Team Cohesion = Performance

Given their size and geographic spread, it's hard to bring everyone together regularly, but they do run quarterly get together's across most of the sites shortly after financial results. These buzz sessions bring people together to find out more about the results and share the stories behind them. It's an opportunity for people to meet senior leaders, ask questions, bring their suggestions and build excitement for the future. They bring together people from different departments or sites into a room together to celebrate success together, these are people who wouldn't normally meet. On the social side, they give their leaders the power and a budget to run events locally to them. For many, this will be a Christmas social event or another kind of celebration. They havealso got a great resource in the Every One Fund, an online portal that allows people to organise volunteering events, get colleagues involved, or find out what's happening locally, as well as share their stories afterwards.

Their on site restaurant partners, Europa, have worked hard to improve the healthiness of their menus across the UK, adding healthy eating options, energy profile listings and food for those with special dietary requirements. They now have more salad bar options in the restaurants, and in London, they regularly run promotions such as introducing Superfoods and souptember, a campaign to eat healthy foods. In their commercial business, they provide their employees with free, fresh fruit.

1 2 1's, open door policy from the top of the organisation.

Staff parties, team/departmental nights out, sports and social club and annual staff awards.

A key driver for Rockpool is employee wellbeing and they seek feedback from the teams. A company wide flexitime policy has enabled employees to balance their work and home life. Rockpool also value their Fridays at Rockpool -they have Cake Friday, a company tradition and Friday Beer o'clock which is an informal get together of beer, wine and food where they chat through the week or have brainstorming sessions around new client ideas etc.

A key driver for Rockpool is employee wellbeing and they seek feedback from the teams. A company wide flexitime policy has enabled employees to balance their work and home life. Rockpool also value their Fridays at Rockpool -they have Cake Friday, a company tradition and Friday Beer o'clock which is an informal get together of beer, wine and food where they chat through the week or have brainstorming sessions around new client ideas etc.

In October 2013 Robin Partington & Partners introduced an employee benefit trust element into their limited company structure. Any member of staff who is with them on a permanent appointment and after one year's employment is entitled to call themselves a Partner of the firm. Once a Partner, they are eligible to receive dividends, if the Company makes profit in excess of that needed to be retained for future growth and investment. Their dividend structure is based on a points system whereby members 'earn' more points (thus a larger share of the pot) for increased salary and length of service.

In October 2013 Robin Partington & Partners introduced an employee benefit trust element into their limited company structure. Any member of staff who is with them on a permanent appointment and after one year's employment is entitled to call themselves a Partner of the firm. Once a Partner, they are eligible to receive dividends, if the Company makes profit in excess of that needed to be retained for future growth and investment. Their dividend structure is based on a points system whereby members 'earn' more points (thus a larger share of the pot) for increased salary and length of service.

RGL are committed to helping employees to achieve a balance between work and personal life. As part of RGL's health insurance scheme, all employees have access to free cinema tickets and other discounted leisure activities. Flexible working options and generous compassionate leave are also given to employees, when necessary, in order to help with this balance. RGL have an employee assistance programme; all employees are able to access free telephone counselling and information services at any time of day or night. Employees are able to speak to experts in bereavement, stress, depression, bullying, financial problems, relationship problems and other personal or work related concerns. To improve the everyday wellbeing of employees, RGL organise ergonomic workstation assessments to ensure that employees' desks are set up correctly and that their comfort and posture are not compromised in any way. In addition to this, employees can choose to have an on-site acupressure massage every month. This is a massage treatment designed to reduce stress and the build-up of tension in the neck and shoulders. It can also improve motivation and positive thinking. To encourage employees to be active, RGL run a cycle to work scheme and loans for gym memberships.

A twice annual staff presentation is organised to make employees aware of the short and long term vision for RGL. Over food and drinks, Partners update employees on turnover and progress over the past year, important jobs which are being worked on and the direction in which they would like to take the organisation over the next year. These presentations engage employees with the vision of the company and how it can be achieved. Partners demonstrate best practice, and encourage employees to do the same, by attending all firm-wide social and marketing events. They support employees with business development and take employees to client meetings whenever possible. Partners encourage employees to realise their ambitions and support employees in their team who are keen to learn new things. This might involve giving them permission to go to a seminar, to learn a new foreign language or supporting them in securing a place on RGL's Employee Exchange Programme. Partners engage employees by celebrating the success of individuals, as well as the success of the organisation. For example, if a Partner receives positive feedback about an employee from a client, they will circulate it to all Partners, copying the employee into the email, so that they receive the wider recognition deserved.

Proxama had an all staff 'Away Afternoon' in December 2013. This included strategy updates, training, networking, team building and collaborating on business decisions.

Proxama allow their employees to learn in all elements of their work, not just formal training but peer knowledge sharing and keeping technical experts in the business who are great at mentoring.

The company have a 'Your Rewards' programme which pulls together the whole range of benefits offered by Provide. There is a website detailing over 8000 discounts and savings that staff can access on retail and leisure services, supported by a glossy A5 booklet giving discount codes. This has been helpful in engaging staff who do not have ready access to IT. The booklet is handed out at Corporate Induction where details of the scheme are communicated. The programme also details contractual benefits and explains the options staff have around the range of pension and assurance benefits they offer. It includes details of the Credit Union membership they have put in place for staff and their Employee Assistance Programme which offers legal and consumer advice as well as counselling services. The site also promotes healthy lifestyle initiatives run by their own in house teams.

In the last year the company have focused on building relationships between Senior and Middle Managers. In June they held a very successful event called Appreciating Managers where they facilitated lively debate between peer managers on what they valued and what could be improved to make their working lives better. They were also asked what they would like to be appreciated for and a letter was subsequently sent to the delegates by their own manager thanking them for this. As part of the workshop, teams were given a cake, icing, glitter and other decorations and asked to compete against each other to decorate the best cake before eating it at tea break. This exercise was highly successful in getting managers to work together and getting people talking to colleagues they did not know well.

In order to enhance the wellbeing of their employees, PM Group display posters from their Health & Safety Department which are displayed on all office and site notice boards and the intranet.

The company work closely with a local college as part of a local government initiative called 'Step Up Programme'. This involves presentations to students, workshops and work experience for students aged 16 - 18 they have been involved in this scheme for the last two years. The company are also involved with local universities and attend Graduate Recruitment Fayres across the UK.

Plastribution has recently moved into new larger open plan offices, which has provided employees with the chance to take relaxing breaks in their working environment, create meals, obtain snacks and free squash in the adjoining kitchen and enjoy a light, warm and well ventilated workplace.

A suggestion for an in-work tuck shop – this has now been now implemented and snacks are available via an honesty box in the offices kitchen. Creation of social committee to coordinate events and activities on behalf of employees. Supported time for charity, social commitments.

Penrose have an Employee Assistance Programme that is available to all staff 24/7 and refer to Occupational Health when a condition arises that prevents an employee from working to their full potential. Penrose encourage staff to make healthy choices by offering cycle to work interest free loans and environmental choices by encouraging using public transport (they no longer offer company cars).

Penrose have an Employee Assistance Programme that is available to all staff 24/7 and refer to Occupational Health when a condition arises that prevents an employee from working to their full potential. Penrose encourage staff to make healthy choices by offering cycle to work interest free loans and environmental choices by encouraging using public transport (they no longer offer company cars).