Managing directors encouraged staff to take lunch breaks and gave everyone an afternoon off to relax and do something fun instead of working. Each member of the leadership team also headed up a team in the 24 days of advent challenge completing 24 minutes of physical activity every day.

The bonus scheme is based on company performance and individual performance against personal objectives. As 2020 was such great year, everyone achieved more than 100% of their bonus with the managing directors giving everyone another 10% to recognise the great efforts and achievements during such an extraordinary year.

The council offers internships, work experience placements and apprenticeships, which can lead to a full-time job. It recently initiated a scheme with the University of Kent to develop a talent pipeline for the planning department and successfully recruited newcomers into graduate planning roles.

Staff can get discounts at hundreds of retailers and hospitality venues through a Reward Gateway account. Winners of the authority's popular quarterly recognition scheme, who are nominated by colleagues for their commitment to key values such as Customer First, also receive £25 vouchers.

Farewill has sent staff care packages with goodies including desk plants and exotic teas to make working from home a little more fun. A number of non-work social channels have also been introduced on topics from photography and video-games to food and meditation along with film and book clubs.

Farewill has introduced virtual coffee roulettes using an app so team members can have regular coffee meetings with people across the organisation and the Hallway chat app notifies staff to take breaks during the day to encourage water cooler conversations.

The organisation showed its work family it cared during the pandemic with paid days off to recognise the contribution they had made, thank you days focussed on fun and wellbeing plus treat bags accompanied by a note of appreciation from Chief Executive, Marcia Sinfield.

Teams have had coffee mornings, quizzes and opportunities to just talk about how they are feeling with support from Time to Change Champions and they have been encouraged to take a walk during their breaks to appreciate nature with WhatsApp groups featuring different activities and beautiful views from across Wales.

A 120 day free subscription to Peloton was offered during the national lockdown, giving staff access to online classes from yoga to boot camp. Social activities from WhatsApp office group chat/jokes, to virtual quizzes, running and cycling, virtual after work drinks and breakfast clubs have helped boost health and wellbeing.

In addition to fundraising, staff are involved in a range of community and volunteering activities. During the pandemic, one member of staff volunteered for night shifts as part of the team constructing The NHS Nightingale Hospital in Birmingham and another served as a sergeant in The Special Constabulary.

The management team has weekly meetings to discuss all operational aspects of the business including the impact of Covid. In April, the company appointed an education and training lead who works across the whole organisation assessing and addressing development needs.

The business likes to send physical things through the post to remind people that it appreciates them. This includes small birthday presents, quarterly deliveries of a director-chosen gift – a bottle of wine, chocolate, beauty products, dependant on individual preferences. Several sets of hand-packed care boxes also went out.

The leadership team's calm, positive and transparent handling of the challenges created by the pandemic instilled camaraderie among staff and inspired peer to peer support. Staff were encouraged to maintain contact with the leadership team and each other and to get involved in social events including weekly coffee catch-ups.

DRS hosts regular events including team lunches and sent employees thank you hampers in recognition of their hard work. Regular thanks and recognition is given in weekly 1-2-1s, quarterly reviews and annual appraisals. Perks include free massages, a discount app and corporate gym memberships.

The single most important method to gauge a manager's performance or success is through their team and peers. The company says if it had to choose one measurement of leadership it would be team engagement, and how the team thrives with its manager.

People at the company felt everyone was in unprecedented times together and so the focus was on open conversations, transparency and regular updates. Every week saw a TV-style programme give news on what was happening, how drpg was doing, what needed doing, and with people able to ask questions and comment

Kavi and Shamil undertook monthly catch-ups with all the Babu (management) teams and the new Dishoom Delivery Kitchen workforce. Their priority was to keep employees reassured and informed. More than that, Shamil held a weekly virtual yoga class for anyone on staff to take part in.

After communications went online the company wanted to give its people something tangible to hold so the Dishoom Samachar – its own newspaper – was launched. It was delivered to every team members' home. There was also a Zoom kids' party for Chote Dishoom Wallas (the team's children), with a personalised invite sent to their homes.

Staff can nominate colleagues who have been particularly helpful with a project or gone out of their way to provide a service for a Thank you Award with the recipient receiving a £25 voucher that can be redeemed against a wide range of retailers and leisure activities.

The charity created virtual spaces for staff to talk about how they were doing, learn about wellbeing and keep in touch. It also held a Wellbeing Week and a virtual “at the coffee machine sessions” for people to “drop in” and talk about whatever they wanted.