Team Cohesion = Performance

After a recent restructure all Heads of Service and Directors attended an away day/ team building day. The primary aims of this away day was for managers to build as a team, open up communications channels and establish a basis of trust. The event started with a team building activity that involved four seperate teams to achieve a common goal of building a physical bridge. This was followed by a presentation by the Chief Executive on Chorley's challenges and an exercise to identify expected behaviours in line with these challenges and Chorley's values of ‘Forward Thinking', ‘Respect', ‘Professional', ‘Pride' and ‘One Team, One Council'. The event finished with a 360 exercise where every manager and their service area were scored on each of the values.

After a recent restructure all Heads of Service and Directors attended an away day/ team building day. The primary aims of this away day was for managers to build as a team, open up communications channels and establish a basis of trust. The event started with a team building activity that involved four seperate teams to achieve a common goal of building a physical bridge. This was followed by a presentation by the Chief Executive on Chorley's challenges and an exercise to identify expected behaviours in line with these challenges and Chorley's values of ‘Forward Thinking', ‘Respect', ‘Professional', ‘Pride' and ‘One Team, One Council'. The event finished with a 360 exercise where every manager and their service area were scored on each of the values.

The organisation hold awards including annual recognition of excellence and going 'above and beyond' following nomination by peers. Special leave is awarded and social events held to celebrate milestones. Staff receive public emailed thanks from the Chief Executive, letters of thanks, flowers where appropriate and web stories about achievements. They also receive thank you cards and letters from senior staff.

Staff and students have provided osteopathy to participants in the London Marathon. The organisation has been involved in fundraising to support prostate cancer. Fundraising activities also contribute to the funds for the BSO charity. These efforts have been recognised with awards from the South London Press, CAM magazine, Borough of Southwark and shortlisted for the Prince of Wales Integrated Health Foundation special judges' prize. They were also shortlisted for the Charity Times Charity of the Year award in 2010.

Brent Housing Partnership nominates employees for awards, employee of the year certification and staff achievement awards. Gift vouchers are given to employees and the company have been Investor in People since 2005. The company hold a publicity group meeting where a representative from each team attends and gives team updates.

Brent Housing Partnership nominates employees for awards, employee of the year certification and staff achievement awards. Gift vouchers are given to employees and the company have been Investor in People since 2005. The company hold a publicity group meeting where a representative from each team attends and gives team updates.

They strive to provide a positive and supportive working environment. They encourage managers to provide informal feedback to staff plus formal feedback through supervision and appraisal. The company encourage staff's successes with articles in News 2 You and they have nominations for the annual awards ceremony. Staff receive a cash bonus for achieving their NVQ certificate and a cash bonus for 'recommending a friend' to join Brandon.

Brandon provide mandatory training for all operational staff including food safety, COSHH, first aid and fire safety induction for all new starters. They sponsor front line staff to achieve their NVQ certificates and support this with their highly rated in house assessment centre. On completing their awards, staff are invited to a celebratory awards lunch and receive a cash bonus. All staff are able to apply for annual bursaries to support academic studies related to their work. They also support and fund managers to achieve relevant professional and academic qualifications.

The College annually supports a range of staff social events and activities as recognition of the input staff have to the College and its successes. The College supports the annual Christmas lunch and summer BBQ which are attended by a large proportion of the College staff. Employees also benefit from access to Total Reward Statements which gives each employee a clear and defined picture of the benefits they receive. The statement also highlights the College's pension contribution.

The College operates an open door policy and all staff have the right to request an individual meeting with the Principal, any member of the Executive Team, own Curriculum Manager, any cross-College Support Manager or other senior members of staff. This policy gives individual staff members the opportunity to raise and discuss any issues of concern relating to his/her post or the College in general. The Principal has a very down to earth personality and always has a very visual presence around the College. He is often seen around the College chatting to staff and students and has also on one occasion been seen serving up chips in the canteen!

Managers are supported by a variety of resources which are available on intranets and other electronic media and wide range of internal courses. They are able to receive support towards external management qualifications such as MBAs, CII/CIB and ILM qualifications. To further their development managers also have the opportunity to be considered for roles outside of the UK.

There are many social events for employees to attend such as the FIL annual dinner dance and the RIAS Christmas parties. They also see the importance of team building and hold events more than five times a year. For example, Fortis UK held a senior management conference at the end of February. Over eighty managers from all the UK businesses attended the two day event. Under the banner "Together we're stronger", the managers were put into cross business groups who attended a series of business specific presentations and insurance market presentations. There were also workshop sessions designed to generate ideas, build teamwork and develop networking opportunities.

They reward and recognise employees for their work and contributions in a number of ways. The organisation operates performance related pay and employees receive quarterly appraisals where they are assessed on their contribution to the organisation in terms of their behaviour, completion of key priorities and carrying out their role. Yorkshire Water also run a recognition scheme where employees are given vouchers by their managers as a token award to recognise their achievements. It may be used for people who have demonstrated their values in an outstanding way, to celebrate a great piece of work or to say 'thank you' for contributions which would not otherwise be rewarded in their basic salary.

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.

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.

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.

The company works closely with employees to monitor work levels and are very conscious of supporting staff when they have demands at home. For example they provide flexibility if an employee needs to support a family member. The firm's culture promotes a strong ethos of ensuring staff are supported through all stages of their lives. They hold a Summer BBQ each year where all staff and their families are invited. Due to the economic climate this year the Partners cooked the BBQ themselves. To promote healthy eating they provide subsidised healthy food in the staff kitchen and free fruit to all staff.

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.

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.

The Chief Executive holds a monthly 'meet the Principal' breakfast/lunch with 15 staff chosen randomly through the HR system. The senior management team hold their weekly meeting at different sites across the College and invite staff from those sites, who may not always have the opportunity to drop in and see them, for lunch prior to the meeting. Each member of the senior management team also has responsibility for one of the sites and regularly attend their focus group meetings or events. For example, the College has a site dedicated to a Hair, Beauty and a complementary therapies salon which is run by staff and students as a commercial entity, the College executive team will all be receiving a treatment given by a learner in order to provide training experience and have an opportunity for a 1-1 dialogue.

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.

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.

Wedlake Bell acknowledge employees efforts and ensure a simple face to face thank you is given for hard work. The organisation rewards employees through annual discretionary bonuses, lunches, dinners with spouse or partner, flowers and chocolates.

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.

The Performance Recognition award makes sure that an individual gets the company-wide recognition they deserve for quietly going beyond the call of duty in the course of their work. Any employee can nominate a fellow colleague who they believe demonstrates exceptional commitment to a project, community or customer for the title of Wates Champion. The Chief Executive is very proactive and sets a leadership example in recognising employee contribution, thanking people in person and through personal emails for their achievements. Business Excellence Awards are designed to recognise and reward outstanding contribution to the delivery of the Company's 2012 Vision. The focus is on identifying examples of best practice, operational improvement and innovation that have made a tangible difference to Wates' business over the past year. The winner of each category receives £1000 to donate to a charity of their choice together with a voucher to celebrate with friends and family. A celebratory voucher to the value of £150 is given to an individual winner and a £400 voucher is given to a winning team.

The CEO and his executive colleagues hold an annual road show at 3 venues across the country, meeting with over 1000 people and updating them on business progress, strategy and achievements. The road show is an interactive experience. Business Unit Directors hold Divisional briefings at least once a year. Q&A sessions are key parts of these briefing. A speed dating approach was taken this year with each member of the leadership team spending 5 minutes on a table answering questions before moving on to the next table. All the Company offices are open plan. Executive Committee members also sit in open plan at the Head Office. They have a Company newsletter "TeamTalk". The Executive Committee regularly hold meetings on some of the large projects.

The force encourages and participates in many community focused events such as cricket matches and other community cohesion opportunities which are 'no cost' engagements. The Force has a sports and social club which has a wide membership with a minimal subscription which is active in organising social events such as a recent sports day at Headquarters. On occasions where a specific team are given an award of some description the force supports them in attending the ceremony to collect the award and are accompanied by a senior officer.

