We understand that it’s people (both customers and colleagues) that are core to our business, which is why we prioritise the health and wellbeing of our staff and address the additional needs of our more vulnerable customers.
People practices
Our colleagues' health and wellbeing is our number one priority
We encourage a culture of wellbeing and inclusivity, we recognise how diverse our workforce is, and we offer a range of health and wellbeing support to meet the varied needs of our colleagues.
We value colleague’s wellbeing and want everyone to be their best inside and outside of work. Our ethos is about maintaining wellness and providing the right tools to help colleagues be their best.
A flexible way of working
Our flexible working approach means that colleagues can balance their family life or other passions and goals with a fulfilling, successful career. Whether colleagues want flexibility over their location or when they log on, together we can create an approach that works for individuals and for the business.
Benefits
We provide a compelling pay and benefits package, offering flexibility and choice that can help colleagues make their reward package go further.
Our benefits package enables colleagues to choose the benefits that suit them and their individual needs, and then switch them if they want to as circumstances change. As a major employer we can access goods and services at highly competitive rates and, in some cases, offer tax and national insurance savings that can increase the value of what they receive.
Family leave
From day one, we offer up to 63 weeks of maternity or adoption leave. Statutory maternity or adoption pay is available for 39 weeks and 20 weeks will be enhanced to the equivalent of full pay. Partners can have six weeks of fully paid paternity leave.
Shared parental leave is created when maternity or adoption leave is ended early. If you are an eligible partner, you could receive up to 20 weeks of fully paid leave.
We embrace our differences
As a Group, we’re guided in how we do things by a clear set of values. A key part of how we seek to live and breathe these values is to strive to create a fully inclusive environment for all our colleagues, customers and communities, one that is truly representative of modern-day Britain.
Social sustainability as part of Lloyds Banking Group
Our purpose is Helping Britain Prosper.
We will do this by creating a more sustainable and inclusive future for people and businesses, shaping finance as a force for good.
Learning and development
We prioritise personal development, whether that’s through professional qualifications, leadership courses or everyday learning.
Volunteering & voluntary roles at Embark Group
We offer all colleagues eight hours a year which can be used via Group programmes that are coordinated by Lloyds Banking Group or a personal activity including support to local charities of choice, community groups and individuals. Currently, the programmes which support our focus of Helping Britain Prosper includes:
- Crisis, Lloyds Banking Group charity partner
- Financial Capability
- Digital Capability
- Woodland Trust
- Charitable Foundations
- Businesses & Jobs
Additionally, there are several voluntary roles colleagues can take on in addition to their day job which provide an opportunity to gain new skills and work with colleagues across the business. These roles include CSR Ambassadors, Mental Health Advocates and Vulnerable Customer Champions.
Mental Health Advocates
The Advocates training programme has been developed and was originally delivered by Mental Health UK. The role of an Advocate is to drive cultural change and remove stigma through encouraging open conversation among colleagues and through training being able to help signpost colleagues to appropriate help and resources.
The programme, chosen and co-developed by Lloyds Banking Group colleagues, looked at the main issues affecting colleagues and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to protect their mental health.
The scheme’s aim is to help prevent long-term mental health challenges, promote health and wellbeing initiatives, develop practical resources to provide the skills needed for staying mentally healthy.
Vulnerable Customer Champions
In 2021, Embark introduced a national network of Vulnerable Customer Champions to support frontline teams dealing with vulnerable customers across the business and to ensure that we continuously improve our processes, procedures, and training to deliver positive outcomes for all customers, including those most in need.
Protecting vulnerable consumers is a key focus for us and is more important than ever.
Our vulnerable customer policy is reviewed on a regular basis, with Vulnerable Customer training mandatory for all staff, as well as enhanced training for all of those with direct customer facing roles. We also constantly monitor a central Vulnerable Customer register so that staff are made aware of individuals at risk, and work closely with White Label partners to ensure compliance with our business principles.
Who are Vulnerable Customers and why do we need Champions?
All customers are at risk of becoming vulnerable, but this risk is increased by having characteristics of vulnerability. These could be poor health, such as cognitive impairment, life events such as new caring responsibilities, low resilience to cope with financial or emotional shocks and low capability, such as poor literacy or numeracy skills.
Embark has clear polices, processes and procedures for identifying and dealing with vulnerable customers.
Dementia Friends Training
As part of our ongoing commitment to training colleagues and providing useful resources, to aid conversations with Vulnerable Customers, we have rolled out Dementia Friends training to our pensions and platform frontline staff, in partnership with Alzheimer’s Scotland, one of our previous charity partners.
The Dementia Friends Initiative was launched in 2013 and has already trained millions of volunteers around the country. It is a social action movement which aims to give people an insight into what it’s like to live with dementia and to turn that understanding into action. During the interactive training sessions, colleagues discover how dementia affects a person – not only in terms of memory but across the full range of different human behaviours.