At RECCo, our people are at the heart of everything we do and the services we offer to our stakeholders in the retail energy market. Over the past five years, we’ve made significant changes in our workplace to better meet the evolving needs of our employees. Our commitment is to create a supportive and empathetic work environment where flexibility, work-life balance, understanding and support are key priorities. As part of this commitment, we have recently updated several employee policies to better support our team and ensure they thrive in their respective roles.
Expanded family-friendly policy: We’re supporting fertility treatment
In response to the growing need for comprehensive family support, we’ve expanded our family-friendly policies to better serve our employees. Our current provisions offer new parents the opportunity to take up to 12 months of leave, with six months at full pay and an additional six months at half pay. This allows time to bond with their child without the financial burden that often comes with parental leave. We also offer generous options for shared parental leave and four weeks of fully paid paternity leave.
Recognising the importance of supporting employees undergoing fertility treatment, we have now introduced paid time off for these appointments, ensuring that our staff receive the care and flexibility they need during this crucial time. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, only 27% of employers offered a fertility treatment policy last year, and 19% of employees considered leaving their jobs due to fertility-related challenges.
Although not legally required, we believe in supporting our staff throughout all stages of their lives. We recognise the emotional and physical demands that can come along with fertility treatment, especially if treatment isn’t successful, and we want to ensure our team members feel fully supported during this time. In addition to paid time off, we offer flexibility to adjust work duties and schedules as needed and free counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme.
Enhancing our bereavement leave: Offering compassionate support during difficult times
Research from the funeral comparison website Funeral Choice indicates that the UK lags behind other European countries in providing bereavement leave. While UK companies are legally required to grant leave in the event of an employee’s dependent passing, it does not mandate paid leave, and there are no provisions for bereavement leave for other loved ones.
At RECCo, we understand that grief is deeply personal. Therefore, we have not imposed a strict time limit on paid bereavement leave. Instead, we offer flexible leave to meet each employee’s needs, allowing them to grieve without the added pressure of returning to work before they are ready.
Our ongoing commitment to employee wellbeing
These updates are part of our broader effort to adapt to our team’s evolving needs. We strive to support our employees in every aspect of their professional and personal lives. To learn more about the full range of benefits and policies available, please visit here.