The force encourages and participates in many community focused events such as cricket matches and other community cohesion opportunities which are 'no cost' engagements. The Force has a sports and social club which has a wide membership with a minimal subscription which is active in organising social events such as a recent sports day at Headquarters. On occasions where a specific team are given an award of some description the force supports them in attending the ceremony to collect the award and are accompanied by a senior officer.

Volunteering England hold regular support and supervision sessions. Positive feedback and recognition is given in the staff meetings. There are formal appraisals and six monthly reviews. They actively encourage staff to use their volunteering leave and provide advice on the best way to use their leave. Volunteering England monitor their use of energy and use low energy ICT equipment whilst old ICT equipment is given to Computer Aid International for recycling.

Volunteering England provide effective management training open to all staff and compulsory for line managers. For internal coaching and mentoring there are consultancy sessions available to all staff and there is informal mentoring available via the leadership group. External coaching is offered via training providers. There are seminars, manager's forums and other peer support opportunities available.

The leadership team are keen to get involved with all employees and are always approachable. The managing directors run monthly meetings where employees can attend and have a coffee and a chat. The managing directors also take part in monthly ‘back to the floor' activities which enables them to keep up to date with any issues employees face.

Employees benefit from free private health care with BUPA and subsidised sports facilities. They also have access to an occupational health centre where employees can gain advice on healthy eating, stress, mental health, exercise and quitting smoking. The organisation is flexible and responsive to changes in personal circumstances.

Unum have a comprehensive salary management policy to regulate how individual salaries are determined and managed on a consistent and equitable basis. They also have a comprehensive reward and recognition framework in place and they monitor the effectiveness of these policies and practices via specific questions in their annual employee opinion survey. They reward and celebrate achievements and exceptional work in a number of ways including quarterly and annual awards, thank you events, where top performers are recognised, and loyalty awards.

Employees have access to wide range of material to help them achieve a healthy and active work/life balance. They have an employee assistance programme which assists employees with matters including help to quit smoking. Unum also hold health and wellbeing fairs that are attended by external providers and practioners and offer advice on a range of topics such as eating healthy, stress, mental health issues and exercise.

University Campus Suffolk (UCS) opened in 2007 and is among one of the newest higher education institutions in the UK. It is developing rapidly, and as a new organisation, its staff and students are having a major influence on the shape of the organisation and the direction in which it develops. The dedication and passion of UCS staff is relied upon in these years of growth and as such the organisation ensures that its staff are recognised and rewarded through annual awards ceremonies as well as ex gratia payments to staff in recognition of exceptional contribution or effort.

UCS is committed to ensuring an inclusive approach to learning as well as access to employment and progression opportunities. Whatever an individuals role is at UCS, there are a wide range of benefits available to build on the skills staff have and retain high levels of motivation at work, as well as to enhance life outside of work. There is plenty of opportunity for personal and professional growth at UCS. Genuine progression opportunities are available for those that undertake on-going development. UCS recognises that staff have a huge range of skills and strives to develop these skills wherever possible, both in house and externally. UCS staff enjoy a full waiver of fees on all UCS courses, subject to availability of places.

There are various events held to enable teams to socialise and have fun outside of the office. This includes the Christmas Dinner and Dance in the West End in 2008 which was a fantastic event and built on the previous events but at a new venue due to the growth in their employees. Every year they also invite staff and their families to attend Ascot races and interested employees are given free tickets for the premier which includes car parking tickets. As the majority of their work is contract based the teams have milestone celebrations, for example on their Islington contract they had a fantastic celebration event for all individuals involved both from the site and the office.

They employ a full time and dedicated Environmental Manager to instigate and drive through new initiatives within the business. Part of that role is to develop a strategy for the company to pursue its sustainability goals and set stretching targets which build upon the annual environmental objectives and targets. They monitor their waste across the whole business. At their offices they monitor electricity, gas and water consumption. They carry out environmental surveys and also have Green House which is an internal green newsletter which is sent to staff via email to promote environmental initiatives, performance and to advise them of the impact of new legislation. At their Head Office they have provided a small waste recycling facility for their staff to utilise, this facility allows for the collection of cardboard, plastic packaging, paper, glass bottles and tetra pack cartons. They also give to charity and match the sponsorship on activities undertaken by the staff.

Managers and directors value their employees and send emails where customer service or performance has exceeded expectations. Length of service is rewarded after 10, 15 and 25 years. They listen and engage with employees through a survey which takes place bi-annually. Company results are published on the intranet which shows previous results alongside current results. The survey results also provide a comparison, where available, to the 'norm'. Department results are fed back by managers via team meetings and all staff are encouraged to submit suggestions for improvements. Results are also included in half yearly presentations to staff.

Managers and directors value their employees and send emails where customer service or performance has exceeded expectations. Length of service is rewarded after 10, 15 and 25 years. They listen and engage with employees through a survey which takes place bi-annually. Company results are published on the intranet which shows previous results alongside current results. The survey results also provide a comparison, where available, to the 'norm'. Department results are fed back by managers via team meetings and all staff are encouraged to submit suggestions for improvements. Results are also included in half yearly presentations to staff.

They organise a variety of social events to encourage team work and run team building exercises annually. The events are chosen by employees locally and include ghost walks, quiz nights and paint balling. Teams are rewarded for their efforts through team nights out

All employees have personal development plans as part of the performance, development, progression and outcomes policy. Through the process top performers are identified and considered for promotion. All employees take part in the core training programme and the organisation offer business specific training, key skills and leadership and management training. Employees outside of the central support teams are supported and required to complete an NVQ3 in Health and Social Care.

The organisation recognises and rewards employee's contribution. They run a manager of the month scheme and include all achievements in their internal weekly bulletin. Employees are given the chance to put forward their ideas and receive a reward in the form of golden tickets to the value of £100. Length of service is celebrated with an award.

Managers undertake internal Managers in Training & Deputy of Excellence programmes. They are supported throughout the training through a buddy system and have access to HR advice. Funding is available to assist managers in obtaining qualifications with the Institute of Leadership & Management and allow managers time off to complete their studies.

Personal development plans are put in place for team members to learn new skills by taking up roles in other departments. Employees have access to a variety of training activities including courses in assertiveness and NVQ level 2 and 3 relevant to that employee. They also provide staff with £145 per annum for personal development training. The money allows employees to develop and learn new skills not associated with the workplace such as languages, golf and horse riding lessons.

Thecentre:mk constantly praise employees for a good job. They ensure good work is recognised company wide. When thank you letters are received from the public about a team member, they are acknowledged and published in the company newsletter and placed on the notice board.

Employees are entitled to benefits including life assurance, extra holidays and discounted services. They put on an annual staff party where employees families can attend and hold social events from BBQ's to bowling nights. Senior staff and employees provide support to one another in the event of personal and domestic issues.

Employees are entitled to benefits including life assurance, extra holidays and discounted services. They put on an annual staff party where employees families can attend and hold social events from BBQ's to bowling nights. Senior staff and employees provide support to one another in the event of personal and domestic issues.

Working for the Royal Borough offers variety and opportunity to develop and progress. There are countless examples of employees that have started in junior roles who have been supported to develop and grow into senior management roles. There is a real sense that everyone regardless of their background or qualifications when they start with RBWM, has the opportunity to ‘move on and up'. All that is required is a willingness to put yourself forward, work hard and take on the opportunities that present themselves and you will be supported with training, in achieving further qualifications and through supportive management.

Working for the Royal Borough offers variety and opportunity to develop and progress. There are countless examples of employees that have started in junior roles who have been supported to develop and grow into senior management roles. There is a real sense that everyone regardless of their background or qualifications when they start with RBWM, has the opportunity to ‘move on and up'. All that is required is a willingness to put yourself forward, work hard and take on the opportunities that present themselves and you will be supported with training, in achieving further qualifications and through supportive management.

