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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Zuto

Zuto recognises and rewards employees' contributions through the Above and Beyond Award. Additionally, managers have the power to recognise standout Zutonites with personalised gifts and public acknowledgment, ensuring employees feel fairly treated.

Zuto prioritises the wellbeing of its employees, providing access to mental health first aiders, the NHS-trusted Thrive app, and discounted gym memberships. The annual Wellbeing Week promotes physical and mental wellness, reducing work-related stress and promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Zuto is committed to giving back to the community, partnering with Forever Manchester for various fundraising and volunteering opportunities. The company also supports local community groups through its named £50,000 annual fund, reinforcing its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

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Financial Services

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Williams

The Williams Academy, revamped in 2021, focuses on upskilling and developing Line Managers and Assistant Managers. This initiative has led to numerous promotions, indicating a clear path for advancement.

Williams encourages open communication and collaboration through the Business Improvement Group (BIG). This group fosters team spirit and a sense of belonging as employees across all levels can contribute ideas to enhance the workplace.

Williams, in partnership with the Rainy Day Trust, provides financial support, education, and grants, along with mental health support. The company also encourages employees to be trained as Mental Health First Aiders.

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Retail

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Trafford Council

Along with physical and mental health, the council helps to support the financial health of its staff. The government's Money and Pensions Service delivered a lunch-and-learn session on financial wellbeing and a session of sensible borrowing was delivered with Stop Loan Sharks.

Staff demonstrating the council's "epic" values are recognised at bi-monthly EPIC Star awards, which are judged by heads of service, and individuals are recognised by their corporate director. The yearly Time to Shine events are lead and sponsored by senior leadership teams and the awards categories are centred around the values.

The council runs an EPIC management programme alongside micro-learns, to allow managers to grow and develop, but it also provides them with health and wellbeing training covering topics such as active working, menopause for managers and workplace adjustments. New and aspiring managers can attend its LEAP into Leadership programme, which was developed with Salford College.

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Not For Profit Body's

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Toyota (GB)

At Toyota (GB), managers are equipped to support their teams through the Management Development Programme. This programme nurtures a supportive environment, fostering trust and care between managers and their teams.

The 'budget for fun' initiative at Toyota (GB) is a great example of promoting team spirit. By encouraging teams to engage in activities unrelated to work, it fosters a sense of belonging and fun within the team.

Toyota (GB) takes employee wellbeing seriously. From Wellbeing Passports and access to the Unmind tool, to the provision of a Wellbeing Ambassador and Mental Health First Aiders, the company ensures a balanced work-life environment for its workforce.

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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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Thomas Carroll Group

The 'Thomas Carroll Academy' fast-tracks employee development, offering clear career paths and the opportunity to gain a chartered qualification. The company also supports employees in gaining qualifications and provides financial rewards upon completion.

The 'TC&Me' platform keeps employees informed about various wellbeing issues. The company also encourages participation in physical activities, such as the Welsh Three Peaks Challenge, to promote physical and mental health. The hybrid working policy further supports a balance between work and home life.

Thomas Carroll's charitable trust supports local individuals and causes. The company also participates in community initiatives such as the Christmas PJ appeal and the Aviva Broker Community Fund Award, reflecting its commitment to giving back to society.

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Insurance

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Thakeham

Thakeham funds and encourages all employees to attend a regular health screening through Nuffield health. The organisation has trained Mental Health First Aiders and champions and also provides access to an in house counsellor at no cost for employees. They can see the counsellor in the office, via teams/zoom or at her practice off site.

The leadership team uses a range of channels and digital to share information and encourage feedback from employees. The CEO and CSO shares regular video messages. The videos are unscripted to maintain authenticity. The videos are easily accessible on smart devices and all comms activity then comes together in its weekly newsletter to all staff.

The organisation has implemented technology so that people can join team and board meetings remotely and in person at the same time. Thakeham also has a working group covering all departments who meet every 2-3 months to discuss ideas, thoughts and suggestions that are fed back to senior leadership so that actions can be implemented.

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Housing Associations

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Softwire

Softwire provides permanent health insurance which pays 75% of an employee’s salary (less state benefits) until normal retirement age in the event that they are unable to work for a prolonged period due to most forms of sickness or accident. All employees are automatically covered for this benefit without having to explicitly sign up.

The organisation celebrates employee achievements and contributions during the "Softwire Awards". Potential winners are nominated by colleagues, and four prizes of £500 are awarded to the people who had most embodied each of the company’s four values (Kindness, Trust, Fun, and Caring about what we do).

Softwire provides specific Line Manager Training to all employees who are starting in a management role. This training has a mixture of management and leadership theory, workshops around how to give and receive great feedback, discussion forums where employees can bring real-life scenarios, and resources to continue to learn how to develop those skills.

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Technology

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SMS

SMS offers a number of different forms of leave depending on an employee’s circumstance including compassionate leave, fertility treatment, miscarriage, bereavement, and other unfortunate or unforeseen circumstances. Paid time for dependents - emergency cover, unpaid. It has 2023 increased our paternity leave package to two weeks of full pay.

SMS has continued to ensure engagement with its people. Organisational clarity has come from the CEO, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief People Officer having regular contact with employees via short video updates, e-mails, texts, pulse surveys, and five employee resource groups. The organisation’s mission, vision, and purpose were communicated via annual performance and development reviews.

It has also recently introduced a bespoke management development programme (MDP) - which has been designed to ensure its managers and team leaders have the core skills and competencies needed to perform their jobs successfully. The programme consists of a number of managerial, coaching, and developmental modules.

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Utilities

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Wellbeing Matters

Marsden Building Society

Zuto

Williams

Trafford Council

Toyota (GB)

Tommies Childcare

Thomas Carroll Group

Thakeham

Softwire

SMS

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