Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
Global Banking
90,000 employees in the UK
Nominated for: Flexible Working/Choice Programme
For RBS, flexible working is seen as key in helping the bank be an employer of choice, and deliver even better customer services.
Through collecting and measuring data, RBS has worked hard to develop a flexible working culture across the company. A staff survey in 2011 quizzed 6,000 employees about their attitudes on flexible working. It found that employees felt that flexibility would both improve their lives and help them deliver better customer services. And a huge 84% of respondents said that more flexibility led to improved wellbeing.
In response to the findings, RBS has embraced flexible working practices through the introduction of a group-wide global initiative: the Choice Programme.
The initiative brings together the latest technology solutions, innovative workplace design philosophy – and HR. It provides flexibility and choice in how, when and where people work, while also supporting the evolving needs of the organisation.
So far, the Choice Programme supports over 20,000 employees globally in a range of pilot projects that will eventually help the company roll out flexible working.
The key objective is to future-proof RBS, improve the work-life balance of employees, give them the necessary training and tools, attract and retain the best talent.
"The Choice Programme reflects the changes in society and in the working environment," says Tim Yendell, head of the initiative.
"It balances the expectation and needs of different generations in the workplace," he continues. "Flexible working will become 'just what we do'. It's about realising that we need to help our people work differently in the future.
"More than 80% of us will become parents and an increasing number of us will care for elderly relatives at some point in our lives. Statistics such as these highlight the need to adapt so that our employees feel healthier and happier."
Tomorrow, HR magazine will be featuring the second case study in our series on top employers: Wales & West Housing.
HR magazine is a media partner of Top Employers for Working Families.
