REBA Employee Wellbeing Awards 2020
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Congratulations to the 2020 REBA Employee Wellbeing Awards winners! This fantastic achievement celebrates all of the great work they have done to improve staff wellbeing and the culture of their organisation through reward and benefits.
On 5 March we welcomed all finalists to our invitation-only event where they shared secrets of success during an inspiring afternoon of workshops, followed by a glamorous awards celebration evening. The 2020 winners were announced live on stage by breakfast television presenter Louise Minchin and were invited to join her to collect their trophies which mark the fantastic work they are doing to improve the wellbeing of millions.
Thank you to all of our entrants, judges, sponsors and partners - you made the 2020 awards possible!
The winners of the REBA Employee Wellbeing Awards 2020 are:
Most Effective Development to a Wellbeing Strategy (Private Sector)
Winner: Volkswagen Financial Services
An impressive 92% of employees at our winning employer organisation say they are fit and healthy to do their job! This company ensures that their line managers are well equipped, they have an inclusive demographic approach, and the jury were particularly impressed by their developing policy towards menopause-related wellbeing.
Most Effective Development to a Wellbeing Strategy (Public and Not-For-Profit sector)
Winner: North Bristol NHS Trust
In a very strong category full of excellence entries, our winner demonstrated that they have evolved, listened to feedback, adapted their strategy when required, and quantified their results. At all times they had both employees and customers in mind. They understand the emotional labour that working in a hospital brings.
Best New Wellbeing Strategy (Fewer than 500 staff)
Winner: Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington
The jury were pleased to see a strategy with a clear purpose which is very focused on the needs of the workforce. The winning organisation combined a holistic approach with real depth of attention to each pillar of wellbeing, particularly with regard to mental health. They had a compelling case for change within their organisation and have addressed it well with tangible results.
Best New Wellbeing Strategy (500-5,000 staff)
Winner: The Holly Private Hospital (Aspen Healthcare)
Another great entry from a newcomer to employee wellbeing, with a clear strategy supported by tangible outputs. They addressed the different wellbeing pillars with hard and soft interventions across each. Another provider in the healthcare sector demonstrating a realistic, measurable and forward-thinking approach to looking after their own employees.
Best New Wellbeing Strategy (More than 5,000 staff)
Winner: Stonegate Pub Company
The winner in this category identified a business problem [a high staff turnover] and developed a strategy to address that. The strategy is based on researching employees’ actual needs and includes some good specific initiatives, such as support for lone, late-night workers, as well as actions that will help all of the workforce. The entry provided a really clear picture of why and how Stonegate has introduced a new employee wellbeing strategy.
Best Global or International Wellbeing Strategy
Winner: GSK
Can you personalise wellbeing for 95,000 employees based in 150 different countries? This organisation showed that you can. It identified critical services needed for health and wellbeing globally, but also took account of local priorities when building and evolving its strategy.
Best Innovation in Wellbeing Award
Winner: Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK & Ireland) Ltd
Who would have thought that time could be an innovation? This organisation’s approach to giving people a better work/life balance through simple but effective ideas such as deleting emails whilst staff are on holiday, implementing summertime hours and providing “life leave” is innovative because it has become a core part of the way in which the company does business that everyone is committed to across the organisation.
Best Leadership and Culture in Wellbeing
Winner: Tideway
A well-presented, easy to read submission about implementing employee wellbeing in a challenging environment. The company addressed inclusivity and support for different cultures within the organisation. They demonstrated a great knowledge of their workforce, and the leadership shows commitment from the top. For a real push to create a positive work culture.
Best Physical Wellbeing Strategy
Winner: Westfield Health
This organisation set clear objectives and demonstrated a good use of technology to support their strategy – the company also looked beyond the gym to other areas of physical health, such as nutrition. The jury felt that it was great to see a healthcare provider demonstrate such a coherent approach to their own staff’s physical health.
Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy (Fewer than 1,000 staff)
Highly commended: Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington
Highly commended for identifying the key issues and providing statistics that show improvements, this small organisation is focused at an individual level, including having one-to-ones with all new employees.
