Head of Veygo

Summary

When it comes to staff benefits and perks we have everything you’d expect from a large FTSE 100 company, like a contributory pension scheme, free shares, dental care and so on.  Our commitment to providing staff with the services and support they need to ensure that they are happy and healthy in their working lives ensures we are offering more than the basics. We hope this has contributed to the fact that we’ve made the Sunday Times Best Companies to work for list for the 17th year in a row.In this article, we will explore some of our most popular staff benefits…1. Free staff sharesAll staff who work for the Admiral Group receive up to £3,600 worth of company shares every year after the first year of service. Staff can sell these shares when they reach 3 years old, and at year 5, they are tax free, so its worth holding off if you can!Many staff have used their shares to buy holidays, their first house, cars etc. No wonder its one of our most popular benefits!2. Staff and family discountsA 15% discount is available off our car and pet insurance policies, as well as 10% off travel and home insurance for the following: employee, spouse, partner, children, parents, brothers and sisters. As well as discounts on our insurance products, we offer a staff breakdown scheme. On top of these discounts, a favourable APR rate off our loans from Admiral Loans is also available.3. Moving home advanceIf you’re looking to buy your first home but don’t have quite enough to get the deposit you need or to cover the legal fees, or if you’re looking to move into a rented property but need help to cover bonds and moving costs, then you can receive an interest-free advance of up to £2,000 from the company.4. Buy a book schemeYou can purchase books that will help you develop in your role at Admiral Group and the company will pay for them through David’s Buy a Book Scheme.5. Tickets to sponsored eventsOne of the benefits of working for Admiral is access to tickets to events that Admiral sponsors. In the past this has included tickets to, Wales rugby home international matches, pantomimes, shows at the Wales Millennium Centre, Techniquest Afterhours, weekly ticket giveaways to Chapter Arts Centre and much more.6. Discounts in local shops/businessesWe have secured staff discounts, ranging from 5%-25% with many local and national retailers such as; Oakwood Theme Park, Thomas Cook, Cardiff Nutrition, Wahaca, Papa Johns, Tim Hortons, Wok 2 Walk, O2, Pure Gym, The Body Shop and many more!7. Contributory pension schemeYou can start paying into the company pension scheme as soon as you start working for the Admiral Group and we will contribute to your pension up to 6% of your basic gross salary or a total of £9,000 p.a., whichever is lower.

Summary

Admiral’s four pillars help define our unique workplace culture and have been the basis for some of our greatest achievements, including being on the Sunday Times Best Companies to work for list for the 18th year in a row. Communication - our first pillar is centred on ensuring that everyone in the company feels involved; everyone knows what’s going on and feels part of a collective endeavour. It’s just as important that communication goes both ways, with people feeling that they can approach any level of management with an openness and willingness to share problems.Equality - we ensure that there are no obvious signs of separation with managers sat amongst their teams on the floors so that everyone is made to feel equal . One of the other ways that we ensure there is equality is by awarding up to £3,600 of shares every year to everyone, at every level in every part of our business.Reward & Recognition – staff are rewarded in terms of incentives, bonuses and in the form of shares. Of course, there is more to rewards than money. It is extremely important to us that we praise people when they do a good job – we give constant feedback and say thank you for doing a good job day in day out.Fun – Our philosophy is that ‘if people like what they do, they do it better’ - staff are encouraged whenever and wherever possible to have fun and spend time with colleagues – this makes life more enjoyable and helps get to know each other better with team away days, afternoons out, Christmas and summer parties and regular competitions and ways to get involved as part of our ‘Ministry of Fun’ offer ways to do this.How does the culture differ to other companies?Unlike many other companies, Admiral has an informal working environment where staff are trusted and have autonomy within their roles. Through Admiral’s flat hierarchy, decisions are made collaboratively and quickly to respond to change and these changes are implemented almost immediately, whereas, in many corporate companies, decisions are made at the top and can take a long time to implement. Management here are flexible, approachable and are there to help you flourish and develop in your role with a good work / life balance encouraged. We spoke to Amiee from People Services - ‘‘My manager approached me and asked if I was finishing early on the day that my daughter was starting high school – it was the thoughtfulness of it all that makes it such a nice place to work here.‘‘They go out of their way to make you feel appreciated and that you’re useful. When I first started I was introduced to the Head of People Services on one of my first days and I had no idea that he was such senior management – you don’t get a sense of the ‘big shots’ here, everyone is down to earth and very approachable. I work with such lovely people and I love that I have job security here’’.We have everything you’d expect from a large FTSE 100 company, like a contributory pension scheme, free shares and dental care, amongst others. However, our commitment to providing staff with the services and support they need to ensure that they are happy and healthy in their working lives ensures we are offering more than the basics.Admiral’s laid back atmosphere means that staff can wear what they feel most comfortable in to work – be it jeans or joggers.There are also endless opportunities to advance your career with regular internal job postings, support and training. By investing in our people and maintaining a supportive workplace, we can assist our staff in achieving their career goals and personal aspirations.Follow us on Facebook for a peek inside Admiral!

Summary

Last night Admiral was named the UK’s Best Big Company to Work For in the UK at the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For awards (21st February). It is the 19th year Admiral has been recognised as one of the UK’s best employers in this competition, in fact we’re the only company to be recognised every year since the list began. However, this is Admiral’s first time topping the list.At the same event, Admiral won three Special Awards; the Learning and Development award, recognising the online learning tools we offer staff and the Wellbeing award, for our staff wellbeing initiatives such as the cycle to work scheme, mindfulness sessions, yoga and the Admiral Inspire Choir, etc.CEO David Stevens was also named Best Leader. It’s the sixth year in a row our CEO has won this award with David winning in 2018 and 2017, and retired CEO Henry Engelhardt being named Best Leader in the previous three years.CEO David Stevens said, “Wow. We are delighted to have been named the UK’s best big company to work for and to have won three special awards, particularly as the results are based on feedback from our staff. To have been recognised for 19 years in a row for being a great employer is incredibly rewarding. It’s our people that make Admiral such a special place to work and we want them to feel supported and valued and enjoy the time they spend in work. Thank you to all our staff who work hard every day and make Admiral such an amazing workplace. David Stevens - CEO Best Companies Founder and CEO, Jonathan Austin said, “I would like to congratulate Admiral Group on their achievement of a Three Star Accreditation status and being named as one of the UK’s Best Companies to Work for.“Best Companies have been producing the Accreditation standard since 2006 to acknowledge excellence in the workplace. We are proud that organisations like Admiral Group focus on their employees and have been rewarded with an engaged workforce who tell us that they’re a best company to work for.” The Sunday Times’ Best Companies lists is based on the results of anonymous employee engagement surveys, which are designed to allow employees to comment on all facets of their working environment, relationships and organisational culture.The surveys cover eight aspects of workplace engagement: leadership; my company; personal growth; my team; my manager; wellbeing; fair deal and giving something back. The results are used to create a Best Companies Index score that is then used to rank organisations.Admiral has been named in the Best Companies to Work For since the competition began in 2001. Button