Employees take part in a range of training activities including Health and Safety, group workshops to understand others behaviour and IT system training. The organisation supports employees undertaking relevant professional qualifications by providing funding for exams and materials. Staff are also able to take study days when needed to allow them to complete coursework and take exams. Employees are encouraged to share knowledge with the rest of the company in team meetings.

The Private Health Partnership offer employees a range of benefits including an employee assistance programme, a serious illness advisory service and free private health care. To promote a healthier lifestyle employees benefit from free gym memberships. PHP also recognises that employees have a life outside of work and as such actively encourage a balance between work and home life, making every effort to accommodate requests from staff when they need time-off or to work more flexible hours. Employees are often able to invite family and friends to a number of social events.

The Open University has established itself as the dominant provider of open and supported distance learning in the United Kingdom and a leading player internationally. It is a vibrant academic community that combines excellence in teaching, research and logistics to provide a unique brand of supported open and distance learning to a large and diverse body of students. They are consistently achieving high rankings both in research and teaching quality assessments and are in the top three Higher Education Institutions in the UK for student satisfaction. As such, the University is a stimulating place to work for academic and support staff alike. As you might expect from an institution with a strong commitment to social justice and education for all, their employees consider themselves closely aligned to the mission of the University and are proud of its achievements.

Employees showing higher levels of performance are able to receive accelerated increments on their salary when applicable as well as directional pay points that are beyond the scale maximum. There are also opportunities for people to receive one-off bonuses and team bonuses providing certain criteria are met.

Every month a training calendar is issued that lists all the training courses offered by the Learning and Development Department. There are many different courses available including telephone techniques, The World's Finest Service Workshop and Guests' Name Workshop. The Dorchester offers cross exposure experiences to all employees. If an employee is interested in a department that is not related to theirs, they may apply to do cross exposure. Employees are paid for cross exposure days as normal working days. In addition, employees may also be sponsored to attend external courses that are unrelated to their roles. The intranet is accessible from all computers within the hotel. This provides a vast array of information for employees. In addition, a complimentary Learning Library is available to all employees. The Learning Library contains nearly 200 different books on a wide selection of topics not all of which are work related. Some topics include training, presentation skills, computer help, leadership skills, tips for living eco-friendly, gardening tips, and cookbooks.

Every month a training calendar is issued that lists all the training courses offered by the Learning and Development Department. There are many different courses available including telephone techniques, The World's Finest Service Workshop and Guests' Name Workshop. The Dorchester offers cross exposure experiences to all employees. If an employee is interested in a department that is not related to theirs, they may apply to do cross exposure. Employees are paid for cross exposure days as normal working days. In addition, employees may also be sponsored to attend external courses that are unrelated to their roles. The intranet is accessible from all computers within the hotel. This provides a vast array of information for employees. In addition, a complimentary Learning Library is available to all employees. The Learning Library contains nearly 200 different books on a wide selection of topics not all of which are work related. Some topics include training, presentation skills, computer help, leadership skills, tips for living eco-friendly, gardening tips, and cookbooks.

Managers have been provided with a Hiring Tool Kit to aid in recruitment. Tool kits are also in place for coaching, mentoring and development, as well as in completing appraisal forms for their staff. Internal coaching courses are available from Skillsoft, via Scotiabank in London's online training catalogue. Additional, classroom style courses are organised by an external provider called the Mind Gym. People managers are directly assessed in their Performance Appraisals, by their supervisors but also their internal clients, on “People” criteria that focuses on employee satisfaction, development and engagement. Employees have to demonstrate partnership behaviours such as “working together with colleagues in the spirit of mutual cooperation and responsibility in order to achieve business goals”. A minimum average grade of “Meets Expectations” is required, or an action plan is put into place to address and improve the issue.

Total Reward Statements are available to all staff electronically, via the Bank's "Scotia-Kit" online portal. Their TRS are constantly updated to reflect any benefit elections, such as the firms Denplan cover or other benefits such as Childcare Vouchers. Furthermore, employees have the option to instantaneously access an online valuation of their pension pot, so as to gauge the performance of any individual fund. Going forward, the Bank will also be introducing an online portal to aid employees to instantaneously manage their company shares, via the Bank's Share Incentive Plan (SIP). Reward and recognition are important motivational tools to ensure that employees feel that they are rewarded for their efforts, incentive payments are awarded to employees proportionally to their performance level and employees who perform well and who want to develop are also supported, ensuring their performance appraisal reflects their efforts and that there is scope for development and progression.

Thatcham has a charitable donations group which meets regularly to decide which charities the company will support. They often sponsor members of staff for taking part in fundraising events from a team who walked the ‘moonwalk' for Breast Cancer, a member of staff who cycled from John O Groats to Landsend for the NSPCC and another who participated in ‘three men in a boat' for the Bi-polar Organisation. Thatcham has a corporate social responsibility committee made up representatives from each area of the business who meet regularly to discuss CSR issues, suggest new action points and comment on existing ones. All company owned vehicles are also selected on their CO2 emission efficiency. They carefully monitor the use of electricity, gas and water and have implemented a range of energy efficient programmes to ensure they are reducing their energy consumption. 8 wind turbines have been installed to generate some of their own electricity and have installed a lighting voltage management system which reduces power use by 25%. Thatcham are regular visitors to local schools and youth organisations where they promote safety on the roads.

Thatcham has a charitable donations group which meets regularly to decide which charities the company will support. They often sponsor members of staff for taking part in fundraising events from a team who walked the ‘moonwalk' for Breast Cancer, a member of staff who cycled from John O Groats to Landsend for the NSPCC and another who participated in ‘three men in a boat' for the Bi-polar Organisation. Thatcham has a corporate social responsibility committee made up representatives from each area of the business who meet regularly to discuss CSR issues, suggest new action points and comment on existing ones. All company owned vehicles are also selected on their CO2 emission efficiency. They carefully monitor the use of electricity, gas and water and have implemented a range of energy efficient programmes to ensure they are reducing their energy consumption. 8 wind turbines have been installed to generate some of their own electricity and have installed a lighting voltage management system which reduces power use by 25%. Thatcham are regular visitors to local schools and youth organisations where they promote safety on the roads.

O2 people are encouraged to Give Something Back by pursuing charitable causes and playing an active role in their community. They encourage them to apply for awards or refer friends and family under the It's Your Community programme which gives grants of up to £1000 to community projects throughout the UK. O2 also actively encourage volunteering and fundraising. For example the Telefónica Proniño programme gives staff a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with underprivileged children in South America for a month. O2 UK recycle materials used in their offices and retail establishments. They also recycle the electronic waste which they receive from their customers (handsets, routers, laptops etc) and their network equipment. Telefónica O2 UK recognise the need to get their house in order. They have a responsibility for the planet and believe that sound management of their environmental impact is critical to their future. By doing the right things they can also stand out from the crowd, gain trust, save money and invest in things their customers most value.

In September O2 launched their new recognition scheme, Fanclub. Based on Facebook, people registering for Fanclub can upload their personal profile, add a photo and search the database to find people across O2 they would like to recognise for their achievements. It's a quick, easy and instant way to say ‘thanks for a job well done' and to make people's contributions feel valued. Anyone can nominate their peers, managers, individuals or teams for the contributions they've made to delivering against one of O2's six business priorities, known as the Customer Promise. All O2's directorates have a number of tickets allocated for recognition at The O2 Arena and other O2 Academies across the country, enabling their employees to be rewarded by seeing top artists perform at these locations. O2 have a bonus structure where their people are rewarded for their efforts based on their performance. The bonus is linked to how they have performed throughout the year and is assessed following their Annual Performance Review at the end of the year.

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.

The College newsletter (Update) is frequently used by the staff to write public thank you notes to show their appreciation to any of their colleagues or other teams for anything special they have done. The Principal and the senior managers occasionally write to staff to recognise any outstanding contributions they have made to the organisation.

