Imperial College London

Engineering organisation Dulas, Grant Thornton UK, Imperial College London, Lloyds Banking Group, and West Dunbartonshire Council are among the winning organisations at the 2017 Top Employers for Working Families Special Awards.

The annual awards celebrate UK organisations that embed flexibility for all employees into their policies, tackle gendered and traditional ideas about work, and create a family-friendly workplace. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony on 6 July 2017 in London.

The winning employers included Alexander Mann Solutions, which received the Cross River Partnership best flexible-working initiative award in recognition of the new global flexible-working programme it launched in 2016. Imperial College London was named winner in the Cityparents best for all stages of fatherhood category for its efforts to break down traditional assumptions about parenthood and support fathers in taking an equal role. The Deloitte best for all stages of motherhood award went to Dulas, which has achieved a 93% retention rate for new mothers over a 10-year period as a result of its retention strategy.

The full list of winners is:

  • The Direct Line Group best for embedded flexibility award: Turn It On.
  • The Allen and Overy innovation award: Grant Thornton UK.
  • The Carers UK and Centrica best for carers and eldercare award: Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
  • The Deloitte best for all stages of motherhood award: Dulas.
  • The Cityparents best for all stages of fatherhood award: Imperial College London.
  • The best for flexible recruitment award: Lloyds Banking Group.
  • The Cross River Partnership best flexible-working initiative award: Alexander Mann Solutions.
  • Best large private sector employer award: Lloyds Banking Group.
  • Best small employer award: Brand Learning.
  • Best public sector employer award: West Dunbartonshire Council.
  • Best third sector employer award: Inspiring Scotland.

Sarah Jackson OBE, chief executive officer at Working Families, said: “In many ways, flexible working and family-friendly working have never been more part of the bloodstream of British business. We had a record-breaking number of entries this year, showcasing a wealth of exciting approaches to creating agility in the workplace.

“Congratulations to all this year’s Top Employers for Working Families award winners, singled out because they offer leading flexible workplaces that support the grain of their employees’ lives.”