People Managers Matter

The company's commitment to wellbeing is notable, with a structured plan focusing on workplace, financial, social, and mental wellbeing. Lovat Parks also offers an Employee Assistance Programme, mental health awareness training, and a Mental Health First Aider programme.

Lovat Parks offers interest-free pay advances to all team members, with flexible repayment options. The company is a real living wage employer and offers all team members a 50% discount on any holiday booked on one of their parks.

The charity has Mental Health First Aiders for its people to speak to regularly if times are hard. It subscribes to Perkbox so employees have access to its wellbeing platform which include fitness and mental health tools such as mindfulness podcasts. The charity also runs weekly mindfulness sessions.

Organisational clarity is key. Leadership runs a quarterly employee briefing to provide company updates and strategy. This is reinforced by a monthly managers forum which directors attend; this goes into further detail about the plans and workstreams so that the information can be passed to teams in team meetings and supervisions.

The induction of new recruits is both remote and face-to-face. There’s a series of digital ‘team talks’ with team members from across the business and regular HR check-ins to make sure they’re settling in well. And like all employees, they get access to an online training platform personalised to their role and level.

Teleware has recently achieved carbon-neutral status and is now helping its customers do the same. Moving to a remote-first model, reducing travel and waste and office downsizing has vastly reduced its carbon footprint. The company’s also planted around 130 trees as part of an environmental initiative.

Staff have highly rated the company's wellbeing and coaching service in supporting their mental health, resilience and stress management. Almost half have returned for a second session. Pax8 UK also offers wellness rooms to help with work-life balance and chat about personal issues. And for peace of mind, staff get private medical cover.

A dedicated 'Talent Enablement and Development Department' supports staff to achieve their ambitions. Monthly competency workshops empower employees to understand the skills they have and the ones they want to develop. An e-learning platform gives access to 88,000 courses, and an internal jobs board helps staff quickly identify opportunities for moves and promotions.

There is weekly internal email communication from the CEO and an internal newsletter which reinforces organisational clarity and purpose. Organisational performance against agreed KPI’s is shared with colleagues so everyone can see how the charity is performing and training is provided where improvements may be required. Staff are encouraged to provide feedback and ideas.

The organisation runs a number of schemes including Employee of the Quarter and Year. These are colleagues nominated by their colleagues. Winners receive vouchers. It also launched 'Because Your Roarsome' where both colleagues and those outside of the organisation can give their thanks to a member of the team for their hard work/support.

Fareham College is embedded in the local community, supporting the area's economic growth and up-skilling its people. It also works with local charities. This has included inviting a local mental wellbeing charity to support employees' personal development and help the College strengthen its offering and support for students and staff.

Employees have access to a Health Cash Plan, including skin cancer screening, dental check-ups, specialist consultations, discounted gym membership, and money off at cinemas, shops and restaurants. Staff also have free 24/7 access to counselling services. And in early 2023, managers will be trained to support team members through menopause.

Its attraction and retention strategies revolves around the importance of creating a workplace that is positive and purposeful and that fosters engagement. One way in which it secures such environment is to have strong leaders that are coached and developed to listen to people and to recognise and exploit their full potential.

It has now established a training team with its Learning and Development Lead and in-house Training Manager. They are dedicated to support the learning requirements of employees and teams. As it continues to build its learning culture, it has launched a number of learning platforms including LinkedIn Learning and Webshield Academy.

With a largely young workforce, TFS keeps them engaged by keeping things lively and sociable, arranging gatherings and activities inside and outside of office hours where possible. It promotes its EAP to all employees so they can seek external support if preferred. It also supports employees’ personal missions, especially with charitable causes and keeping fit.

All new starters are assigned a buddy in their team who they can go to for asking questions or an informal chat. Everyone is taken for lunch on their first day, either with their buddy or along with other new starters and a couple of members of the team.

The outcomes of Leadership Team meetings are cascaded down to all levels of the organisation. Employees can voice their opinions openly through the employee consultation forum. St Michael’s Hospice’s CEO also regularly provides update videos to keep employees informed on all the latest organisation news.

St Michael’s Hospice offer to facilitate sessions for teams to explore effectiveness and team relationships. Furthermore, teams are provided with support given by the organisation’s Spiritual Care Team and by Mental Health First Aiders for clinical colleagues on site.

Both physical and mental health are important at Pico. It has a group of mental health first aiders that provide aid to employees who feel they need support. Additionally, Pico provides a free gym for its employees, and it holds lunchtime forums on eating and sleeping right.

Its leaders have ensured that their teams have both their full support as well as facilitating a supportive environment. They arrange regular coffee catch-up sessions with their teams to chat about their personal lives. They also run a social media blog where leaders discuss achievements from the month and challenges coming up.

Following feedback, the charity's top team are doing more to keep their employees in the loop. This includes monthly live Q&As, quarterly video updates on organisational priorities, regular emails and site visits. There's also a quarterly presentation to the leadership group cascaded to all employees via the 'TeamTalk' meeting pack for line managers.

Clinical teams get in-house CPD delivered by PDSA's own clinical experts, providing learning opportunities for subject matter experts and attendees. The charity offers around 20 placements for newly graduated clinicians, with staying on in permanent roles. And there are also apprenticeship opportunities for staff to develop their skills.

The company ensures its staff have the training to offer its clients the right advice and solutions, providing empathy and understanding. It employs specialist staff to deal with each stage of the customer journey. And employees undertake vulnerable customer training and training that ensures they embody the company's core values.

From Kiltwalks to bake sales, staff can always get involved in activities to benefit local and national causes. The company has also supported Motherwell's mental health programme and helped Celtic and Rangers support vulnerable fans. Employees have the option of payroll giving, and the company matches any funds raised for its chosen charity.

In addition to pay rewards, Christies Care has a quarterly, "extra mile" award for which staff nominate colleagues who they think have gone over and above in their roles. It also has annual awards that are linked to the organisation's values, when staff achievements are celebrated.

Braving the Shave, a danceathon and the Mighty Hike for Macmillan Cancer Support are among the fundraising activities staff have taken part in to raise money for charity, as well as shoebox filling for a homeless shelter. During mental health awareness week cash was raised for The Befriending Scheme, which supports vulnerable young people.

Quiet rooms as a safe space for prayer, meditation and reflection are a feature of many Burns & MacDonnell offices – part of creating a diverse and inclusive environment where “people feel comfortable speaking up and living authentically as themselves.” Monthly wellbeing sessions include breakfasts, toolkit talks, and experience sharing.

Through the MacCulture Recognition programme, employees who demonstrate the company’s values accumulate points to exchange for prizes. There are also one and five-year service awards where employees can choose from exclusive brand merchandise. And staff get a special award package for milestone anniversaries, starting from 10 years.