Along with some big names spanning the public, private and third sectors, DWF are demonstrating what it means to lead from the front in supporting parents and carers in their workforce.
Employers were assessed using Working Families’ Benchmark and were scored on four key areas to build a comprehensive picture of their flexible and family-friendly policies and practices that specifically support parents and carers. These areas include:
- Integration to organisational strategy and culture – which looks at culture, attitude and how far flexible and family-friendly working practices have become embedded;
- policy – which looks at the creation, development and deployment of flexible and family-friendly working policies and their take-up;
- consistent practice – which considers how well flexible and family-friendly working is supported; and
- evidence and statistics – which looks at the effects of flexible and family-friendly working on the organisation, and their ability to understand those effects.
Louise Rogerson, Chief People Officer at DWF, said: "We are proud to once again be recognised by Working Families as a Top 30 Employer. Over the past year we have continued to build on our commitment to supporting colleagues with caring responsibilities and family needs. This has included the introduction of paid carers leave, enhanced policies for bereavement and emergency leave, and the expansion of our Family Support Network who have been instrumental in creating resources and hosting events to help colleagues navigate work and family life. We have also launched a new Domestic Abuse intranet hub to raise awareness and provide support for those who may be affected, and we are collaborating with clients, such as through our Carers Week webinar with Hiscox, to share insights and best practice. Being recognised in this way reflects our belief that creating a flexible and supportive culture is not only the right thing to do, but essential to helping our people thrive both professionally and personally."
The Benchmark—which captured the experience of over 296,000 UK employees across the organisations that took part— highlights trends in flexible and family-friendly policies and practices. This year the key findings include:
- 94% actively encourage their managers to work in a flexible and family-friendly way.
- 55% go beyond the statutory minimum by enhancing carers leave, for an average of 5.3 days.
- 82% plan to include flexible working options in all job adverts within a year, as a means of addressing gender pay and progression, and 80% provide flexible working options on their website.
- 98% offer support for wellbeing
- 78% see flexible working as a means of improving operational effectiveness
Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, said: “Our Top Employers are a powerful reminder that there are employers who are already forging a path for family-friendly and flexible working that others can follow, safe in the knowledge that not only will their business not suffer, but it will thrive. Supporting carers, finding flexibility in job roles, and encouraging change from the top, as our Benchmark employers do, all add up to create inclusive workforces where everyone is empowered to work at their best.”
