Today Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is celebrating being one of 18 East Midlands organisations being awarded the Employer Recognition Gold Award from the Armed Forces Covenant.
Derbyshire’s Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive Gavin Tomlinson said: “It is an honour that Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service has been recognised by the Armed Forces Covenant as a Gold standard employer, demonstrating our commitment and Service priority to put people first.
“Our Veterans Support Network has played a crucial role in driving the Service forward to develop and implement the necessary policies and procedures to meet the Gold Award standard and continues to support past and present members of the armed services family.”
To be awarded a Gold Award in the Employer Recognition Scheme organisations must:
- Have additional paid leave for reservists
- Have supporting HR policies in place for veterans, reservists, and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, as well as spouses and partners of those serving in the Armed Forces.
Organisations must also advocate the benefits of supporting those within the Armed Forces community by encouraging others to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and engage in the Employer Recognition Scheme.
CFO Tomlinson went onto say: “We have a number of employee networks across out Service with them all playing an integral part in employee engagement. It is fantastic to see positive change driven by one such network being recognised, demonstrating the real impact networks can have on an organisation and its employees.”