Winner: Tideway
An organisation that has used its size as a strength and cascaded its initiative to its supply chain. It has built its strategy on the Stevenson/Farmer Review principles and enabled engagement with all employees around mental wellbeing. For this very inclusive approach, which they benchmark against external competitors.
Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy (1,000-5,000 staff)
Winner: Aster Group UK
There was one clear message in this entry that impressed the jury - employees would recommend this organisation as a place to work because of their employee wellbeing strategy. This organisation has put in place an effective process for identifying those employees that need support, and actively promote connections through social wellbeing.
Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy (More than 5,000 staff)
Winner: GSK
The winning organisation demonstrated to the Jury that they are proactive and purpose driven when on mental wellbeing. They have established a great platform to grow from, that is empowering and systematic. They clearly have their finger on the pulse with a clear focus on both individuals and teams.
Best Overall Financial Wellbeing Strategy
Winner: Ocado
The winner in this category has developed an approach to overall financial wellbeing which reflects the diverse demographic of their employees across many locations and often on the road. They have responded to what they have learned from the introduction of a financial wellbeing strategy to expand their approach – and are also engaging people in financial wellbeing even pre-employment.
Best Approach to Day-to-Day Financial Wellbeing
Winner: Gattaca
From a starting point of zero, our winner in this category has demonstrated that they have been very smart with their approach to financial wellbeing. They know their workforce and they know their demographic, and what they have done is scalable. They have made informed choices and used forward thinking.
Best Approach to Long-term Financial Wellbeing
Winner: The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
The jury were impressed by the well-rounded, long-term approach of this employer’s approach to financial wellbeing – plus, they are making it fun! Their entry also demonstrates a thoughtful approach to connecting financial and mental wellbeing, understanding emotions and feelings might affect you more than rational facts.
Best Approach to Wellbeing Aligned with a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy
Winner: IHS Markit
IHS Markit impressed the jury through its integrated approach across mental, physical and financial wellbeing, based on strong management information and clear objectives for the future. From awareness of visible and invisible disabilities and the introduction of a gender dysphoria benefit, to a global review of mental health services, they stood out from the crowd.
Best use of Technology and Data for Wellbeing
Winner: Romero Insurance Brokers Ltd
Quite simply, the jury were the most impressed by the clear results shown by this employer – their entry met all the key category criteria and clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of their strategy. They truly used the data from their tech to drive what they did next.
Best Wellbeing Engagement (Private Sector)
Winner: Schroders
This employer has taken a robust, evidence-based approach and clearly demonstrated good use of data in benchmarking and measuring success. The planning and execution for an office move was an impressive springboard for wellbeing engagement and the jury felt that this was the only entry in this category to consider human factors, such as the design of the physical work environment: they were also particularly impressed by their approach to mental health disclosure.
Best Wellbeing Engagement (Public and Not-For-Profit sector)
Winner: North Bristol NHS Trust
This entry described a very high-quality offering that is well embedded in the culture of the organisation. Consultation with staff was evident and the resultant strategy has captured all aspects of employee life. They have worked hard to engage different parts of the workforce and shown that they are responsive to staff feedback.
Pinnacle Award
Winner: GSK
The Pinnacle Award is judged by REBA directors Phil Hayne and Debi O’Donovan and is awarded to a company that scored very highly in several categories, and has demonstrated outstanding commitment to workplace wellbeing.
Visionary Award
Winners: Louise Aston, Dame Carol Black & Beth Robotham
The REBA Employee Wellbeing Visionary Award honours the contribution made by a group of people who have had a huge impact on the workplace wellbeing movement. These visionaries have shifted thinking and influenced other leaders to change their approaches.
Not only has Louise Aston been consistently supportive of REBA’s work, including joining the jury for this year’s awards, but her role at Business in the Community has ensured that she has been a leading voice across industry, encouraging and supporting many organisations in their path to improving employee wellbeing.
