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Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. You’ve touched on quite a few things here, so this response is necessarily quite long.
Like any workplace, we do need to have rules in place. While they may sometimes feel restrictive, there are important reasons behind these rules. We are proud of our professional standards.
As you know, we are regulated by the FCA and must comply with a variety of regulations including Data Protection. These rules exist for the security of our customers, which is paramount, and to ensure customers are treated fairly. Our first obligation is to our customers and we require our teams to keep customer best interests at the heart of what we do.
Keeping personal mobile phones in lockers, away from areas where customer personal data is processed, is a standard measure in the Financial Services industry. CCTV is also part of the data security measures rightly required of us. Our clear desk policy also protects customer data, removing the potential for paper to be misplaced or misdirected, as well as ensuring our working environment is clean, tidy, professional and pleasant to work in.
We provide a kitchen and break room for all staff with microwaves, dishwashers, fridges, free tea and coffee and computers for personal web use. We want our staff to relax and enjoy their breaks. We believe it’s important to spend time away from your desk while on your lunch breaks, rather than trying to multitask. Our customers deserve the best level of service, which means giving them our full attention. Keeping food away from working areas also helps desks stay clean and clear. We care about the health and safety of our staff, which is why we provide cups with lids to prevent spills and accidents. We’re proud of our modern, well-appointed offices in Manchester City Centre and we want them to stay that way. We’re working on improvements such as introducing recycling facilities to make our business more sustainable, a suggestion from our staff through our employee forum.
Our Concierge Lynne is a very important part of our team here. She looks after our staff by running errands for them, ensuring they can make the most of their breaks. Each week she walks an average of 36 miles collecting coffees, taking parcels to the post office, picking up shopping items and lots of things besides. It’s great to know there’s someone to send back your online shopping returns so you don’t need to worry about it yourself.
We do ask our staff to wear business dress Monday to Thursday and maintain a minimum standard regarding their attire each Friday when we dress down. We believe that a smart appearance builds a respectful and professional environment. However, by traditional standards our dress code is classed as Business Casual, we don’t expect our staff to wear suits or ties.
Staff who take part in our weekly dress down days contribute £3.50 per month to our staff fund, participation is optional. Half the money collected goes to support charities nominated by staff each month, along with additional money we raise through our charity days. We’ve listened to our staff and introduced more charity fundraising events and collections such as the quarterly Food Bank collection. The remaining money is spent on some of the social events that are open to all staff to attend. This money is never used for functions restricted to certain teams or levels of seniority. We’re a sociable bunch and the company fully funds additional events including our Christmas Party.
We provide all our staff with pension contributions that are above average for a company of our size, a Healthcare Cashplan (premiums paid) and life assurance. We give staff their birthday off every year and three extra days if they get married, in addition to an annual leave entitlement of up to 25 days plus bank holidays. We operate a cycle to work scheme, a payroll giving scheme and hold wellbeing events including free in-work massages, mindfulness sessions and healthy cookery workshops. Plus the little things like the baskets of chocolate and treats to share out at Easter.
We’re disappointed to hear that you didn’t enjoy your time at Evolution Money and would like to understand more about your experiences. Please contact our HR team to discuss this further at HR@EvolutionMoney.co.uk
