What are companies doing with regards to 'My Company'

The Financial Ombudsman really values the importance of team building. You can see managers doing this in a variety of ways from using their reward and recognition budget to arrange an event for the team, to team meetings to allow everyone in the team to get to know one another. It's something they encourage at all levels. Across the organisation they have put a lot of energy and thought into planning events they arrange for their people. As a not-for-profit organisation it's really important there is a purpose and value. They regularly hold events for their management team including their “the big questions” where managers have the opportunity to meet and network and ask their executive questions about the work of the organisation. This is their way of getting their managers together to talk about what's happening in their area. Following great success last year, they took all their managers off site again this year for an event that included various workshops to share knowledge and develop their skills, to focus on their purpose as an organisation and working together on what this means they expect from people working here. This involves a range of different interactive workshops and talks led by senior leaders and inspirational speakers.

The Financial Ombudsman participated in National Fitness day, focusing on simple ways to inspire their people to be more active. They ran free power half hour sessions in their on-site gym every hour from 7.00 am and made these available to non-members. They had a high take up and more people have taken up membership of the gym as a result of this. They also ran a series of lunchtime walks for people; they had a number of walk leaders who took their groups on a tour of the local area of between 30 and 60 minutes. These were very popular and also a networking event as people met other people from the organisation. A number of people that took part in the lunchtime walks now meet regularly to go for a walk. They have impacted people at the ombudsman by taking part in this initiative as people are taking exercise that they were not before. They ran a Back Care and Posture Awareness Event in partnership with Nuffield Health and their health and safety department. They put in place a demo desk set up so that their health and safety advisor could show people how to make adjustments to their own work stations for better posture. They were also made aware that they could have a desk assessment. Nuffield did back check with a spinal mouse and there was a physiotherapist to give advice and demonstrate strengthening and relaxing exercises.

Team building takes place at both company and departmental level and includes their annual Christmas party, their 20th Anniversary Staff Reunion, staff quiz and talent nights and team away days. They have provided time management training, work life balance talks, and nutrition talks. This initiative was designed to encourage staff to work more efficiently, to take breaks and to eat healthily - all of which should help productivity.

For the first time in the Trust's history, every member of staff shared in the success of the financial year 2013/2014 with a 2% bonus. The record breaking year was a triumph of dedication and hard-work from the whole team which was recognised by the board of directors.

Fairpoint have set up a charity committee containing 16 self nominated charity champions. The purpose of Fairpoint's charity committee is to make a difference in the local and wider community through fund raising, volunteering and taking part in activities that help their community. The role of the charity champions that make up the charity committee is to organise fund raising events across the business They will lead and promote fund raising activities across the business, contribute to the monthly charity newsletter, attend monthly charity meetings, promote the Making A Difference framework across the business, produce promotional material to promote various charity events, encourage ideas across the business to help make a difference in the local community and promote and organise any social events across the company. A charity calendar is produced at the start of the year created by the charity committee based on feedback from employees on what charities should be supported this year. This meant that the company has a set charity or charities to support each month. Fairpoint set a target to reach £15,000 through fund raising activities, sponsorship and workplace giving in 2014. They were on target to reach this as they raised over £13,000 to September 2014 with more events planned during the last quarter of the year. The fund raising events and sponsorship that takes place in the company encourages employees to work together as a team and also makes employees feel proud to work for a company that helps the local and wider community.

Fairpoint have set up a charity committee containing 16 self nominated charity champions. The purpose of Fairpoint's charity committee is to make a difference in the local and wider community through fund raising, volunteering and taking part in activities that help their community. The role of the charity champions that make up the charity committee is to organise fund raising events across the business They will lead and promote fund raising activities across the business, contribute to the monthly charity newsletter, attend monthly charity meetings, promote the Making A Difference framework across the business, produce promotional material to promote various charity events, encourage ideas across the business to help make a difference in the local community and promote and organise any social events across the company. A charity calendar is produced at the start of the year created by the charity committee based on feedback from employees on what charities should be supported this year. This meant that the company has a set charity or charities to support each month. Fairpoint set a target to reach £15,000 through fund raising activities, sponsorship and workplace giving in 2014. They were on target to reach this as they raised over £13,000 to September 2014 with more events planned during the last quarter of the year. The fund raising events and sponsorship that takes place in the company encourages employees to work together as a team and also makes employees feel proud to work for a company that helps the local and wider community.

Excelian understand that in the current economic climate getting the most out of their people is more important than ever. Due to the nature of their business, almost half of their employees are not from the UK. This means that many of them are not registered with a GP, therefore Excelian provide there employees with unlimited access to a top private GP practice with offices across the city. They also offer healthy breakfast at their London HQ, providing a selection of healthy cereals and wholemeal bread for toast, to set them up for the day.

Excelian's two year partnership with Inspire has allowed all staff to volunteer throughout the academic year helping primary school students gain knowledge in presentations and marketing. They also offer work experience to secondary schools. These schools are all within their working community the students are vulnerable learners with multi-agency involvement, many of whom are statemented or on school action plus. These include learners who have been excluded from mainstream school or other Pupil Referral Unit provision or who are school refusers. Excelian also have a partnership with Careers Academies where staff volunteer to mentor a student over an 18 month programme assisting them on coursework, reinforcing classroom learning with real life examples, expanding their understanding of business culture and workplace etiquette. They practise employability skills such as time management, problem solving, CV writing or interview techniques and widen their network of business contacts for the future.

