What are companies doing with regards to 'My Company'

Yorkshire Water has a strong employee supported volunteering programme as the foundation of its Community Investment Programme. Their volunteering activities focus on education and the environment and employees are able to choose from a selection of opportunities including reading with a child for 1 hour a week and becoming science and engineering ambassadors. Yorkshire Water has four education centres across the Yorkshire region providing free visits to primary, secondary and further education students. These visits encompass national curriculum requirements and educate future customers on issues to do with clean and waste water treatment. The organisation has a well established environment community made up of a number of different dedicated teams with specific environment related responsibilities. The teams meet on a regular basis to ensure the business as a whole has a joined up approach to the environment.

They encourage a culture of impromptu reward and empower managers to recognise the efforts of their teams through day-to-day actions. Yorkshire Water has a culture of celebrating success and where successful projects have been nominated for external awards they will encourage members of the teams to attend the events. The Community Spirit Awards are run on an annual basis and celebrate the success of the wide range of volunteering programmes they promote across the business. The Awards celebrate those teams and individuals who have made volunteering such a success and staff and community partners are able to make nominations.

Their employee assistance programme provides practical information on issues such as quitting smoking, healthy eating and mental health issues. The programme allows employees to speak to a professional counsellor on matters affecting their emotional well-being including relationships, bereavement, stress and anxiety. Managers are trained on how to manage stress in the workplace through their internal development sessions. Subsidised or free gym membership is available for employees depending on their location.

Wynnwith hold a number of internal development sessions for managers covering employment law, attracting talent, managing performance, managing difficult people situations and absence management. These have a practical theme with real life scenarios so the manager can apply what they have learnt to the workplace. They hold development sessions which provide an opportunity for managers to network with other managers in different areas of the business. Guides are available on the intranet for managers on how to complete management activities such as recruitment.

All UK employees benefit from private healthcare and through this, a range of information and self-help tools covering several health related topics is made available via the employee's flexible benefits portal - Your Choice. Wood Mackenzie has recently launched specific programmes focused on workplace ergonomics and stress management with tutorials and self-assessment tools made available via their e-learning platform. UK employees are also eligible for wellness check-ups which provide an ideal opportunity to receive advice on any medical concerns that they might have. Wood Mackenzie encourage staff to take exercise by offering corporate gym membership and they have recently launched a ‘cycle to work' scheme.

Wood Mackenzie have been Investors in People accredited since 2008 and they use the framework to promote their people management and development policies around the globe. This allows clear line of sight as to the rationale for investment in their people and their managers role in that process. Every effort is made to make the link between good management planning, execution and revision practices and their positive effect on staff engagement and performance. This theme permeates throughout all their internal management development programmes and is visibly supported by the senior management through their various contributions to development programmes.

As staff progress they are given the opportunity to take on more management responsibility where appropriate with support from their head of department and HR. They are encouraged to assist in making departmental decisions and supervise less experienced staff and conduct their appraisals. Wollaston's do not have a formal mentoring scheme however new joiners are assigned a buddy and less experienced staff will sit next to more experienced staff to support them and develop their knowledge.

An annual memo is sent individually to each staff member detailing their salary and benefits package. Through the appraisal process Wollaston's identify opportunities for development and where a member of staff has performed well they are given the opportunity to increase their responsibility. Where teams or individuals work additional hours on specific projects they may be given extra time off above their holiday entitlement. Employees are rewarded for their efforts with a Christmas bonus and bottles of wine. Team and individual successes are highlighted on the intranet and the senior partner emails employees to highlight and congratulate them on their achievements.

