Work-life balance charity Working Families has announced its annual benchmark of the top family-friendly employers in the UK. Now in its eleventh year, employers large and small from across the public, private, and third sectors compete annually to gain a coveted place on the list of Top Employers for Working Families.
ILF Scotland was named one of the Top Ten Employers for Working Families in the 2020 list for being able to demonstrate its exceptional approach to flexible and family friendly working policies. The organisation was scored on four key areas including integration to organisational strategy and culture, policy, consistent practice and evidence and statistics.
ILF Scotland’s Chief Operating Officer, Harvey Tilley, said:
“Last year we were delighted to be in the Top 30 and after a huge amount of effort we have now been recognised as a Top 10 employer. Being the only Scotland based organisation and SME on the whole list we are thrilled to be ranked alongside such forward thinking people centric organisations.
ILF Scotland supports disabled people in Scotland and Northern Ireland by building a support package based on their needs, goals and personal circumstances. Often, their lives do not fit nicely around a 9-5 working pattern and requires our team to be flexible around their needs. We have extended this approach to our staff and have embedded a life friendly caring culture into our normal way of working with each other, but it is slightly different!
Life friendly working for us is not purely about work hours or attendance patterns. It is a philosophical approach to better understanding the personal circumstances of our staff team and working together to design a work package which meets the needs of the business with the needs of the individual. By acting in the early stages to make things work for the individual, in the long term we retain high calibre, highly motivated and loyal individuals. As well as retaining talent and experience for longer, we reduce overall recruitment costs, broil, instability and productivity gaps as we are not trying to back fill or recruit staff all the time. Finally, and most importantly, this approach enables us to deliver the best outcomes for disabled people.”
When asked about ILF Scotland's flexible working policies, Lee House, Engagement and Events Officer, said:
“The 8 weeks I had off for Paternity Leave was really special. The bond I have been able to make with my baby daughter, Robyn, and also my wife Fiona as a new mum is worth its weight in gold.
During my paternity leave, we were able to get out and about a lot and we feel so grateful for the time we had. I came back to work feeling refreshed and ready to get stuck in. We both feel Robyn has had a brilliant start in life and it is partly down to having this time together.
The flexibility offered by ILF Scotland has allowed our family to have a great work life balance and I know that no conversation about flexible working is ever off the table. It is a generous and supportive offering which I have never experienced in any other workplace.”
