Business in the Community Scotland

This #LifelongLearningWeek, our Employment & Skills Officer, Farhath Choudhury, highlights the importance of #upskilling in today’s evolving work environment. As businesses face challenges like the shift to a #NetZero future and the rise of #AI, investing in employee skills from all socio-economic backgrounds is essential for growth and prosperity. Read the full blog to discover how we can support your upskilling initiatives: https://lnkd.in/eH7ds5_r #LifelongLearning #EssentialSkills #GreenSkills

The rising cost of living has severely impacted many in the UK, with Black, Asian, Mixed Race, and other ethnically diverse employees disproportionately affected, highlighting the urgent need to address workplace inequality. In her latest blog, our Race Director Sandra Kerr calls on employers to take action now by ensuring fair pay and equal opportunities for all. https://lnkd.in/exEJ7NaR By committing to the real #LivingWage and providing Living Hours, businesses can make significant strides towards closing the ethnicity pay gap. This #NationalLivingWageWeek, discover how you can contribute to creating a more equitable workplace for everyone. #LivingWageWeek #RaceAtWork

📺 Our Job Coaching programme truly changes lives. We train volunteers from UK businesses as employment coaches, offering one-to-one support to jobseekers. In this video, Sam Pennington, a corporate lawyer at Lewis Silkin, shares his experience helping William, a former public sector leader. After facing job rejections, William sought assistance to rebuild his confidence, and Sam found the experience both enriching and impactful. Discover the life-changing impact of our Job Coaching programme and learn how your business can get involved: https://lnkd.in/e9a7eBar #JobCoaching #wellbeing #ResponsibleBusiness

At the start of this year, we launched a Social Mobility Working Group, chaired by Angela Halliday from Sodexo UK and Ireland, bringing together leaders from our member organisations to drive meaningful progress in social mobility.     While we’ve made good progress together, we know there’s always more to do - and we want to hear from you!    We’d love if you’d share your insights and tell us what actions your organisation is taking to support social mobility. Your experiences and ideas are invaluable in helping us shape practical recommendations for impactful change.    Please take a moment to complete our quick questionnaire and be part of the journey: https://lnkd.in/e5C3d5Cu or get in touch if you want to get involved! The deadline for the questionnaire is Friday 22nd November. If you have any questions, please email Georgia Watson: georgia.watson@bitc.org.uk    Thank you! Wendy Golden CMIIA, Iain McClay, Laura Pearson, Mairi McInnes, Steven Jolly, Sheelagh Cooley, Mark Darley (He /Him), Danny Davis, James Brandon (He/Him), Lindsay Cramond, Rosemary Mooney Rhonda Miller #SocialMobility #ResponsibleBusiness 

I have been working with Caroline Colliston and colleagues from DWF for many years now - from a sold out event on menopause in Glasgow back in 2019 (thanks, Kirsty Rogers, for speaking at it) to the recent business roundtable on workforce wellbeing. Now I get to collaborate with Karen Greenall too, considering the "wellbeing deal" between employer and employee and what that means for each person in the firm. Exciting times!

Today, we're excited to shine a light on our member, DWF, a proud BITC Workwell Charter signatory, for their commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace where every colleague’s wellbeing is a top priority.     DWF understands that wellbeing is pivotal for a culture of inclusion that empowers every team member to feel valued and supported.     Through DWF’s robust Global D&I Strategy (https://lnkd.in/ey6qc3FG), employees have access to mental, physical, and social wellness resources, and policies that reflect the needs of their diverse workforce. DWF has 10+ employee D&I networks and groups that regularly support members’ wellbeing.    The team at DWF embodies this commitment to wellness, from the boardroom to the great outdoors! Swipe through the photos below for a snapshot of the ways wellbeing and mental health are core to DWF and get a glimpse of colleagues staying active and embracing physical health as a core part of the company’s wellness culture. Find out how we can support you to integrate #wellbeing into your workplace: https://lnkd.in/eKSAE2yS #MentalHealthAwareness #InclusiveWorkplace #ResponsibleBusiness 

Our latest #OpeningDoors case study highlights our member Phoenix Group's commitment to inclusive recruitment. As the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business, Phoenix has transformed its approach to attract diverse talent. Some key initiatives include: ✅ Providing bespoke training on inclusive recruitment across seven inclusivity lenses ✅ Engaging suppliers and recruitment agencies to adhere to inclusive practices ✅ Streamlining the application process, resulting in a tripled completion rate Discover more about how Phoenix Group is making a difference: https://lnkd.in/eV2hArtQ #InclusiveRecruitment #ResponsibleBusiness

With one in seven UK employees juggling work and caring responsibilities, there is an urgent need for businesses to support their people. To address this, BITC and Simplyhealth launched the Let's Care Together programme in November 2023, offering virtual one-to-one befriending to improve carers' #wellbeing and work-life balance. The programme continues to thrive, making a significant impact on lives. At a recent Let's Care Together Network meeting, our members came together to explore strategies to better support employee carers. This network allows businesses to share best practice and tackle health inequalities faced by unpaid carers. Thank you to Aviva for sharing their best practice in this area with the group. Find out how your organisation can support carers in the workplace: https://lnkd.in/eCcTqi_u Carers Trust Carers UK

Unsure how to create an #InclusiveWorkplace for all your employees? Our expert Inclusion Advisers have years of experience helping organisations on their #ResponsibleBusiness journeys and can design bespoke support to help you improve your approach to inclusion at work. We offer workshops, training sessions and a wide range of tailored advisory support. 🤝🏻 Find out more and get in touch to chat about your organisation’s requirements: https://lnkd.in/eskgCsze

Today, on #WorldMenopauseDay, we call on employers to break the #menopause stigma and create a more supportive workplace for everyone. In her new blog, our Age Manager Angela Watson shares valuable insights and practical tips on how your organisation can: - Create a culture of open conversation - Implement inclusive policies and practices - Offer flexible working arrangements - Provide essential support and resources to employees transitioning through menopause Read our latest blog for more information: https://lnkd.in/eKXB8biu