The College run an investment in excellence programme which is a four day course developed based on the principles of cognitive psychology and in particular the power of positive thought and aspirational goal setting. Such was the success of the programmes that ten managers undertook a course that gives them the ability to deliver the course internally in order to roll it out to all staff in subsequent years. The sharing of best practice is strongly supported and encouraged, the College is aware that it needs to constantly refresh its approaches to sharing good practice and has continued its positive work in ensuring new ideas and teaching tools are shared within and across faculties.

The company encourages all staff to be involved in fundraising events and such events are supported by all members of staff from team members up to director level. For example, the Company has recently been involved in a Hope House corporate challenge, whereby the Company was given £50 and had to use the money for fundraising events from 1st September 2009 to 30th November 2009, to raise as much money as possible. At last count they had raised over £2,000 with monies still being collected. This was achieved through raffles; name the baby competitions and cooking lunch for colleagues as well as the team of directors matching the total funds raised from the raffle. They recycle and regularly reuse materials where possible, including scrap metal, cardboard and paper. They also support the local community and annually, SmartWater provide work experience to students from local schools who are interested in gaining an insight and deeper understanding of the work they do and experiencing a working environment.

The Company operates an Employee of the Quarter award and an Employee of the Year Award. These awards are nominated for by senior managers and are in recognition of outstanding work and achievement. A nomination form is completed by each Senior Manager and then discussed at the next available Management Meeting and the winner decided. The employee is presented with a certificate, a silver trophy or cup and a cheque for £50. For the past two years, they have paid out a bonus to staff in recognition of their years of service to the organisation. The value of the awards ranged from £346 to £909. SmartWater also award 'Board Commendations' when an employee has for example: gone above and beyond the call of duty at work and/or made an outstanding contribution. A certificate is awarded to the member of staff and they also receive a cheque for £100.

Skandia have a range of courses for all levels of management and where required support managers with internal mentors. An online 360 tool to assist managers has been developed along with an internally managed feedback mechanism. They retain many external suppliers to deliver life and business coaching to middle and senior managers and provide support in obtaining internal and external professional qualifications in association with external business schools. Managers are encouraged to attend seminars and professional forums to maintain professional knowledge and meet CPD requirements. Voluntary networking groups have been introduced for the different management levels bringing together the various business departments.

A flexible benefits package is on offer which includes free private health care, critical illness / personal insurance and a wellness program. They have enhanced their offerings to employees with more therapist sessions being made available onsite. Online resources are available both at work and at home where employees can access the latest health and wellbeing news as well as taking health assessments. Skandia also provides an optional onsite annual flu vaccination programme and work with an agency to provide balanced menus and raise awareness on healthy eating through road shows and leaflets. This year, as part of a financial awareness programme, employees were given access to pension financial advice to help them understand more about their pension.

They offer an employee health benefits package to the value of £300 which is available to all staff regardless of position in the organisation or the amount of hours they work. Employees can choose a health benefit that is suited to their needs such as smoking cessation, dental insurance and optical insurance. These benefits are reviewed annually and employee suggestions for future benefits are taken on board. To promote a healthier lifestyle employees have access to subsidised sports facilities / memberships. Servite Housing try to accommodate employee's needs and offer a wide range of flexible working conditions. Subject to service demands they offer flexi-time, staggered hours, shift swaps job shares and many more.

They offer an employee health benefits package to the value of £300 which is available to all staff regardless of position in the organisation or the amount of hours they work. Employees can choose a health benefit that is suited to their needs such as smoking cessation, dental insurance and optical insurance. These benefits are reviewed annually and employee suggestions for future benefits are taken on board. To promote a healthier lifestyle employees have access to subsidised sports facilities / memberships. Servite Housing try to accommodate employee's needs and offer a wide range of flexible working conditions. Subject to service demands they offer flexi-time, staggered hours, shift swaps job shares and many more.

They are keen to reward and invest in their employees. Key motivation initiatives include a quarterly competition launched in the UK newsletter, a detailed performance and development review process, comprehensive training and development for all employees and a provision of corporate clothing. Employee's opinions are valued and they are encouraged to put forward ideas and initiatives though a reward scheme. If overall company targets are met employees are rewarded with an annual bonus. They also offer a recommendation bonus for new employees referred by current employees.

They are keen to reward and invest in their employees. Key motivation initiatives include a quarterly competition launched in the UK newsletter, a detailed performance and development review process, comprehensive training and development for all employees and a provision of corporate clothing. Employee's opinions are valued and they are encouraged to put forward ideas and initiatives though a reward scheme. If overall company targets are met employees are rewarded with an annual bonus. They also offer a recommendation bonus for new employees referred by current employees.

Saint-Cobain is dedicated to the environment and has several different schemes in place to help. A tree planting scheme is in place, where for every 10 tonnes of expected waste not produced, a new tree is planted on site. This project was started with the aim of creating a wildlife area to recognise and remind every person on site each day, the need for duty or care and the positive effects this will give towards the environment. To support their local community they try to fill available vacancies with local people and also do a lot of work with the local schools. They work closely with North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership and sponsor and become involved in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Fair that they organise. As part of their commitment they also support local schools in career management and interview practise.

The company have a number of schemes in place to ensure employees feel valued and are rewarded for their efforts. They offer an individual performance related bonus and a site wide bonus for manufacturing performance. Employees can also nominate one another for work they have done above and beyond expectations. Points are then awarded which can be redeemed for vouchers and their achievement is acknowledged by all of the senior management team. To provide employees with a more instant form of recognition line managers issue on the spot vouchers for the staff canteen.

There is an occupational health and wellness programme as well as a dedicated employee assistance programme available. Employees have access to a wide range of benefits including free private health care, life assurance and subsidised sports activities. S.Com has a flexible attitude towards time off in relation to personal and family matters and allow staff to work from home. They often include employee's families in events and their Christmas party is open to partners.

They have a commission based reward system in place along with incentive schemes. Events are held to mark promotions within teams and rewards are provided for a job well done with team meals and nights out. To ensure hard work is recognised all employees have a personal development plan along with performance appraisals. Employees who have made an outstanding contribution to the organisation's success have the chance to win a wide range of prizes from trips to Harrods with vouchers to holidays.

Employee's wellbeing is supported. They offer a flexitime scheme as well as short term flexible arrangements. If employees wish to take time off in lieu rather than being paid after working additional hours, this is also generally available. Should employees wish to attend such things as medical appointments, allowances are also made for these.

Rother District Council rewards their employees for their efforts through a reward scheme and recognition emails. The Council relies on the innovation, creativity and lateral thinking of its individuals, as an integral part of development. This also helps them to improve services to their customers. In addition to this they recognise the value of good people and help staff to maximise their potential during their time at Rother.

They have an in-salon chef who cooks daily dishes designed to offer a balanced nutritional diet to employees. They also run in-salon Yoga classes monthly and have helped several team members to deal with emotional and mental health issues by arranging counselling.

Financial incentives and competitions are provided for teams and individuals at various times in the year. A financial bonus for every year's service is paid on each employee's birthday. Recently, their group of colour technicians travelled to Rotterdam to go on an organic colour workshop to experiment with new creative developments in this field.

To promote interaction within teams there is a range of social sporting events held such as tennis, bowls and canoeing along with non sporting events for example ‘Ribby's Got Talent' this recent event was designed to increase communication and teamwork across the departments.

This organisation encourages employees to take part in sporting social events to keep fit, individual requests from employees for extra time out of work on top of holiday days are reviewed by managers and accepted where possible. All employees are all encouraged to plan their holidays to ensure that they use their full quota each year.

Employees are rewarded for their efforts through various ways. The organisation benchmark salaries with other organisations and staff receive annual increments and an annual rise. Pay increments are also rewarded for qualifications gained and changing grade. Positive feedback is encouraged when people have done a good job, congratulations cards are given for qualifications gained, there are training qualifications presentations, thank you's in meetings and thank you letters are also given to ensure employees feel appreciated.

