Grant Thornton named a top employer for working families
A list of the best employers for working families in the UK has found Grant Thornton to be among the best in the business. The Working Families Top Ten Employers 2021 celebrated Grant Thornton as leading the way in building a flexible, family friendly workplace.
A number of consulting industry studies have outlined the major business benefits of accommodating the needs of parents within their workforce. While the clamour for flexible working was already growing before the pandemic, the benefits of home working – including better work-life balance, and more family time – have seen it become a prominent feature of many consulting brands’ future strategies.
According to a new release from work-life balance charity Working Families, however, one consultancy leads the way in the UK. Grant Thornton was the only such firm to be awarded a place in its 30-strong list of leading family-friendly employers.
The annual list recognises organisations across the UK that are leading the way in building flexible, family friendly workplaces. Employers are assessed using Working Families’ Benchmark which builds a comprehensive picture of their flexible and family-friendly policies and practices that specifically support parents and carers. The resulting list of firms also sees Working Families name a selection of 10 firms (in no particular order) who are leading the pack. Grant Thornton is among this selection of the very best employers for working families.
Jenn Barnett, Head of Inclusion, Diversity and Wellbeing at Grant Thornton UK, commented, “Throughout a difficult 18 months, our firm has adapted incredibly well, and I’ve heard numerous examples from our people of how the firm has adapted flexibly to carer responsibility and supported individual needs. It’s never been more important to help our people mentally and physically create balance, supporting our lives outside of work while helping us to be at our best when we’re working. That’s what we’re continuing to do, and over the coming months we will launch new flexible and agile working policies.”
Alongside Grant Thornton, a diverse selection of employers also filled out the top 10. These were financial firms American Express, Citigroup, NatWest Group (RBS), and Yorkshire Building Society; legal sector entities Pinsent Masons and the Crown Prosecution Service; and public organisations Independent Living Fund Scotland, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, and the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament).
According to the Employer Benchmark Report, the competition for next year’s list is likely to heat up significantly. The pandemic has shifted employers’ views on flexible working, and 86% of employers feel that line managers in their organisations have shifted to focus more on outputs, rather than the number of hours worked, thanks to changing working patterns over the pandemic. At the same time, 90% of organisations said the experience of working through Covid-19 has opened up opportunities for on-going homeworking.
Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, remarked, “This year has been more competitive than ever, with an extremely high standard of entries. More and more employers are now realising just how vital it is to offer flexible, family friendly policies and a positive, inclusive culture to attract the most diverse talent.”