By offering family-friendly policies and benefits, organisations can attract and retain more talent. Companies that were shortlisted in the Family Friendly Employer of Year category saw improved performance and engagement through these initiatives.
AtkinsRealis
AtkinsRealis, a company that provides engineering and nuclear services, has made a concerted effort to create a family friendly environment in an industry traditionally dominated by men. After gathering feedback from employees and conducting extensive research, AtkinsRealis has improved its family leave policy to help attract and retain female talent. The full-pay maternity and adoption leaves were extended from 12 to 26 weeks, and paternity was renamed partner leave.
Flexible working is now available to all employees. It’s not only for parents anymore. Since their first day at work, employees have had the option to request flexible hours. There is no limit on how many requests they can submit.
The company promotes this through regular webinars, and its commitment to work-life harmony is evident in the employee engagement survey where 96% respondents indicated satisfaction with their working arrangement.
The company also supports employees’ families by providing resources, webinars and a buddy system to ease the transition from employee to parent. Toolkits are available to help staff understand sensitive topics like pregnancy loss and fertility treatment.
Bright Horizons and Citi are a partnership
Citi is committed to creating a welcoming environment, supported by progressive policies, that promotes physical, mental, social and financial well-being. The bank’s aim is to create a supportive environment where employees feel valued and can balance their work, family, and personal responsibilities.
Citi is committed to attracting, retaining and developing diverse talent. The goal is for 50% of new recruits to be female by 2025. In a partnership between Bright Horizons and Citi, the company has increased its family support benefits. These include Back-Up care for dependents and virtual tutoring of employees’ children. It also includes adult and eldercare, as well as a toolkit for parental leave. The company’s approach has been designed to support employees in every stage of their lives, making full use of the existing benefits and helping them achieve a better work-life balance.
Citi responded to employee feedback by introducing expanded benefits, which offer more flexibility and individualisation. These initiatives are designed to relieve the stress on parents and caregivers and allow them to balance work and family life without compromise. The programmes have had a positive impact on employees, who report higher levels of engagement as well as an improved ability to balance work and family life.
E.ON UK
E.ON wants to be the employer of choice, and flexibility and inclusivity are key elements of this. It offers family-friendly benefits, which are gender-neutral. These include Equal Parent Leave and other family-friendly benefits, including pregnancy loss leave, fertility leave, and neonatal care. These initiatives are a reflection of the company’s belief that both parents have an equal role in a child’s care. E.ON understands that parenting experiences are different, so it offers a wide range of support.
Equal Parent Leave is designed to provide flexibility and to meet the needs of all employees. Employees can use it in a similar way to an annual leave. The company also focuses on creating a supportive culture, providing resources like career coaching, parenting guides and monthly listening cafés to help employees balance work-life.
This has led to a rise in applications for jobs, and recognition from several awards including the Working Dads Employer Award, and a TLC Lions Award. The commitment of the utility company to flexible working hours, equal parenting and family-friendly policy has improved employee wellbeing, supporting them at important moments such as a child’s birthday or first day of kindergarten.
Kier
Kier, a leader in construction, infrastructure and property development services is built by brilliant individuals. The group values the talent of its employees and prioritizes creating a fun and inclusive workplace. This approach is not only a good business decision, but it’s also the right thing. Offering market-leading benefits, and cultivating a work culture that encourages employees to bring their best selves into the workplace has always been of paramount importance.
Kier’s policies that are family-friendly have helped to make the construction industry more diverse. The company’s people strategy is centered on its commitment to retain and attract talent, and to move from a culture that merely survives to one that thrives. The company offers comprehensive benefits that support employees through their career. The benefits include enhanced maternity and paternity leave, surrogacy, adoption and flexible working options in large numbers of vacancies, as well support for caregivers and those who have lost a pregnancy.
Kier also offers inclusive personal protective gear (PPE), which is designed to meet the needs of workers of all genders, religions and backgrounds.
National Employment Savings Trust
Nest was founded by the government in 2010, to offer its auto-enrolment workplace retirement scheme. The company has more than 13 million members, and it employs over 300 people. It recognises that it is important to support its employees in balancing work and family, and strives to have a positive effect on their well-being. It is not just the organisation that benefits, but also their members. A better work-life integration leads to reduced absenceeeism and improved productivity as well as greater job satisfaction.
Nest’s family-friendly policies are a key component of its wellbeing strategy, as they help employees manage their personal responsibilities. These policies are designed to encourage all employees, regardless of gender to share responsibility for care. Nest’s initiatives such as its Equal Parenthood Policy and flexible working options and leave for fertility treatment or pregnancy loss are inclusive and supportive to all family structures.
A recent survey of staff revealed that 80% reported a good work-life balance, and 82% felt genuinely supported in their desire to work flexible hours. This commitment to employee wellbeing has led to a strong business performance and a decrease in sickness rates. Employees have also given positive feedback. Nest’s emphasis on family-friendly programs has improved its reputation. It attracted more applicants, and fostered a culture that values diversity and inclusion.
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