Response has its own charitable donation section called Response Giving which is run by a group of active volunteers who meet monthly to discuss requests for donations and to arrange vigorous fundraising. It fundraises and relieves suffering by making donations to people with enduring mental health issues that cannot access money through another source that is so immediate. Their service users benefit from their proximity by the annual events organised such as barbeques and dances. They have a sustainability policy and also monitor who takes their waste, what happens to their green waste and also recycle ink cartridges, paper and cardboard.

Reading Room hold a wide range of events aimed at getting teams to work and play together. They hold regular team building days and social events ranging from summer cocktail parties to wine tasting and a Christmas party where employees were taken to Paris. Teams have the chance to earn extra bonuses and celebrate their achievements with divisional parties and nights out.

Their divisional structure supports progression and opportunities for growth and means that they have managers of teams of no more than 20 people. A quality management system is in place which lays out roles and responsibilities. divisional heads are given internal training in management and the directors all have in place support from the Divisional Heads. All managers have 360 degree appraisals with structured feedback.

The organisation has summer hog roasts including a 5-a-side football competition. Social gatherings after team meetings are also organised. Executive briefings are held followed by social events. The Tech Support team will have lunchtime celebration in the office for good customer survey results. The Finance team organise a treasure hunt as a team building exercise. The HR team has gone through personality profiling as a team building exercise. The Presales team has had an off-roading quad bike experience.

Manager's guides are issued wherever possible for new online absence management tools. Pay and support for external management qualifications are available under the Education Assistance programme. Internal management development training is available. Internal coaching and mentoring is also available for employees on an adhoc basis. All the senior management team have an open door policy and will help and guide their management team wherever possible. External coaching and mentoring can be arranged through a preferred supplier where necessary and is available during the Leadership academy. Lunch & Learn sessions with HR are conducted, these sessions are run by the HR team and are open to all managers, covering requested topics such as the disciplinary process. Regular mentoring is given from the HR team on subjects such as performance improvement plans, disciplinary, salary increases and job development.

The CEO runs face to face quarterly updates including a Q&A session and writes a weekly 'Wow, what a week' update, that is sent to all employees. He has an identical desk to the rest of the employees and is approachable. He actively engages with team members and gets involved with events including triathlons and sponsored runs.

The CEO runs face to face quarterly updates including a Q&A session and writes a weekly 'Wow, what a week' update, that is sent to all employees. He has an identical desk to the rest of the employees and is approachable. He actively engages with team members and gets involved with events including triathlons and sponsored runs.

Protocol hold a range of company wide and independent events to allow employees to interact on a more informal level. An annual Christmas party for all employees takes place and independent branches run initiatives such as lunches and team nights out. Employees take part in team building events through the company conference. A recent event was held at the Emirates Stadium where the afternoon was dedicated to team building activities which were fun, challenging and thought provoking.

The company tries hard to provide a strong work/life balance for employees and will assess any application for reduced hours or flexible working patterns on an individual basis. Free life assurance and private health care is available to all employees. They also have an employee assistance programme which provides support to employees on a range of topics including stress management and mental health issues.

Pret A Manger provides employees with competitive pay and bonuses are awarded to employees of all levels. Senior managers always take time to say ‘thank you' to employees for their efforts and use ‘wow cards' to instantly recognise hard work. The company also run a monthly competition where the top performing shop is awarded with funds to spend on an event of their choice. Career development opportunities are available to all employees and they celebrate promotions within the company with vouchers.

Pret A Manger provides employees with competitive pay and bonuses are awarded to employees of all levels. Senior managers always take time to say ‘thank you' to employees for their efforts and use ‘wow cards' to instantly recognise hard work. The company also run a monthly competition where the top performing shop is awarded with funds to spend on an event of their choice. Career development opportunities are available to all employees and they celebrate promotions within the company with vouchers.

Pizza Express consistently seek to ensure their employees feel rewarded and hold roundtable events to gain feedback on what employees would like. Restaurant support teams are rewarded through the ‘Restaurant Support Hero Awards' by the Managing Director at their monthly team brief. They also run an employee of the month scheme to recognise exceptional work from operations managers, managers and team members.

Pizza Express consistently seek to ensure their employees feel rewarded and hold roundtable events to gain feedback on what employees would like. Restaurant support teams are rewarded through the ‘Restaurant Support Hero Awards' by the Managing Director at their monthly team brief. They also run an employee of the month scheme to recognise exceptional work from operations managers, managers and team members.

The leader and senior managers of the organisation interact with employees through a regular newsletter that is published on a quarterly basis, all directors and senior managers operate an open door policy and employees are reminded of this at the employee forums.

The leader and senior managers of the organisation interact with employees through a regular newsletter that is published on a quarterly basis, all directors and senior managers operate an open door policy and employees are reminded of this at the employee forums.

Pannone give training to all managers on spotting signs of stress in themselves and others and offer free confidential counselling where necessary. Fundamentally they always remember that each employee has a life outside of work which must be taken into consideration when decisions are made.

All members of staff at any level in the firm, are supported to study for legal qualifications provided they have been with Pannone for at least a year and are performing well in their current role. In these cases the firm will pay half of the costs of obtaining the qualification, as well as giving leave to take exams and revise.

The organisation focuses on the management of employee's performance and ensuring that their rewards adequately reflect their efforts. In addition however they run two all employee events per year as a thank you from the company. They have a Summer Party where all employees and their families come along to have food and be entertained and they also have a fantastic Christmas Party for employees and guests where they provide entertainment and food. These events are valued by their employees. In there PaceSetter magazine they recognise individual efforts by employees either inside or outside of work.

The organisation focuses on the management of employee's performance and ensuring that their rewards adequately reflect their efforts. In addition however they run two all employee events per year as a thank you from the company. They have a Summer Party where all employees and their families come along to have food and be entertained and they also have a fantastic Christmas Party for employees and guests where they provide entertainment and food. These events are valued by their employees. In there PaceSetter magazine they recognise individual efforts by employees either inside or outside of work.

There are internal awards given to employees to recognise their contributions. Such awards include the Considerate Constructor Award, the Improving Client Experience Award and the Exceptional Client Experience Award. Loyalty and commitment is also recognised and there are long service awards for those who have been with the company ten years, and then every ten years after that. Instant recognition includes meals and drinks on completion of projects as well as vouchers for employee's birthdays.

There are internal awards given to employees to recognise their contributions. Such awards include the Considerate Constructor Award, the Improving Client Experience Award and the Exceptional Client Experience Award. Loyalty and commitment is also recognised and there are long service awards for those who have been with the company ten years, and then every ten years after that. Instant recognition includes meals and drinks on completion of projects as well as vouchers for employee's birthdays.

Orange run an employee recognition scheme called Brilliant to recognise people that go above and beyond. Anyone who works for the company can nominate someone else for a Brilliant award on their intranet. The panel meets to review all nominations and they award up to twenty people a month. Winners get a day's holiday and a Brilliant star paperweight. The Sales and Loyalty directorate launched its own scheme this year, Sales Legends. Every month, the top 50 performers across all sales channels are listed in the online league table and the top Sales Legends every six months are invited to a superb gala event with their partners. In July this year, the event took place at BAFTA House. Employees are also recognised via the Orange Community, where there are certificates for fundraisers, a profile on the volunteer wall with photos and reports for all volunteers and Orange News coverage on volunteering and fundraising activity.

Orange run an employee recognition scheme called Brilliant to recognise people that go above and beyond. Anyone who works for the company can nominate someone else for a Brilliant award on their intranet. The panel meets to review all nominations and they award up to twenty people a month. Winners get a day's holiday and a Brilliant star paperweight. The Sales and Loyalty directorate launched its own scheme this year, Sales Legends. Every month, the top 50 performers across all sales channels are listed in the online league table and the top Sales Legends every six months are invited to a superb gala event with their partners. In July this year, the event took place at BAFTA House. Employees are also recognised via the Orange Community, where there are certificates for fundraisers, a profile on the volunteer wall with photos and reports for all volunteers and Orange News coverage on volunteering and fundraising activity.