Beth Robotham is not only instrumental in supporting employee wellbeing at her own organisation, Goldman Sachs, but she is also the Deputy Chair of the City Mental Health Alliance and, as such, has been hugely instrumental in changing the conversation around mental health in a very high-pressured industry sector.
Our third Visionary is Dame Carol Black. With a lifetime’s career in medicine and healthcare, since she was first invited by Tony Blair to be the government’s national director for health and work, Dame Carol has been a leading voice of reason, or persuasion and of expertise in public policy on health at work, and continues to encourage commercial, public and third sector organisations to improve the health of their employees.
Expert independent judges
Deborah Astles
Dr Shaun Davis
Gareth Whalley
Ian Hodson
Jenny Davidson
Judith Grant
Nicola Wells
Rosemary Lemon
Sally Wilson
Sandra Perlaki
Sarah Bissell
Shefali Gera
Susan Gee
Thomas Hiles
Tracey Newton
Louise Aston
Dani Brackpool
Sheila Champion-Smeeth
Debbie Fennell
Philip Hutchinson
Emma Mamo
Mirka Slater
Kate Whelan
2020 categories and finalists
Most Effective Development to a Wellbeing Strategy
The Most Effective Development to a Wellbeing Strategy award celebrates employers that have gone beyond the first steps on their health and wellbeing journey. You will have existing wellbeing initiatives in place that are at least two to three years old and will now be building on your previous experiences to evolve and deliver your approach to employee health and wellbeing across your employee benefits and reward strategy, HR objectives and the business.
Finalists:
Private Sector
Bouygues E&S Contracting
Dunelm
RSK Group
Vertas Group Limited
Volkswagen Financial Services
Public and Not-For-Profit sector
Aster Group UK
Kirklees Council
North Bristol NHS Trust
Best New Wellbeing Strategy
The Best New Wellbeing Strategy award recognises businesses that have successfully implemented the first phase(s) of a wellbeing strategy within the last two years. Tell us what you did, why you decided to launch a health or wellbeing strategy from an employee benefits, HR or business perspective, how you decided what initiatives to start with, and how you went about implementing them.
Finalists:
Fewer than 500 staff
BMS Group Ltd
Chiltern and South Bucks District Councils
Epson Europe B.V.
HRA Pharma
Jami
MVF
Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington
500-5,000 staff
Brewin Dolphin Ltd
Carnival UK Group
Experian Ltd
Mace Group
Taylor Wessing LLP
The Holly Private Hospital (Aspen Healthcare)
Virgin Active
More than 5,000 staff
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Atkins, member of SNC-Lavalin
Elysium Healthcare
HSBC
Stonegate Pub Company
TUI UK & Ireland
Best Global or International Wellbeing Strategy
This award will celebrate employers running successful health benefits, insurance or wellbeing strategies internationally or globally.
Finalists:
British Standards Institution
GSK
The Coca-Cola Company
Best Innovation in Wellbeing Award
The winner(s) of this award will be able to demonstrate how they have successfully implemented inspirational fresh thinking, new, creative ideas, imaginative tactics or strategies that will inspire the wider employee health and wellbeing community.
Finalists:
Department for Work & Pensions
Fladgate
GAM Investments
Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK & Ireland) Ltd
MRL Consulting
NAVIGO Health and Social Care CIC
Best Leadership and Culture in Wellbeing
This award celebrates employers that see employee health and wellbeing as an integral part of a positive company culture, which is championed and driven by business leadership.
Finalists:
CooperVision
FNSS Savunma Ssitemleri
NAVIGO Health and Social Care CIC
RSK Group
Tideway
United Utilities
Best Physical Wellbeing Strategy
This award celebrates employers that have proactively put in place a well thought through employee benefits, health insurances or wellbeing strategy to encourage and promote physical health among their employees.
Finalists:
Epson Europe B.V.
NAVIGO Health and Social Care CIC
RSK Group
Westfield Health
Best Mental Wellbeing Strategy
This award celebrates employers that have put in place a well thought through employee benefits, insurance or wellbeing strategy to encourage and promote good mental health among their employees.
