with HR on an informal basis and follow up meetings and progress reports are produced to that staff can see their opinion counts. The company believes an open culture promotes a feeling of freedom. A programme called AnalogFolk Labs gives all staff an opportunity to spend part of their time working on innovation projects of their own. In addition to being a big morale boost, they have found AnalogFolk Labs to be a great way to keep the mind sharp, not to mention produce a few incredible products along the way.

One of the core values as a company is ‘Be Remarkable'. On the surface this sounds like a grand statement that rewards BIG achievements, but this is not the case. ‘Be Remarkable' is about approaching every part of your day with the same enthusiasm and always striving to go the extra mile (or meter, or centimetre). Their platform for rewarding Folk follows the same ethos. Whilst they do have big rewards for some of the biggest stars like our Global Exchange Programme, the opportunity to work in our micro-network of offices in London, NY, Sydney, Portland and Hong Kong they are passionate about ensuring Folk are rewarded for doing the little things. Nothing symbolises this more than their Weekly Nominations where Folk submit their nominations for a remarkable performer of the week. Nominations are read out at the Friday meeting with each nominee receiving a warm ovation and the winner a playful prize. We reward our Folk for their dedication and loyalty by celebrating their AnalogFolk birthday by gifts and gestures. Service is also rewarded with enhanced benefits.

On 5 February 2015, the company led a major employee engagement initiative in support of Time to Change's ‘Time to Talk' Day. They have set up a mental health steering committee to support this activity with representatives from across the business. UK American Express employees were encouraged to support the campaign by taking 5 minutes to have a conversation about mental health, either in one-to-ones, or in team meetings. Email calls to action to all employees were distributed, printed materials were provided in the communal areas, plus a one minute video was provided as a conversation starter. At the same time, they promoted their ‘Healthy Minds' employee assistance programme as a go-to resource for emotional wellbeing, so that employees could share information about the resources available. Employees were asked to bank their conversations via a data collection tool. The aim for the public campaign was 24 hours of conversations across the country. The day at the company started with the HR leadership team focusing on the topic at its leadership day programme. A road show event in key operation locations saw hundreds of meaningful interactions, and the Occupational Health team dedicated the day to mental wellbeing activities. Employees across American Express UK took up the challenge, banking a total of 26 hours and 45 minutes' worth of conversations about mental health, exceeding the target set by the campaign. As a result the company has sought to normalise the conversation around mental health.

The Reward Blue programme enables all employees to recognise colleagues no matter which business unit they work in, grade or location. Employees can praise effort, reward results and celebrate loyalty. Employees can be nominated for Reward Blue points that can be redeemed through the Reward Blue catalogue to buy gifts and high street shopping vouchers. Every year March is ‘Employee Appreciation Month'. Senior Leaders encourage their employees to consider how they can celebrate everyday accomplishments at work. In addition Blue Looks Good on You was held on March 18, and employees were asked to wear their best blue clothes to show their support for recognition. Pinnacle Reward programs are uniquely designed by business unit Senior Leaders to recognise outstanding achievements and the extraordinary people who made them happen. Chairman's Award for Innovation program honours teams worldwide who have developed new or improved products, processes or services that have had a measurable impact on business results. It is the premier program for recognising employees around the world who exemplify the innovative spirit that is a core element of the heritage Customer Service Award which recognises two categories of excellence: employees who provided a single act of outstanding service over the past year and employees who demonstrate consistent excellence over five years or more. The Working Parents and Care Givers programme has been set up for employees to nominate a colleague who manages to make their career and family fit into their life and inspires them. Ten winners are chosen to receive 10,000 reward blue points.

The Executive Board demonstrate their commitment to their four company values, Caring, Connected, Excellent and Responsible in a variety of ways. They do regular walk-arounds and attend team meeting to stay connected with what is happening at all levels of the business. The Executive Board take part in an ‘Exec Tea Run' twice a year, delivering tea, coffee and cakes to employees on every floor of our head office. They also lead by example when it comes to CSR, regularly taking part in volunteering days and our company wide events for Children in Need. During our bi-annual Communication Forums the members of the Executive Board present with a focus on the four values.