NHS West Essex provides detailed management toolkits for each of their people managers to give them support in their day to day role. Further support is offered through the provision of internal and external training if ever the need is identified whilst managers occasionally get together for away days where they can meet up and share knowledge and experience.

As well as working closely together as a team during work there are numerous opportunities for people to get together in a less formal setting away from the workplace. These activities can include bowling, ice skating, quizzes or parties and all are an excellent opportunity to bring people closer together and get to know each other better.

People managers in the organisation are given a great deal of support. They hold Line Manager Workshops which are led by the HR Suffolk Leadership Academy with the aim of developing the future and current leaders. Training is given to line managers on HR issues such as absence management, capability and grievances. There is also support and pay should managers wish to take external qualifications such as the ILM. Support opportunities are also given through team meetings.

NHS Suffolk ensure that employees feel rewarded for their efforts through team away days and the Chief Executive runs a cake event to celebrate the organisations success. In addition announcements and acknowledgements are made at the monthly staff briefings to those employees who have excelled in their day to day role. A range of personal development initiatives are in place such as access to a mentor and an external network with other public sector organisations and peer support networks particularly for middle and senior managers.

To ensure that employees are rewarded for their efforts this organisation has regular job evaluations detailing employees input, development plans and one to one meetings. All achievements are published internally within the organisation and in addition all employees are recognised for their contributions with instant recognition through staff emails and their bi-monthly newsletter.

Employees are provided with a great deal of training including Effective Meeting Training, Project Management Training and Performance Management. They have their own Chief Knowledge Officer who amongst other things, works to promote the use and sharing of knowledge and information amongst staff. Personal Development is supported through individual coaching, fundamental skills training such as Business Writing Skills and IT skills, Team Leader Development Training and through the Employee Assistance Programme.

There are various ways that employee's contributions are recognised. The recognition award is to acknowledge employees who make significant contributions to the success of the organisation. There is also a President's Award which is for outstanding financial contribution to the organisation. In addition to these they also thank loyalty and commitment through their length of service award.

Nexen has a 'green team' distributed throughout the organisation who are charged with identifying opportunities to reduce their environmental footprint at all stages of the project life cycle, from the earliest stages of design through construction, operation and ultimate abandonment and remediation. As an organisation, they attempt to recycle and reuse wherever possible and have recycle bins in all offices. The company has an unswerving commitment to the environment and social responsibility. They match all employees fundraising pound for pound and sponsor a number of causes ranging from school cricket teams to cancer charities. Employees are also active in the local community and have helped to build walls and help with learning in schools through the Mackie Academy in Aberdeen for example.

Employees at Newham College of Further Education are recognised for their efforts in numerous ways including a professional effectiveness scheme where successful employees can receive one-off payments of £500. People who show exceptional loyalty are also rewarded with additional holiday entitlement after 5 and 10 years and a £250 payment for 25 years service.

Any employee who wishes to undertake a course through the college is entitled to do so completely free of charge regardless of the subject or its relevance to their role within the College. This is in addition to a range of other development practices which includes classroom related training, time management and office skills as well as knowledge sharing through forums and groups throughout the College.

NB is very supportive of charities. They offer to match employee fundraising which means that funds go to charities that mean something to them personally. They give all staff two days leave for charitable work which has helped local scouts, dog walking and school governorship. They also donated lockers from their basement showers to Broadway homelessness charity for one of their homeless shelters. They have an Environmental Committee, headed up by the EMS Manager, which is supported by representatives from across the company. This committee meets quarterly to review environmental performance of the organisation, and to identify potential improvement opportunities. The company operates a waste recycling system. All employees are educated to put recyclable waste into recycling bins, so as to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill. Twice a year they run a 'Green Week' on the intranet, to raise awareness of climate change issues and provide advice on how they can reduce their impacts on the environment.

The senior management team have all "grown up" within the organisation from a graduate or just qualified level. They also get involved in corporate responsibility activities and they are high profile at our staff parties. They communicate with employees at company briefings and town hall meetings, which ensure that everyone understands the company's future strategy. There are also bi-monthly divisional director/associate breakfast briefings which are co-ordinated and hosted by peer group and allow another way to communicate.

Managers' Charter workshops have been designed to ensure managers are aware of their roles and responsibilities, these workshops are supported by the Managers' Charter and interactive development guide. A 3 tiered approach to management is available to cover the skills needed at various levels of management with a full programme of training available along with an accreditation via the Core Leadership Development Programme. All heads of units have attended an Exec Coaching for Performance workshop which develops their coaching and mentoring techniques as well as helping them to get the best out of their staff with the overall aim being to have more internally trained coaches available.

Health screening tests performed by an occupational nurse are on offer to all employees on site as part of the wellbeing programme resulting in lifestyle advice being given to everyone in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Flexi time is available for most staff and employees are able to bring their family along to some of the out of work activities such as heritage days, Christmas carol service and sports and social events.

Nando's have a learning and development team within the business providing a wide variety of internally organised and run courses that include various themes such as inductions, coaching and practical courses on restaurant management. They also have two external coaches and mentors who work with the regional managers providing specialist support and development on an ad hoc basis as and when the need arises.

Nando's have developed a Working in Management Teams programme which is designed to improve communication skills throughout the company by gaining a greater understanding about how their teams behave when working in a group. This initiative has also been adapted to include work on a community based project where people work together to support a worthy cause. Restaurant teams are able to make use of a £1500 per year staff fund which is used to celebrate with the team whilst there are also area parties celebrating overall success each quarter.

Each staff member is given the opportunity to choose a senior member of staff to become their mentor. Employees meet with their mentor, often for coffee or lunch, once a month to discuss career goals and seek guidance. All staff are also taught management skills at external training sessions.

Each staff member is given the opportunity to choose a senior member of staff to become their mentor. Employees meet with their mentor, often for coffee or lunch, once a month to discuss career goals and seek guidance. All staff are also taught management skills at external training sessions.

Morgan Stanley recognises it has a role and a responsibility in advancing sustainable global development which requires a sound economy, strong social institutions and a healthy environment. They also realise their long-term business goals are best achieved in societies that embrace sustainable development. Contributions they make with their clients to help minimise environmental and social risks, such as making sound investments in environmentally beneficial technologies, encouraging investors to mitigate environmental risks and engaging stakeholders in open and constructive dialogue, can have positive impacts for communities, businesses, governments and the environment. In turn, Morgan Stanley benefits from stronger relationships with clients and communities as well as from healthier, safer and more sustainable societies.

All employees have access to two types of training curricula: Financial product training to enable the technical development and management training to enable the professional development. Formal training is delivered in a variety of ways: classroom, online, Video-Conference and LiveMeeting. Sharing Knowledge is key to Morgan Stanley's culture and is typically undertaken at a divisional level using different tools. Some of these include ‘lunch and learn' events in which employees will come together in a less formal seminar for a briefing or seminar. Divisions will also make use of the intranet to share departmental knowledge and via Morgan Stanley today to share company information. Morgan Stanley has a number of strategies in place to manage talent. This includes key programmes that develop and engage with the workforce. An example of this is the Women's Leadership Development programme which focuses on the senior leadership Development Programme.

Molnycke have an International Environment, Health and Safety Manager who reports to a member of the board of directors. At each manufacturing location there is also a nominated ‘green' person with responsibility for environment. They have an Environmental Policy and Action plan in place and targets are established, continuously monitored and the results disseminated both internally and externally. They are committed to good recycling practice, both in their own production and in their recommendations to customers when disposing of used products for example, if not contaminated, packaging materials such as cardboard and corrugated board can and should be recycled. At a UK level charitable initiatives include Giving Something Back which enables employees at their office location to nominate local charities or good causes for a charitable donation from the Company. Sponsorship and involvement in Pride in Oldham is how the manufacturing site supports the local community.

