talkbackThames strive to engage and listen to employees opinions and conduct an internal engagement survey. The results are fed back to employees through presentations, team meetings with the findings published on their intranet. Employees are encouraged to put forward ideas and initiatives. They have held a pitching market open to everyone to contribute creative ideas with prizes including TVs and holidays. They give a spot bonus for exceptional work and send emails around the company to thank individuals for their contributions and reward employees with flowers, chocolates and lunches.

They are very passionate about supporting charities and they try to support as many causes as possible to ensure that there is something of interest for all employees. In support of their local community they volunteer in local schools and local campaigns including Business Action for Homelessness. They try to use their special skills in filming when they hold their evenings for the homeless. The first part of the evening provides a training session on the 'do's' and 'don't s' of an interview and then they film people individually practicing doing an interview. They try to provide a fun and unusual training event for the homeless but also enable their employees who film everyday to get involved with the charity in an area that they feel they can contribute. An Environmental Committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss ideas and processes for reducing their environmental impact. Discarded cooking oil is turned to bio-diesel and runs their vehicles.

Symantec's Total Rewards programess are designed to drive their success as a market leader in the information technology industry. In structuring and overseeing these programs, they focus on the achievement of corporate and individual performance objectives, attracting and retaining highly-qualified employees, and maximising long-term shareholder value. Symantec's Total Rewards philosophy is comprised of several key offerings including various stock programs, competitive benefits, attractive incentive pay programmess, market priced salary structures, and indirect compensation components such as work-life balance programmes, career growth and training opportunities, diversity programmes, and many others.

Symantec's Total Rewards programess are designed to drive their success as a market leader in the information technology industry. In structuring and overseeing these programs, they focus on the achievement of corporate and individual performance objectives, attracting and retaining highly-qualified employees, and maximising long-term shareholder value. Symantec's Total Rewards philosophy is comprised of several key offerings including various stock programs, competitive benefits, attractive incentive pay programmess, market priced salary structures, and indirect compensation components such as work-life balance programmes, career growth and training opportunities, diversity programmes, and many others.

Managers within Suffolk County Council are occasionally offered the opportunity to go out on secondment or loan giving them a chance to experience working and managing in a different environment with different people to help them learn about and develop their management style. The Council also enable managers to work on specific projects or programmes that utilise or further extend their skill base.

They run a mentoring programme within and outside of the organisation and are soon to launch an accredited coaching programme across partner organisations. They have recently run a Suffolk wide Leadership programme across Local Authorities. Action Learning sets and buddy groups provide networking opportunities. They run a Leadership Thinking club and a book club and have cross organisation forums that meet regularly and engage in topical training or seminars. They also run cross organisation 'boards' for information sharing and decision making as well as an extensive intranet for knowledge transfer. A recent addition is a 'twitter' page.

Social funds are made available to spend on fun nights out and team building events. At Christmas everyone below director level receives a £50 cab fare home for attending the annual Christmas party in Battersea, London. To bring employees together they have held a fundraising football day and a Las Vegas Super Trip. In celebration of team success they are rewarded with weekend trips away. Employees undergo team building events several times a year.

Social funds are made available to spend on fun nights out and team building events. At Christmas everyone below director level receives a £50 cab fare home for attending the annual Christmas party in Battersea, London. To bring employees together they have held a fundraising football day and a Las Vegas Super Trip. In celebration of team success they are rewarded with weekend trips away. Employees undergo team building events several times a year.

They have developed a wellbeing pack which has been distributed to all staff highlighting the benefits and services available to all staff on their physical, emotional and financial wellbeing. Compressed working weeks, flexible working and part time working are offered where possible.

There is a great deal of support and development for managers. All new managers are provided with a specific training programme and will receive manager briefing documents and 'how to' guides. Should they wish to further their qualifications, there is an assisted study policy in place. Senior Management Team and middle managers receive 360 feed back, coaching and mentoring.

Star Refrigeration support charities by making a donation to top up funds raised either within the workplace or for activities that individual employees have undertaken for charity. Effort is also made to support charities with a personal connection to staff. They follow the basis tenants of reclaim, recycle and reuse in their day to day operations, for example used paper is collected for shredding and recycling and materials are reused/recycled where possible on sites. They also support the local community, for example, they have recruited three young people in the last year through a local regeneration scheme including one who is now a management trainee. They also recruit apprentices every year and are involved in a mentoring scheme at a local school.

The wellbeing of their employees is very important. All employees' complete timesheets that are reviewed weekly by managers to ensure that the work/life balance is met and anyone can request an adjustment in hours which is normally accommodated. Everyone is also paid for overtime whether worked or not to avoid people having to work overtime to top up their wages.

Employees training needs are derived from organisational priorities via the business planning process and individual needs as part of the outcomes of appraisal discussions. This results in employees taking part in a wide variety of training activities including Leadership and Management training, Policy and Procedural training, equality and diversity and many more. Non-work related training is considered sympathetically where resources are available in a partnership arrangement with the employee concerned i.e. agreement is sought on the respective contributions both partners can make. For instance fees may be paid by the council in return for the employee studying in their own time. The council has entered into a partnership with the Trades Unions to create a network of Union Learner Representatives who are supported to promote more informal learning in the workplace and to assist with the identification and take up of Skills for Life programmes.

Employees training needs are derived from organisational priorities via the business planning process and individual needs as part of the outcomes of appraisal discussions. This results in employees taking part in a wide variety of training activities including Leadership and Management training, Policy and Procedural training, equality and diversity and many more. Non-work related training is considered sympathetically where resources are available in a partnership arrangement with the employee concerned i.e. agreement is sought on the respective contributions both partners can make. For instance fees may be paid by the council in return for the employee studying in their own time. The council has entered into a partnership with the Trades Unions to create a network of Union Learner Representatives who are supported to promote more informal learning in the workplace and to assist with the identification and take up of Skills for Life programmes.

Learning surgeries have been held across Agency offices, providing people the opportunity to come together and discuss learning needs, training opportunities and to give feedback on various topics. They also have an in house essential management programme which aims to help all managers to harness potential, develop performance, manage projects and lead change.

Learning surgeries have been held across Agency offices, providing people the opportunity to come together and discuss learning needs, training opportunities and to give feedback on various topics. They also have an in house essential management programme which aims to help all managers to harness potential, develop performance, manage projects and lead change.

Directors and senior managers ensure employees are acknowledged for good work and the CEO will send a personal thank you letter to them. Performance is recognised through the Shining Stars scheme where an award is made once a quarter. The award is judged by a panel of employees. Annual appraisals are held and employees receive increments in addition to an annual pay award if they meet set standards. Attendance is rewarded for no absence over 12 months. A benefits booklet for staff is produced which outlines what is available and provides information about how to access the benefits. This information is included on the intranet and they hold focus groups with employees to discuss benefits to ensure the benefits suit their needs.

They have rolled out a comprehensive management development programme tailored for all management levels. The HR team support managers in many of the people management tasks that they need to complete such as sickness and disciplinary and provide one to one coaching to guide managers through the stages of each process. The Directors work with an external coach both individually and as a team. An external consultant holds training sessions with managers and coaching and mentoring is available dependant on individuals needs.