Best Companies Factors: Wellbeing

Marsden Building Society

Through colleague nominations and bi-monthly awards, the organisation celebrates its people. The colleague who wins gets a £100 voucher, 2nd place gets a £50 voucher, with runners up each getting chocolates. All colleagues who have been nominated receive a copy of their nomination, including the detailed comments sent in to support it.

To support employee wellbeing, all colleagues have access to Lifeworks, an online wellbeing platform that offers resources and tools to support wellness and an Employee Assistance Programme which is anonymous, confidential, and available 24/7. The organisation has also introduced an annual leave purchase scheme to enable colleagues to buy five additional days leave per year.

Teams at Marsden Building Society are brought together through a range of activities, including: Halloween treasure hunts around the office, sending photos through once sweets have been found; seed growing competitions; “Rate my plate” competitions where colleagues can send in photos of their food to compare with their peers, and much more.

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Financial Services

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Aspiration Training

Employees at Aspiration Training have access to an Employee Assistance Programme that is available for their whole family to use. Furthermore, all People Managers receive Mental First Aid Training and the organisation also offers Occupational Health support. Discounted fitness related benefits are available for all.

In order to build relationships between team members, Aspiration Training provides an allowance of £75 per person to go towards team building activities of each team’s choice. Moreover, the organisation holds an annual ceremony to celebrate its team members of the year.

Aspiration Training offers a range of growth opportunities to its people. Employees have access to coaching and mentoring programmes with monthly one-to-one feedback and a focus on career aspirations. Employees can also access internal and external training programmes and receive qualifications.

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Education & Training

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South Hampshire College Group

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

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

Aspiring and existing managers are supported through development training, covering areas such as self-awareness, agility, commercial and financial acumen and operational effectiveness, including becoming great people managers. The College also offers bespoke support for aspiring leaders, including external strategic qualifications, professional courses and conferences.

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Education & Training

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Tommies Childcare

Tommies Childcare supports employees’ wellbeing through its Wellness Action Plan; an individualised plan that outlines symptoms, triggers, and support needed to be put into place for an employee. This is reviewed in line with need and is an opportunity for employees to have a dedicated, non-judgemental discussion with their manager about how they are feeling.

The organisation runs a training programme where employees get to join Directors, Senior Managers and Managers for training tailored to the development of skills applicable to their roles. The training is not only supportive of Child Development but also outlines how employee engagement can be the difference between a good workplace and a great workplace.

Tommies Childcare offers a managerial Leadership and Development programme, delivered through an external organisation. This consists of one-to-one coaching sessions for Managers, leadership discussions, and group exercises.

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Education & Training

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Roadchef

Roadchef cares for its employees’ wellbeing through a number of initiatives, including trained mental health first aiders at every site; an Employee Assistance Programme in place to offer confidential support to all employees; hardship loans; wellbeing messaging and weekly national focus reinforcement through the Roundup newsletter; community pantries; and breakfast clubs.

The organisation offers Extra Responsibility Pay to recognise when individuals step up to cover/support another role. Some ad-hoc bonus payments have been made to reward employees for their contribution and hard work. Employees further have access to Wagestream, providing the ability to draw down on wages earlier, supporting stress and anxiety around finances.

Roadchef has a number of tiers of structured development in place including apprenticeships, the Fastlane Management Development Programme, the Leadership Highway Programme, the High Potential Development Programme, secondments, and ad-hoc Executive Coaching.

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Leisure & Hospitality

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OSB GROUP

OSB Group fosters a sense of pride and belonging among employees through robust internal communications, such as interactive 'Ask the CEO' sessions, ensuring staff feel valued and integral to the organisation’s success.

Employees at OSB Group benefit from tailored development programmes like the Future Supervisors and Managers Programme, which challenges them and enhances their skills, preparing them for potential leadership roles.

OSB Group prioritises employee wellbeing with initiatives such as the Wellness Hub and Menopause Awareness training, which address mental and physical health, promoting a supportive work-life balance.

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Financial Services

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Grainger Plc

Grainger Plc supports personal growth through initiatives like the Future Leaders Programme and the Career Development Framework. These programmes offer clear pathways for advancement, ensuring employees feel challenged and their skills are utilised effectively.

Through its Wellbeing Calendar and Mental Health Champions Network, Grainger Plc places a strong emphasis on employee wellbeing. Initiatives such as Blue Monday demonstrate the company’s commitment to supporting work-life balance and mental health.

Under CEO Helen Gordon, Grainger Plc's leadership is engaged with employees through regular town hall calls and executive-led communication channels, reinforcing organisational values and fostering transparent dialogue across all levels.

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Housing Associations

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Edinburgh Leisure

The organisation offers all employees free access to its facilities. This includes access to swimming, a gym, classes, wall climbing, and play golf. It also offers free annual (and confidential) health checks. These give employees feedback on fitness, glucose levels, cholesterol and other health measures, and are conducted by trained gym staff.

The CEO shares regular email updates with employees, where she can highlight any key events and update on performance and completion of key projects. The organisation also has a fortnightly in-house online magazine called a Quick Ello. This is used to share both business updates and updates of personal interest (employee achievements, fundraising activity etc.).

The organisation’s 'celebrate' portal gives employees access to shopping discounts, a bike to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. All employees can use the system to send a card to a colleague to say thank you or to recognise great work - the cards are all themed around Edinburgh Leisure’s values and ways of working.

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Not For Profit Body's

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Delt Shared Services

Delt Shared Services encourages personal development through a 450% increase in learning opportunities, offering fully-funded courses and an extensive online learning platform. This empowers employees by enhancing their skills and providing advancement opportunities.

Delt Shared Services offers a competitive benefits package, including a £2000 referral bonus and discounts at top supermarkets. This approach ensures employees feel valued and fairly compensated, fostering a positive workplace environment.

Delt Shared Services prioritises employee wellbeing with a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme and access to a wellness portal. This focus on mental health and work-life balance supports personal health and enhances performance.

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Business Services

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Bristol Airport

Bristol Airport offers a competitive benefits package, including private medical insurance, a reward and recognition portal, and a performance-related bonus scheme, ensuring employees feel valued and fairly compensated.

Wellbeing is prioritised through initiatives like the Employee Assistance Programme and private medical insurance covering mental wellbeing. Flexible working options and a comprehensive set of family-friendly policies help employees maintain a healthy work-life balance.

The Airport's commitment to giving back is evident through its charity fundraising efforts, including support for the Great Western Air Ambulance charity, and volunteer days, enabling employees to actively contribute to their community.

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Leisure & Hospitality

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Wellbeing Matters

Marsden Building Society

Aspiration Training

South Hampshire College Group

Tommies Childcare

Roadchef

OSB GROUP

Grainger Plc

Edinburgh Leisure

Delt Shared Services

Bristol Airport

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