Molnycke have an International Environment, Health and Safety Manager who reports to a member of the board of directors. At each manufacturing location there is also a nominated ‘green' person with responsibility for environment. They have an Environmental Policy and Action plan in place and targets are established, continuously monitored and the results disseminated both internally and externally. They are committed to good recycling practice, both in their own production and in their recommendations to customers when disposing of used products for example, if not contaminated, packaging materials such as cardboard and corrugated board can and should be recycled. At a UK level charitable initiatives include Giving Something Back which enables employees at their office location to nominate local charities or good causes for a charitable donation from the Company. Sponsorship and involvement in Pride in Oldham is how the manufacturing site supports the local community.

Minivator is fully supportive of its employee's commitment to charity and aims where possible to match funds raised. For example, in support of Children In Need, they matched what was raised through a book, DVD and CD sale. As an organisation, they try to recycle and reuse wherever possible, recycling paper, cardboard and metals for example.

Minivator is fully supportive of its employee's commitment to charity and aims where possible to match funds raised. For example, in support of Children In Need, they matched what was raised through a book, DVD and CD sale. As an organisation, they try to recycle and reuse wherever possible, recycling paper, cardboard and metals for example.

Employees are be invited to pitch a creative idea to a 'Dragon's Den' style panel encompassing the senior management with the incentive of winning £10,000 worth of investment in the idea which can be split between several employees or ideas.

A recent team building event at MCBD was an all agency meeting where changes to staff policies and agency life were communicated along with the management restructure, office refurbishment and their new branding and mission statement. The event was followed with a party.

The leader and senior management team participate in all company social functions and these gatherings and events provide a valuable opportunity to chat with staff informally. There are quarterly company update meetings that take place off site for all employees. All managers also work alongside their teams in an open plan office and the directors have an open door policy. They also encourage and support staff development, provide open and honest communication, and drive a culture of delivering outstanding service and ambition for future success and prosperity.

The leader and senior management team participate in all company social functions and these gatherings and events provide a valuable opportunity to chat with staff informally. There are quarterly company update meetings that take place off site for all employees. All managers also work alongside their teams in an open plan office and the directors have an open door policy. They also encourage and support staff development, provide open and honest communication, and drive a culture of delivering outstanding service and ambition for future success and prosperity.

Microsoft provide employees a career development framework with tools and guidance to understand the range of opportunities available. Employees are encouraged to have a development plan comprised of 70% growth activities relating to current job responsibilities, 20% coaching, mentoring and feedback and 10% reading, CDs, classes and seminars.

Microsoft encourages a culture of continuous feedback and recognition. Each department is able to implement awards as they see fit. Recognition currently in place includes star awards (thank you cards) and the ability to recognise colleagues through peer awards.

Managers have a great deal of support through an onsite extensive reference library for staff and managers at all levels. Many of these theories are then expanded on in practical projects and team exercises. They ask all management to confirm what courses they wish to undertake to ensure they are included in the budget for the following year. All members of staff also have access to a coach of mentor and external coaching has been provided to the senior management team for some years.

Managers and team leaders interact with employees on a day to day basis through team meetings, one-to-ones, coaching and team building. All senior managers are located within the open plan office and the door is always open unless dealing with something of a confidential nature. Senior managers also join in with all social events. The Leader, Andrew, is passionate about team working and the importance of preserving and growing the company greatest resource, its people. The senior management team, departmental managers and teams operate cohesively within a culture of openness, transparency and trust. Strategy is clearly communicated and cascaded to all levels, with a real sense of where the mission is heading and where each individual plays a part.

The organisation supports their employee's wellbeing in various ways. The company provides a free breakfast twice a week for all employees which include healthy eating options. There is also a flexible approach to working from home or flexible hours and they are not strict about exact hours staff must be in the office to do their work. They also include employee's families at many occasions, for example, the Matrix Friends & Family Golf Day once a year and partners often invited to charitable dinners and events.

The company organises various events for employee's to socialise and have fun outside of the workplace. Such events have included the annual party, quarterly quiz nights and an annual golf day. On a smaller level, teams will often celebrate with team drinks or lunch in recognition of a successful client engagement. They also offer formal team building a couple of times a year. For example, they took 165 of the company to Venice for three days and two nights teambuilding. This included a three part treasure hunt around Venice and a masked ball, as well as other more informal group events and dinners.

Employees within Maracom are recognised for their efforts in many ways including verbal recognition, letters, salary increases and lunches. Their 2008 apprentice of the year was rewarded with vouchers for a tool kit and a thank you letter was recently sent to a new supervisor advising that their performance so far was exceeding expectations.

Maracom offer employees the services of an occupational health nurse, as well as this they have recently introduced a private health care scheme, all employees are also free to take time off work to attend medical or hospital appointments and working hours are tracked in the form of timesheets to ensure no employee is working extended hours.

Staff and managers at Manning Stainton work together in small teams. This encourages open discussion through daily "morning huddles" and weekly team meetings which enhances collaboration within the teams.

Interaction between directors and staff has always been conducted on a first name basis to encourage an ethos of trust and mutual support. All sales offices and sites receive visits from directors a minimum of three times a month during which they continue to personally involve themselves in the everyday work within the branches.

Employees well being is supported in various ways. Two of their sites have on-site fitness facilities for use by all staff. A number of the occupational health teams have also engaged physiotherapists and alternative therapists, to offer for example, reiki, Indian head massage and reflexology. This has been extremely well received by employees on sites. Wherever possible people's personal appointments are dealt with through the use of lieu hours or flexible working and they operate a time booking system with all employees responsible for logging their working hours during the week to ensure that the work/life balance is met.

Magnox North feels that their key resource is its people and they treat them as such. They feel that the terms and conditions are among the best in the sector and compare very favourably with private sector companies. The new Company Agreement has ensured that the organisation is fairer, with employees rewarded for performance rather than years of service. In addition there are generous bonus arrangements in place with employees rewarded for performance on an annual basis. Their reward and recognition policy covers a wide range of initiatives to try to ensure people feel rewarded.

Employees well being is considered very important. The dairy works four days a week, with employees working a slightly longer shift over four days rather than five, with an early shift only which was chosen by staff, many of whom are parents wanting to get home for return of children from school. The importance of family is also recognised at the annual events, for example, a farm Christmas party where partners are invited and an annual party for children of all employees.

Employees well being is considered very important. The dairy works four days a week, with employees working a slightly longer shift over four days rather than five, with an early shift only which was chosen by staff, many of whom are parents wanting to get home for return of children from school. The importance of family is also recognised at the annual events, for example, a farm Christmas party where partners are invited and an annual party for children of all employees.

There is formal in-house and external training, workshops, conferences and self-directed learning provided, which includes such topics as mandatory training to meet compliancy standards, learning disability qualifications and all levels of NVQ and training that enhances practice for example, person centred thinking and communication. Additionally, MacIntyre has an e-learning system where employees can work through induction training, policies and technical training at their own pace, without the need for time away from the service. Their road shows are important knowledge sharing events for the organisation. They are organised and led by staff so always have an up-to-date, relevant agenda. Any member of staff can suggest ideas or run a workshop or stand. They encourage line managers to 'flag up' high potential staff members in their teams. Employees are also encouraged to undertake secondments to different areas of the organisation, 'act up' to more senior roles and apply for promotion opportunities as they arise.

MacIntyre recognises the importance of taking a proactive approach to environmental management and considers it to be an integral part of risk management procedures. They are committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner and to improving their environmental performance across all areas of the organisation. They have engaged a consultant from the Carbon Trust to work with them in developing the strategies and policies to underpin this commitment. They ensure that all corporate and operational offices are environmentally friendly and also raise awareness with the people they support to ensure that their overall 'footprint' is as small as it can be. They encourage all employees to make use of recycling facilities and to use public transport wherever possible.