Finalists:
Fewer than 1,000 staff
Charlton Morris
Epson Europe B.V.
Tideway
Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington
1,000-5,000 staff
Aster Group UK
IPG Mediabrands
Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK & Ireland) Ltd
NSPCC
RSK Group
More than 5,000 staff
Atkins, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group
GSK
Kirklees Council
North Bristol NHS Trust
William Hill
Best Overall Financial Wellbeing Strategy
This award recognises employers that have a well thought through strategy employee benefits or financial services to encourage and promote ongoing financial wellness among all of their employees.
Finalists:
Epson Europe B.V.
GAM Investments
MBDA
Ocado
Ricoh
University of Lincoln
Best Approach to Day-to-Day Financial Wellbeing
This award recognises employers who have built strategies to support employees’ day-to-day financial wellbeing. That might be in response to known challenges that the workforce is facing, or to help all employees improve their financial resilience and make their pay go further.
Finalists:
Gattaca
Travis Perkins plc
University of Lincoln
Virgin Active
Best Approach to Long-term Financial Wellbeing
This award celebrates businesses that have successfully got employees thinking about their long-term financial wellbeing, particularly retirement and pensions.
Finalists:
Ascential Group Limited
easyJet
Oxford University Press
RSK Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
United Utilities
University of Lincoln
Best Approach to Wellbeing Aligned with a Diversity & Inclusion Strategy
This award celebrates companies that have thought about their employee health and wellbeing initiatives as part of their diversity & inclusion (D&I) agenda. That includes creating strategies that genuinely benefit all staff, that have opened up new opportunities for all employees, driven a more diverse workforce, created better inclusion or drawn in vulnerable groups.
Finalists:
IHS Markit
Just Eat
Mondelez Philippines, Inc.
Best use of Technology and Data for Wellbeing
This award recognises how employers are using technology and data to deliver better, more transparent and data-rich employee health and wellbeing strategies. That could include driving new ways of communicating and engaging, better understanding employee behaviours or tracking how benefits are being used to drive future funding.
Finalists:
Epson Europe B.V.
Romero Insurance Brokers Ltd
The Coca-Cola Company
Travis Perkins plc
Vodafone Ireland Ltd.
Best Wellbeing Engagement
A wellbeing strategy is only effective if employees engage with it. This award celebrates the very best in communications, initiatives to drive up take-up rates and employers that have created tangible change in the health and wellbeing of their workforce through great levels of engagement.
Finalists:
Private Sector
Amadeus IT Services UK Ltd
Computacenter
Credit Suisse
Schroders
The Coca-Cola Company
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Public and Not-For-Profit sector
Cafcass
Chiltern and South Bucks District Councils
Civil Service UK
Department for Work & Pensions
East Herts Council
North Bristol NHS Trust
The REBA Employee Wellbeing Awards 2020 have also featured a Visionary Award and the REBA Pinnacle Award. These were chosen by the judges and the REBA advisory board.
Our Event Partners Include:
“Fantastic event - both the conference part and the awards ceremony” - Peter Smith, Future Planning Manager at Yorkshire Building Society. Winner of the Financial Award and Mental Wellbeing (fewer than 5,000 employees) Award.
“I’m most proud that we’ve made a difference and really seen success for everything we’ve put our hearts and souls into.” Debbie Fennell, Employee Benefits & Reward Specialist at Carlsberg UK. Winner of Newcomer (Private Sector) Award.
“This award is really very meaningful and a great result for the team” - Alison Main-Lavergne, International Benefits Leader at Wells Fargo. Winner of the Global Award.
Awards timeline
2 September 2019 | Awards open for entry
14 November 2019 | Deadline for entries
January 2020 | Finalists notified and invited to workshops and ceremony
5 March 2020 | Exclusive afternoon peer-to-peer workshops and evening awards ceremony announcing all winners
If you have any questions about the awards, please do get in touch: [email protected]