Every Christmas, Energy & Utility Skills ask their staff to donate an unwanted gift or buy a little something extra when doing their Christmas shopping so that they can donate them to Solihull Women's Refuge. The Refuge provides a range of services for women and children from six months of age to early teens who have been affected by domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse, who have to leave their homes, often with very little. Thanks to the generosity of staff over the past few years giving back to the local community, their donations have meant that many local families could have a happier Christmas. Energy & Utility Skills is a relatively small organisation with limited resources to focus on fundraising activities, but in fact, they do an incredible amount of fundraising work. As well as raising funds every year for a broad range of worthy causes, they also recycle their old IT equipment by donating it to local charities, schools and groups who need it. They're immensely proud that with the help of their staff, they've raised so much money and most importantly, made such a difference to so many good causes.

Energy & Utility Skills' staff play a vital role in contributing to the overall success of the EU Skills Group, delivering objectives as an organisation, as a team and as individuals. Their Performance and Development Review process places importance on ensuring that everyone who works at the EU Skills Group understands how the work they do contributes to the overall delivery of their Vision, their Business Plan and their business success. They want their staff to share the success of the organisation. Alongside the Annual Review Process, their Performance-related Bonus Scheme recognises and regards employees' collective contribution to the delivery of the EU Skills Group's financial and business objectives by providing the opportunity for them to earn a personal bonus.

EMac encourages wellbeing by the Support for Stop Smoking, Free flu jabs a Clean, fresh, light environment which is decorated /painted twice a year and they have Bright furniture.

EMaC is a hands-on highly personal business. The experience delivered to customers is consciously personal. This ethos is reflected by the SMT. The SMT walk the floors and walk the talk. ‘Catching people doing things right' is an approach designed to reaffirm confidence and empowerment. Having grown from 2 to almost 100 people in ten years, the Values are very much part of the business DNA. Deeply embedded into business processes and procedures under the banner of ‘doing the right thing' team members are empowered to act in a way that supports the values and the needs of EMaC's multiple customer layers.

Managers at Elmhurst support the wellbeing of employees by giving paid time off for medical and dental appointments, working from home to support domestic challenges, and paid time off for funerals and bereavements. The company also offers its premises for weekly yoga classes.

Managers at Elmhurst support the wellbeing of employees by giving paid time off for medical and dental appointments, working from home to support domestic challenges, and paid time off for funerals and bereavements. The company also offers its premises for weekly yoga classes.

Linked to Elior's multi-award winning eXperience programme, Training Journal and Personnel Today, the “You Made a Difference” recognition scheme was introduced in the spring of 2012. Its goal was to move the spotlight from the negative to positive and designed to reinforce and encourage positive behaviours, recognising progress being made by their colleagues by thanking them each time a job is well done. Noticing, and thanking their colleagues for doing jobs well and with a warm, friendly and genuine attitude creates job confidence and satisfaction, colleague engagement and commitment to Elior UK. This in turn drives positive results for all. When an Elior colleague is seen to be “Making a Difference”, and demonstrating something exceptional, they are immediately recognised with a ‘thank you' and issued by their Manager with a ‘You Made a Difference' thank you cheque. The Manager then records the entry on their internal extranet giving the colleague an opportunity to win one of 40 gift vouchers each month. This scheme has been so successful and well received by the business, that it has been incorporated as a distinctive category in its own right at the annual awards ceremony where those individuals who have made a unique difference are recognised. Last year's winner introduced a healthy eating ‘points mean prizes' initiative which was so successful at site, that it was replicated across other operating sites.

The senior management team has fully embraced the You Made a Difference scheme, using it to engage with colleagues for a job well done. There is a genuine warm and friendly approach adopted by the senior leaders that makes colleagues at all levels comfortable with approaching them. It is an informal yet clear approach that makes colleagues feel that they are not simply a number in the organisation. This is clearly demonstrated by the back to the floor days during which a member of the senior team spends a day at site, where they really get their hands dirty. Elior's HR Director, Arran McDowell was the most recent member of the Leadership team to show his commitment, spending a full day in the kitchen preparing food for service. It is also important to note that 60% of their board has been promoted internally – there is a real focus and dedication to colleague development.

East Thames Group's performance briefings are organised by the senior management team to ensure all staff have the information they need on East Thames' performance. The quarterly presentations are delivered by the Chief Executive, alongside other senior members of staff who present on the important issues affecting East Thames. As well as providing important information they are often interactive and aim to educate staff about various areas of the business. During the briefings there are frequent opportunities for staff to ask the senior management team questions and ensure two-way communication is taking place.

East Thames Group's performance briefings are organised by the senior management team to ensure all staff have the information they need on East Thames' performance. The quarterly presentations are delivered by the Chief Executive, alongside other senior members of staff who present on the important issues affecting East Thames. As well as providing important information they are often interactive and aim to educate staff about various areas of the business. During the briefings there are frequent opportunities for staff to ask the senior management team questions and ensure two-way communication is taking place.