They strive to ensure that their employees feel rewarded for their efforts. Their ‘My Recognition' scheme allows anyone to send a thank you e-card or nominate anyone else to receive a monetary gift for living their values to a colleague or customer. Local initiatives such as certificates, chocolates or recognition in local newsletters work really well as does a thank you or well done from leaders at every level. Team leaders are trained to recognise the differing motivators for individuals and teams and positive examples are shared. Bonuses can be worth up to 30% of a front line customer service representatives salary, through annual or monthly bonus schemes. Long service awards of up to £1500 are given, depending on length of service. Flexible benefits allow employees to choose the benefits that most suit their lifestyle from shopping vouchers to BUPA cover for families.

They strive to ensure that their employees feel rewarded for their efforts. Their ‘My Recognition' scheme allows anyone to send a thank you e-card or nominate anyone else to receive a monetary gift for living their values to a colleague or customer. Local initiatives such as certificates, chocolates or recognition in local newsletters work really well as does a thank you or well done from leaders at every level. Team leaders are trained to recognise the differing motivators for individuals and teams and positive examples are shared. Bonuses can be worth up to 30% of a front line customer service representatives salary, through annual or monthly bonus schemes. Long service awards of up to £1500 are given, depending on length of service. Flexible benefits allow employees to choose the benefits that most suit their lifestyle from shopping vouchers to BUPA cover for families.

New managers go through a full manager's induction course and a moving into supervision course to support them as they take up their new role. Islington has approximately fifty qualified senior management coaches across the organisation who are available to coach manager's and colleagues whenever required.

New managers go through a full manager's induction course and a moving into supervision course to support them as they take up their new role. Islington has approximately fifty qualified senior management coaches across the organisation who are available to coach manager's and colleagues whenever required.

Globally, they have a Corporate Responsibility Committee. Each member champions environmental issues in their respective regions by giving such as presentations and support for environmental initiatives. In the UK they have a team of forty one environmental champions who represent a group and or a floor, this team is co-ordinated by the Environmental Practitioner. In November 2009 they made the shift to Bin the Bin which is a scheme designed to increase recycling by replacing standard desk side bins used by each employee with localised waste and recycling points. All construction waste is sorted and recycled and where possible and all furniture procured is made from recycled content. They also support the local community for example through their work in education in Hackney. Social mobility is a significant challenge for the professions and, through a range of activities, they try to inform and inspire the aspirations of young people near to their office.

Globally, they have a Corporate Responsibility Committee. Each member champions environmental issues in their respective regions by giving such as presentations and support for environmental initiatives. In the UK they have a team of forty one environmental champions who represent a group and or a floor, this team is co-ordinated by the Environmental Practitioner. In November 2009 they made the shift to Bin the Bin which is a scheme designed to increase recycling by replacing standard desk side bins used by each employee with localised waste and recycling points. All construction waste is sorted and recycled and where possible and all furniture procured is made from recycled content. They also support the local community for example through their work in education in Hackney. Social mobility is a significant challenge for the professions and, through a range of activities, they try to inform and inspire the aspirations of young people near to their office.

There is a budget in place specifically in place for fun and social events. These have included a team photography competition, wear it pink day for breast cancer and a Eurovision lunch. As an organisation they also hold formal team building events. The most recent was an externally facilitated two day event with their client services and business development teams. Such events allow employees to relax and have fun outside of the work place and gain new skills.

Minimising their impact on the environment is a core part of the company's culture and new employees are informed from their first days within the company through their environmental induction presentation which is further emphasised in the group chairman's presentation. They have a dedicated engagement manager who is responsible for managing and promoting corporate social responsibility issues. They are committed to reducing their impact on the environment by minimising energy consumption, recycling as much as possible and reducing business travel wherever possible through conference calls, encouraging use of public transport and car sharing. They have light sensors in all common areas to ensure lights are not left on unnecessarily. Water filters on all taps discourage people from buying bottled water and there are clearly labelled recycling bins for paper, cardboard and glass. They are committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2010. They also support the local community through a number of industry and education links with local schools, colleges and universities as well as relationships with other local organisations.

There is a Management Development Programme in place at Kids Allowed, giving people managers the training and support they need to look after their teams effectively. Managers also undertake Coaching Skills Training which encourages teams to coach each other internally and an external training facilitator supplies her contact details enabling managers to contact her directly.

There is a Management Development Programme in place at Kids Allowed, giving people managers the training and support they need to look after their teams effectively. Managers also undertake Coaching Skills Training which encourages teams to coach each other internally and an external training facilitator supplies her contact details enabling managers to contact her directly.

Employees identified with potential are given the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities and roles to help them achieve the next level. A range of training activities are on offer including skills courses in food hygiene and additional qualifications including NVQ's and degrees. Kid Ease support employees in obtaining formal qualifications through time off and funding. Any employee who has completed a course will pass any information to the rest of the team through staff meetings.

Many of the skills are learned 'on the job' so there is a buddy system in place for any new managers and a lot of skills are transferred via internal coaching. Support is given to all people managers as they move up the career ladder and they are provided with toolkits on sickness and absence, performance management and recruitment. Managers looking to pursue external qualifications are financially supported by the company and attend twice yearly management meetings to share knowledge.

Through the company's sports and social foundation, they offer a range of activities that staff and their families can participate in. Some examples of activities that have been organised are a trip to Colchester Zoo, spooky night and a pamper evening. There are also specific team events to recognise team work such as ten pin bowling, Go-Karting and meals in restaurants. There are also formal team building events held a couple of times of year. For example, last year there was the consolidation of the RVI and NDT product groups and as a result, a team building event brought together the respective product and sales management groups, where an evening of competitive go-karting was arranged at a venue local to Southend. After six hotly contested heats, the top ten drivers entered a ten lap final all aiming for the ultimate position on the top of the winner's podium. With trophies awarded, the teams departed. There was only one winner on the night - the newly combined and fully integrated and committed sales team.

Through the company's sports and social foundation, they offer a range of activities that staff and their families can participate in. Some examples of activities that have been organised are a trip to Colchester Zoo, spooky night and a pamper evening. There are also specific team events to recognise team work such as ten pin bowling, Go-Karting and meals in restaurants. There are also formal team building events held a couple of times of year. For example, last year there was the consolidation of the RVI and NDT product groups and as a result, a team building event brought together the respective product and sales management groups, where an evening of competitive go-karting was arranged at a venue local to Southend. After six hotly contested heats, the top ten drivers entered a ten lap final all aiming for the ultimate position on the top of the winner's podium. With trophies awarded, the teams departed. There was only one winner on the night - the newly combined and fully integrated and committed sales team.

Kellogg's offers employees a range of choices to create an individual work life balance that works for them. These include part-time working, flexible working hours for all employees, career breaks, home working and flexible benefits. Kellogg's understands all employees are different and have different personal commitments and aspirations which is why they operate a benefit system called ‘CornFlex'. CornFlex can be tailored by each employee to suit their needs and includes a range of benefits such as: childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme, life insurance, discount on high street stores and the opportunity to buy and sell holidays. Kellogg's believes that creating an environment where work and life commitments can be properly balanced is vital to its success. They continuously monitor the market to ensure the company remains a leader in employee benefits, setting the standards for others to follow.

There are regular events organised by the new Sports and Social Committee to promote a fun environment, including a Sports Day in the summer when teams from each department compete against each other; Christmas Pudding classes where staff can learn how to make a traditional pudding; children's carol concert with Father Christmas; a fun talent competition and subsidised outings such as ice skating, concerts and sports events. Kellogg run a variety of team building events and has run over 20 in the last year. Each event is designed to meet the specific needs of a team and has a clear set of objectives. The team has participated in a variety of exercises using tools such as MBTI to understand each other better, feedback exercises to encourage open and honest feedback and exercises to agree and improve ways of working. All of these sessions have been highly participative and have had a fun element to them.