The Executive Board demonstrate their commitment to their four company values, Caring, Connected, Excellent and Responsible in a variety of ways. They do regular walk-arounds and attend team meeting to stay connected with what is happening at all levels of the business. The Executive Board take part in an ‘Exec Tea Run' twice a year, delivering tea, coffee and cakes to employees on every floor of our head office. They also lead by example when it comes to CSR, regularly taking part in volunteering days and our company wide events for Children in Need. During our bi-annual Communication Forums the members of the Executive Board present with a focus on the four values.

Employees have attended events to create understanding about the company's five year plan, about individual business areas and how they plan to deliver exceptional customer service. The event also offered opportunities for colleagues to ask questions of the Executive Team. Prior to the event, employees posed questions and feedback via an electronic portal so they could ask questions anonymously should they prefer. Competitions were set up with prizes, and everyone was encouraged to have fun. Feedback post event showed that colleagues gave the event an overall rating of 4.1/5 (v 3.8/5 in 2014). 92% of participants felt the events objectives were met, 90% said they felt proud of working for the company and 74% of respondents had a better understanding of the Bank's vision. Following on from the events all senior leaders were involved in a company-wide cascade of the five year plan launched at the roadshows. Leaders across the business held sessions with their teams, using a centrally provided toolkit (presentation, quiz cards, briefing notes) to explain the five year plan in more detail and what it would mean for colleagues in their area. These sessions were well received and have set the strategic context for colleagues for the years ahead.

Employees have attended events to create understanding about the company's five year plan, about individual business areas and how they plan to deliver exceptional customer service. The event also offered opportunities for colleagues to ask questions of the Executive Team. Prior to the event, employees posed questions and feedback via an electronic portal so they could ask questions anonymously should they prefer. Competitions were set up with prizes, and everyone was encouraged to have fun. Feedback post event showed that colleagues gave the event an overall rating of 4.1/5 (v 3.8/5 in 2014). 92% of participants felt the events objectives were met, 90% said they felt proud of working for the company and 74% of respondents had a better understanding of the Bank's vision. Following on from the events all senior leaders were involved in a company-wide cascade of the five year plan launched at the roadshows. Leaders across the business held sessions with their teams, using a centrally provided toolkit (presentation, quiz cards, briefing notes) to explain the five year plan in more detail and what it would mean for colleagues in their area. These sessions were well received and have set the strategic context for colleagues for the years ahead.

As well as being embedded in day to day culture and work life, employees are aware of the company ambition and primary purpose from the first day that they join the company. They are advised of the company values at their first day HR induction session, and again when they have a meeting with the Head of HR within their first two weeks of employment, where they are talked through the guiding principles and values of the company and the background of how they were derived. They celebrate actions that embrace these values by sharing news of such successes throughout the company, either in person at staff briefings, or by email communication from a senior manager. These help to reiterate and promote values and principles on a regular basis.

The Senior Management Team takes pride in demonstrating the company values through their own behaviour and leading by example. The 2014 Employee survey showed that communication of future Company plans by the Senior Management Team to all staff inspired people in the workforce to perform well. Their approach and the employee's confidence in the Senior Management Team gets the best from their people. They have an excellent approach to open and honest communication – no-one fears voicing an opinion or challenging ‘the norm'. All Senior Managers have an open door policy. Quarterly staff meetings are held to keep everyone abreast of both Company and Fairfax group information, company performance, financial figures and other relative industry news. They also have weekly underwriting meetings to share and discuss progress, business wins, etc.

Addaction aim to recruit employees who have the right mix of skills, experience, attitudes and beliefs to perform their role in a way that matches their values and standards. They then ensure that each employee has the opportunity to develop and learn to enable them to deliver the best possible recovery services. Employee development adopts a blended approach including qualifications, classroom training and online learning. Their classroom training is delivered by qualified trainers who have extensive experience of working in the substance misuse sector. With a focus on skills development, they develop their front line practitioners in using evidenced based psychosocial interventions with their service users. Their holistic approach to providing recovery services means that they also ensure their front line practitioners develop skills to support service users presenting with a range of issues including mental health, domestic abuse and self-harm. The company consistently achieve over 96% positive satisfaction rating for their classroom training. Their classroom training also supports any non-professionally qualified front line employee to gain a QCF qualification working in substance misuse which they have to achieve in their first year of employment. For non-practitioner employees they have worked with an awarding body to develop a new bespoke CQF qualification to raise awareness of substance misuse issues in their wider employee population. Their online learning is a particular success story. Since they started to develop their online learning provision in 2011, Addaction have won numerous awards and recognition for their provision which includes both mandatory and professional development modules.

