Britain’s most family-friendly workplaces have been unveiled by the UK’s work-life balance charity Working Families. 

Top Employers for Working Families Special Awards showcase flexible and family-friendly workplaces across the UK. This year’s winners offer work life policies for all staff regardless of seniority. This is the 7th year of the Special Awards. Sarah Jackson OBE, Chief Executive of Working Families [4], said: “Flexibility is not just good for families, it’s good for business. 

Our awards recognise those employers who’ve made their flexible and work-life policies part and parcel of the way they run their organisations. Congratulations to all the 2016 winners: it’s this kind of action that will deliver the culture change we need for high performance in every UK workplace.” Julian Foster, Director at Computershare, lead sponsor of Top Employers for Working Families [5] said: 

“The Special Award winners should take great pride in their substantial successes in actively supporting working families and improving the quality of life of their colleagues. There were many examples of excellent practice in every award category and the awards have provided a great opportunity for us to share ideas and recognise organisational success. I’m really proud that Computershare can help make these awards happen and be associated with such sterling family-friendly work.” The annual Top Employers for Working Families [1] Special Awards have seven categories across a range of work-life policies and practices, including flexible working initiatives. 

Award winners 

American Express Best Flexible Working Initiative Award
Winner – Cisco

Introduced three initiatives to give greater work flexibility: JobSwap enables employees to swap jobs temporarily or permanently to develop new skills: TimeSwap lets people swap 20 per cent of their time. Stretch Assignment Marketplace lists all projects and invites applications from employees based anywhere. 

Centrica Best for Modern Families Award
Winner – Pinsent Masons LLP

Family support is available to all employees and 24 per cent of employees work flexibly. Project Sky addresses gender imbalance at all levels and the company is now de-stigmatising working less than standard hours by promoting the concept that flexible working can be for everyone 

Direct Line Group Best for Embedded Flexibility Award
Winner – Barclays

The Dynamic Working Campaign has changed the company culture and mindsets. Flexibility is now a cultural norm. The campaign strapline ‘how do you work your life?’ opens up the dialogue for colleagues at all levels. 

Carers UK Best for Carers and Eldercare Award
Winner – West Dunbartonshire Council

A pioneering scheme for carers enables unpaid leave to be spread across a long period of time to minimise financial impact. 

Cityparents Best for All Stages of Motherhood Award
Joint Winner – Deloitte LLP – Sacker & Partners LLP

The Working Parents Transitions Programme has attracted over 70 per cent of new mothers and has seen the number of mothers leaving after their return from maternity leave fall to 8.3 per cent. 

Mothers are offered a carefully matched one-to-one mentor.  Flexible working is widespread, including at senior levels. Measures are put in place to ensure flexible working does not damage career development. 

Best for Flexible Recruitment Award
Winner – EY

A recruitment campaign ‘The Future is Flexible’ has seen applications increase by 27 per cent. Managers are trained in how to discuss flexible working opportunities. 

The Innovation Award
Winner – Civil Service

An innovative Job Share Finder Tool has enabled people to find a job share partner, delivering increased retention of women, support for carers and people with disabilities and help for older workers who wish to ease into pre-retirement. 

Highly Commended will be awarded to the following entrants:
Citi – for their Innovation Award entry on implementation of Shared Parental Leave
RAF – for their Flexible Working Initiative entry on new leave options
Ministry of Justice – for their Best for Carers and Eldercare entry on support for carers