Friends Provident

FRIENDS visionTo be a specialist Life and Pensions Group, most admired for our progressive approach, our customer experience and our sustainable profitable growth.FRIENDS values     Ensure every customer counts     Act with integrity in all we do     Collaborate to win     Think commercially, be accountable     Value people, treat them fairly  Friends Provident FoundationFriends Provident Foundation is a grant-making charity, run by Trustees and independent of Friends Provident Group plc. It was established as part of the demutualisation of Friends Provident Life Office in 2001 and the flotation of Friends Provident plc.About usEstablished as part of the demutualisation of Friends' Provident Life Office in 2001 and the flotation of Friends Provident plc, Friends Provident Foundation is an independent charity with its own board of Trustees.We are a grant-making charity, currently working to create the conditions throughout the UK for improved access to appropriate financial services for those who are currently excluded, particularly those on low incomes or otherwise vulnerable to market failure.We aim to:     encourage thinking that deals with the cause of the problem;     transform the use of financial systems so that they offer social as well as economic benefits, alleviating social disharmony and inequality; and     pioneer new ways of thinking about how money is used to solve social problems. A pro-active, programmed funding approach has been developed that focuses on financial exclusion, as well as on exploring the role of money and financial systems as a force for social good.Our people are central to our successMost companies in our sector realise that their people are central to success, but they don't all manage to create a culture like ours, which ensures high standards of quality, ethics and integrity. They don't all empower individuals to take responsibility for the work they do, to help each other succeed, to measure themselves against the best and encourage them to treat other people fairly.Whatever job we do at Friends Provident, we're expected to exhibit good communication skills, have the ability to motivate others and ourselves and to be the kind of people who see challenges as opportunities.In recent years we have shown that we can move quickly to anticipate market changes. We encourage change in our organisation by forming empowered project groups, each with a clear focus. Our success in this is a reflection of the quality of the people we work with.In Friends Provident we all have a say in how the Company develops. We do this first by getting things to work well in our own area of the business. But we also influence the big picture - by giving feedback informally and through our annual Insights Survey. In 2008 we achieved a massive 86% response rate, which went out to all employees in the UK and overseas. Co-operate to achieveAs part of our commitment to achieving our people goals we believe it is important that all our employees have the opportunity to join and be represented by an independent Trade Union. Unite, the recognised Friends Provident union, plays a valuable role in ensuring continued business success and positive employee relations.We want to ensure that the union is as representative as possible. We support the right of individuals to join Unite and encourage Unite members to become representatives. In this way, individuals have the opportunity to gain valuable job related skills, which will be of benefit to themselves, the union and us. Representatives are given support with time off for official trade union duties.   Open communicationsThe open approach to communications is supported by our Intranet. The FRIENDS Intranet ensures people always know what's new in the company - providing regular updates on the company's ongoing performance. It also provides information on company policies, training and development activities and Friends Provident sponsored events.BenefitsFriends Provident offers a wide range of excellent benefits, some of which include:Pay and bonusesWe aim to pay a competitive basic salary by evaluating and matching roles against similar jobs in the market.We also provide a range of bonus, incentive and award schemes, which aim to reward and motivate people in the best way depending on how they contribute to the company. Pension schemeWe are committed to providing quality pension provision. Our FRIENDS Pension Plan is a first rate opportunity to save towards a good level of pension. It is simple, flexible and offers a tax efficient way of saving for retirement. It operates on a money purchase basis.We will pay 8% of your pensionable salary into your pension plan and will match your contribution up to a further 5%. The more you are prepared to save, the greater the potential benefits.   Share plansWe want to give our employees the opportunity to take a stake in the company through the ownership of company shares. We have a number of different share plans available:     ShareSave     Share Incentive Plan     Long Term Incentive Plan HolidaysThe minimum holiday entitlement is 22 days each year, increasing with career band and length of service, rising to a maximum of 28 days.An additional day off, commonly known as 'snowflake day', is given at the discretion of the Company over the Christmas period to locations with 10 or less bank holidays.You can also bank some of your annual holiday to save it up for an extended break at some stage in the future.   Balancing your work and home lifeWe operate a flexible working policy, which can allow you to arrange your day as you need to. For example, some departments offer 4-day weeks, 9-day fortnights, part-time, part-time/term-time, job sharing and homeworking. Flexible working is subject to business needs and can vary from area to area.We also offer a variety of family friendly policies, which are actively promoted, including:     Maternity leave     Adoption leave     Paternity leave     Parental leave     Time off for dependants We also offer a Childcare Vouchers scheme that offers a cost-effective childcare solution.   Health and wellbeingWe provide a number of ways to safeguard your health and wellbeing, whether at work or in personal life. These include eyecare scheme, occupational health support, private medical insurance and a good choice of discount schemes:     Private medical insurance with BUPA and AXA PPP     Gym membership with Fitness to Work and LA Fitness and on-site* gym membership     Local leisure discounts through the Sports and Social club     Bikes2Work scheme - offering a discounted rate for bikes and bicycle safety accessories. *Extensive sports facilities exist at our Exeter and Dorking sites.   Subsidised restaurantSubsidised restaurant facilities are in place at each of our four main sites, providing good nutritional food and drink at prices which reflect only the cost of ingredients. We also have free drinks machines at all head office locations.Learning and developmentWe have been an Investor in People organisation since 1999 and are proud of this recognition for the way we train and develop our people.We offer a range of learning and development solutions to enable you not only to perform your job efficiently and effectively, but also to motivate you and encourage your own self-development:     Extensive library of professional and personal development resources     Online career management toolkit     Key skills workshops through our corporate learning and development programme     Professional qualifications support including exam awards (related to your role)     Leadership development programmes for talented individuals. We also encourage other forms of development such as shadowing and secondments.Our ValuesThe key to the success of Friends Provident rests with our people, and the creation of an environment in which they are able to express their enthusiasm and skills. In order to support this, we have established our values throughout the organisation.Friends Provident places great importance on effective communication with our people, and on ensuring that we have sound processes through which we can consider their views and feedback on matters affecting their working lives and the business. Friends Provident's Values     Every Customer Counts     Integrity in all we do     Co-operate to Achieve     Take Personal Responsbility     Value People, Deal Fairly These values determine how we behave and the working environment we enjoy.   Every Customer Counts     Who is your customer?     Understand each person as an individual     Really focus on their needs, every time     Take every opportunity to build beneficial relationships     Rethink your role with the customer at the centre     Look for fun in what you do Integrity in all we do     Be open and honest     Treat others as you would like to be treated     Give balanced, constructive feedback     Observe confidentiality     Trust others Co-operate to Achieve     Work together to achieve common goals     Share good ideas     Ask for and listen to the views of others     Recognise when others need help and offer them support     Celebrate success Take Personal Responsiblity     Deliver what you promise     Take ownership of and resolve issues     Show initiative and be proactive     Own your own development     Make decisions and see them through Value People, Deal Fairly     Respect others     Communicate clearly and explain reasons behind decisions     Be objective and consistent when dealing with others     Recognise the abilities and achievements of other