Addaction is an approved centre with the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and employs a Management Development specialist to deliver a range of qualifications within the ILM framework. These qualifications contribute to the individual development of their managers as well as helping to ensure consistency of management practices across the organisation. They have also made the Level 3 Award in Leadership & Management available to their aspiring team leaders to help them develop them in anticipation of their career development and many of those have taken up this opportunity have already moved into their first management roles. The company have recently piloted an ILM Award in Coaching and the feedback from this is helping them to shape their future coaching and talent management strategy. Their ILM courses are very well received and consistently achieve a 99% positive satisfaction rating. Their managers also benefit from a wide range of eLearning modules covering aspects of leadership and management as part of their online learning provisions. This includes practical modules covering budgets, health and safety and legislative requirements as well as modules covering leadership styles and team working. In addition, they deliver a range of HR workshops to their managers to support them in their practice in recruitment and selection and supervision and performance management of their employees in addition to the potentially more challenging areas of employee relations and conducting investigations. These are developed by their HR practitioners in collaboration with L&D practitioners and enjoy an average positive satisfaction rating of 95%.

To celebrate great teamwork throughout the year they hold a Summer BBQ for everyone based at our Head Office. This involves the Operations team, some of the Marketing team, the Admin teams and the Directors and lasts most of the day. People take part in various challenges and get to compete in group events like the egg and spoon race. Overall winners receive a shield, individual winners receive trophies and prizes (gifts vouchers) are awarded at the end of the day. This has become a great Institution in the company and highly motivational.

To celebrate great teamwork throughout the year they hold a Summer BBQ for everyone based at our Head Office. This involves the Operations team, some of the Marketing team, the Admin teams and the Directors and lasts most of the day. People take part in various challenges and get to compete in group events like the egg and spoon race. Overall winners receive a shield, individual winners receive trophies and prizes (gifts vouchers) are awarded at the end of the day. This has become a great Institution in the company and highly motivational.

A2Dominion's support for employee development is best evidenced through its continued investment in staff training, initiatives and programmes. Programmes such as the Talent Development Deal have been fully reviewed following feedback from the staff survey, previous cohorts and organisation changes and a new level called ‘Rising Stars' has been introduced in 2015/16 which allows A2Dominion to have an offer aimed at developing management capability of front line colleagues. Courses aimed at ensuring staff develop work related skills and personal attributes continue to be both relevant and highly attended (3283 staff attended classroom training last year, with 96% of staff confirming they had successfully applied learning to their role) and they have been working to increase their portfolio of e-learning to ensure staff are receiving the development needed whilst reducing the time out of the office (25 new courses developed in-house in 2014/15). Furthermore, specific departmental learning programmes have helped increase the personal learning of specific teams, with measures such as increase in competency scores and call coaching rates improved. Finally, the continued offering of both in house qualification programmes (including the CMI Certificate in Management and specific departmental qualifications e.g. IRPM for Leasehold staff), as well as external qualifications offer staff the opportunity to become fully qualified in their area of work with 100% of managers confirming there had been a direct benefit to the team and organisation as a result.

The company believe their Wellbeing scheme has been their most effective initiative. The scheme focuses on quarterly campaigns, which have in the past covered nutrition, hydration, resilience and physical activity. These campaigns were supported with merchandise to reinforce messages, e.g. water bottles and healthy alternative drinks to tea and coffee. They trained 15 Wellbeing Leaders across the business who have planned and delivered these campaigns. The Wellbeing Leaders recently organised and supported an extension of an existing office hygiene campaign following a successful pilot called Healthy Workplace to their new upgraded offices provided for staff with improved facilities. Following employee feedback, this year they have reviewed how they can refocus their wellbeing campaign to make a bigger impact on staff. Going forward, the company will be holding two dedicated 'wellbeing weeks' a year, jam-packed full of health-focussed events. Their Lean Programme helps staff to improve their productivity, efficiency and quality of services to customers by streamlining processes and cutting out anything that is unnecessary. In addition they offer a long and varied list of flexible benefits that are continually refreshed in consultation with their employees.