Best Companies Factors: Wellbeing

Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Palace provides its employees with a range of health and wellbeing benefits, including: eyecare and glasses reimbursement; free flu jabs; access to Validium, the Employee Assistance Programme that provides a free, confidential 24-hour counselling and advisory service; free staff meals when working on events; and subsidised weekly fitness classes.

All employees can enjoy discounts at the onsite cafes, restaurants, and bars with their staff pass. Every Friday, employees receive 50% off at the Pheonix Bar & Kitchen. Employees can also apply for free tickets to events and backstage bar passes.

Alexandra Palace brings its people together every year for its annual summer and Christmas parties. It further runs ‘Friyay socials’ and a number of crafting, music, and exercise groups that all staff are encouraged to join.

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Leisure & Hospitality

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Career Connect

Career Connect are an accredited Professional Development Centre, recognised by awarding bodies OCR, City & Guilds and ILM. It runs "Inspiring Leaders" workshops twice a year to give staff an insight into the role of a manager and encourage internal progression routes and promotion for its staff.

As a charity, Career Connect encourages its teams to support other charities. Over the last year, its teams have organised: foodbank and toiletries collections, delivering parcels of essential supplies to local homeless charities; Macmillan bake sales; and a Save the Children Christmas Jumper fundraiser.

Career Connect runs a wellbeing campaign twice a year. The objective is to encourage its people to try out different activities that boost their health and wellbeing. Staff were given paid time off to participate in the activities of their choice. This included physical and mental activities such as exercise, yoga, and baking.

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Charity's

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MWH Treatment

MWH Treatment supports employee development through regular 'Let's Talk' conversations, a structured Graduate and Apprenticeship scheme, and a comprehensive catalogue of courses. The company's job family structure and competency development initiative provide clear career progression paths.

The organisations prioritises employee wellbeing through various innovative initiatives, including the HSE Stress Indicator Tool, "Rate my Wellbeing" app, and ActivSHEQ assessments. The company's EAP provides 24/7 online counselling and resources for self-managed wellbeing, ensuring comprehensive support.

MWH Treatment actively contributes to society through various community and charity initiatives. From building a sensory garden for a local primary school to supporting local charities and animal sanctuaries, the company's commitment to giving back is evident.

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Utilities

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Opus Technology

Opus Technology does a family Christmas event each year where it purchases gifts for all the employees’ children, arranges a Santa and decorates the offices with Christmas decorations and games. Employees bring their families together for an afternoon of family fun with some added treats along the way, creating a sense of community amongst them.

Fully funded companywide social events take place three times per year, including interactive team building activities such as The Cube which bring employees together and help staff to get to know people outside of their immediate teams. Regular social events are also organised by departments across the organisation and encourage staff to build personal relationships.

Opus Technology continues to support Polar Bear International and the Kenya tree planting initiative. It has also recently donated £1700 to the Samson Centre, £2500 to Ukraine charities, £2000 to Turkey earthquake relief charities, and £2000 to Save the Children – raised through Christmas Jumper days.

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Business Services

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The Tank Museum Ltd

The Museum promotes growth through schemes like the Workshop apprenticeship, providing opportunities for hands-on experience and recognised qualifications. It also offers external management training annually for potential managers.

The Museum fosters team spirit through initiatives like mixed departmental training days and social events. Its commitment to cross-departmental communication strengthens the sense of belonging among the employees.

The Museum is committed to employee wellbeing, offering an EAP service and health cash plan scheme. It also hosts regular health and wellbeing events, recognising the importance of work-life balance.

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Charity's

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Harpenden Building Society

Harpenden Building Society encourages a strong team spirit. It hosts get-togethers like popular quiz nights and an end-of-year awards event, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among employees.

The society provides wellbeing support via a free employee assistance programme, mental health first aiders, paid compassionate leave, and counselling support. It also offers flexible working arrangements to maintain work-life balance.

Regular business updates are shared by the Executive Committee, outlining the Society's plans, progress, and performance.

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Financial Services

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Linnk Group

The organisation offers a free Employee Assistance Programme, which includes a confidential helpline, and up to 6 free counselling sessions. As part of the service, there is a mobile app, which includes webinars, nutritional advice, fitness advice, financial advice, and health checks. It also offers wellbeing days off in addition to annual leave.

Linnk Group runs monthly and quarterly incentives with trips for the winners. It has sent teams go-karting, to Clays, Flight Club, Fairgame, and it awarded an iPad as the prize at the end of year competition. The Group also awards an Employee of the Month in each office who is nominated by their senior colleagues.

The Group runs various donation-based events and awareness raising such as Macmillan Coffee Morning, Breast Cancer Now's Wear It Pink Day, Christmas Jumper Day, and Jeans for Genes Day. For Quarter 1 of 2024, it also supported the fundraising for a colleague's niece who has a heart condition requiring urgent surgery.

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Recruitment

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Orega Management Ltd

Orega has a 'Wellbeing Board' located in the staff office. This board serves as a central hub for sharing information about various charities, support services, local exercise classes, and mental wellbeing courses. Furthermore, everyone at the organisation receives a ‘Wellbeing Day’ each year.

Orega Christmas parties break the mould of conventional office gatherings. Rather than a standard sit-down meal, the company organises a range of games and activities with chances to win prizes. This interactive approach caters to a variety of interests and ensures everyone can have a great time.

Orega’s 'Acting Up' scheme allows the organisation to offer temporary promotions to team members, providing them with a taste of the responsibilities and challenges of a new role before making a permanent shift. This 'try before you buy' approach allows employees to determine if the new position aligns with their career aspirations.

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Business Services

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Westminster Foundation for Democracy

At WFD, wellbeing is not extra. All staff are committed to their work because the company wants to make a positive difference. Its flexible working policies are a key initiative to support the positive wellbeing of its staff. These policies aim to improve work-life balance, reduce commuting costs, and relieve staff of some workplace pressures.

The company organises an annual “Reading Week” in which it pauses its usual work to discuss what's working well in the business and where change is needed. For 2023, the theme was ‘innovation’, gathering colleagues from across the business for over four days to hear about the application and challenges of delivering results and impact.

All of WFD’s line managers are dedicated to their managerial development through an externally sourced programme. The four-module programme covers 1 - Goal Setting and Engagement, 2 - Workload Management, Prioritisation, and Delegation, 3 - Managing for Performance, including Effective Feedback, and 4 - Coaching and Development Conversations.

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Not For Profit Body's

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Age UK

Age UK has worked to embed a culture which values mental and physical wellbeing throughout the organisation. This includes a sign-posted Wellness Action Plan, training for managers from the mental health charity, Mind, on how to recognise and support people’s mental wellbeing, and 50 Mental Health First Aiders.

Age UK has a two-level management and leadership-development programme. Its Empowering Managers Programme focuses on empowering its managers with the right tools and knowledge to thrive in their roles, as well as ensuring its people managers understand, and are aligned with, its culture.

The organisation helps to build team relationships through a number of initiatives. Team away days develop relationships in a fun, out of office setting, whereas staff forums and briefings provide team members with the opportunity to have their voices heard.

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Charity's

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Wellbeing Matters

Alexandra Palace

Career Connect

MWH Treatment

Opus Technology

The Tank Museum Ltd

Harpenden Building Society

Linnk Group

Orega Management Ltd

Westminster Foundation for Democracy

Age UK

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