Managers and directors operate an open door policy and employees from all levels can approach them at any time. They are easily accessible and very hands on. They ensure they get to know employees on a personal level and will often walk around the office, stopping to take time to chat with staff on an informal basis. Employees are kept up to date through a newsletter where managers and directors provide updates on the company

Windmill adopt an open and flexible approach to wellbeing and consider all needs on an individual basis. Employees benefit from an employee assistance programme and subsidies towards the use of sports facilities and gym memberships. They are constantly implementing new ideas and are in the process of adopting a cycle to work scheme and organising activities such as picnics, where employees can bring their families. The company monitors the number of hour's employee's work to ensure there is a healthy balance between their home and work life and they allow staff to take time off in lieu for any extra hours worked.

Various topics related to wellbeing can be found on the intranet. They have assisted smokers with a 6 stage programme designed to support quitting and have a relaxation CD library where employees can loan CD's on stress relief and sleep. 'Positive Improvements through positive attitude' workshops have been arranged and they have also set up one-on-one stress management consultations where required. Their sabbatical policy enables staff to take a break of 2 weeks to 3 months on partial salary over and above their annual leave entitlement.

All employees are recruited locally and local suppliers are used wherever possible and practical. As well as having an environmental policy, championed by a director, they created The WEXAS Travel Foundation, through which staff and customers are brought together to make a real difference to communities around the world. They have progressively reduced the amount of paper and marketing materials used by the company through greater thought on who needs what. All literature is printed on a wood free matt which is recyclable and environmentally friendly. Staff are encouraged to nominate a charity which will benefit from the donations from monthly dress down Fridays and other fundraising activities.

For the last 4 years West Nottinghamshire College has been in the top 10% of all colleges nationally for success rates. It is recognised by Ofsted as outstanding across the board with a reputation built on the achievements and success of its workforce. In 2009, it received Beacon Status for excellence in learning and skills and was recently awarded its fifth Beacon Award for savings made to benefit its learners through procurement. Staff are offered an exciting, innovative, creative and rewarding place to work where they can really make a difference. They are regularly recognised and rewarded through termly Star Awards where winners receive £100 as a result of grade 1 teaching observations among other categories.

In 2009, a Workforce Plan for the College was presented to governors for the first time. This included succession planning and talent management activities. The College has launched a number of programmes to manage talent and provide for succession planning. This includes: Routes to Success training programme launched through an external provider for the senior managers of the future; programme area leader development programme launched; training programme for first level support managers launched November 19th 2009. The College also has a rolling programme of employing apprentices. The aim of this is to provide future administrators for the College. Since the launch of the programme in October 2005 the College has recruited 13 business apprentices of which 5 are now in permanent roles in the College, 2 have gained external employment and 6 currently on the scheme.

Weightmans strive forward as a combined workforce. There is no segregation between their leaders and employees and everyone adopts an open door policy. Their values state that they have a clear approach to teamwork and respect and the senior and managing partners lead them in this area. Both the senior and managing partner carry out road shows at each office to update on firm performance. This also serves as an excellent opportunity for question and answer sessions, in addition to the monthly staff forums at which the senior partner is always present.

As a company they are aware of the increasing pressures placed on staff both in terms of work and private life. They have commissioned Employee Care as a 24 hour service to both employees and their families where they can seek counselling, legal advice and information on health and well-being. They offer flexi-time, flexible working and remote working facilities and are supportive of times when dependents require care and assistance and have a dependent/parental leave policy. The benefits and events Weightmans provide always take into consideration the families of their employees.

Partners of the firm and managers have been given training on recognising signs of stress and pressure in employees. They regularly communicate with their staff and keep on top of individual's hours and workloads to ensure a good work/life balance. Social events are organised where employees families are invited including cricket days and film nights. Employees are encouraged to exercise and a cycle to work scheme has been implemented. Yoga classes and subsidised gym memberships are also provided.

Partners of the firm and managers have been given training on recognising signs of stress and pressure in employees. They regularly communicate with their staff and keep on top of individual's hours and workloads to ensure a good work/life balance. Social events are organised where employees families are invited including cricket days and film nights. Employees are encouraged to exercise and a cycle to work scheme has been implemented. Yoga classes and subsidised gym memberships are also provided.