PEEK recognised as one of the UK's first Flexible Workplaces
We’re really proud that PEEK is one of the first organisations to achieve Flexible Workplace Accreditation, with “excellence” in five areas, from Flexibility Works.
Flexible working at PEEK has never just been about working from home, changing your hours or having the right policies in place. It’s about recognising that our people have lives outside of work. We’re parents and carers, we have families, interests and commitments, and sometimes life just happens.
We’ve always tried to create a culture where people can be honest about that, where there is trust on both sides and where we’ll do our best to make things work. Having that independently recognised by Flexibility Works means a lot to us.
Hearing from Team PEEK
The accreditation looked at what actually happens at PEEK, not just what we say happens. Almost all of Team PEEK completed the staff survey, with 21 members of the team also taking part in focus groups and one-to-one conversations.
PEEK achieved excellence in ‘embedding flexible working’, ‘trust and influence’, ‘widening access to and in work’, ‘having a positive impact on people’s wellbeing’, and ‘role modelling’.
But some of the best parts of the report were hearing what our own people had to say: “It feels like we have an understanding that you have a life outside of work.” That probably sums it up better than we could.
Over the last few years, we’ve put a lot of thought into what being a genuinely family-friendly employer looks like. That isn't only about parents. People's circumstances change and sometimes they need a bit more understanding or flexibility from work. We can't make everything work all of the time, but we can listen, be honest with each other and try to find a solution.
Our values; Compassion, Dignity, Excellence, Integrity and Respect have to mean something inside PEEK as well as in our work with children, young people and families. They should shape how we lead, the decisions we make and how we treat each other.
A big thank you also goes to our PEEK Board of Directors. They have been forward-thinking in backing our family-friendly policies and supporting us to keep improving what we offer Team PEEK. As volunteers themselves, we're really grateful for the way they continue to challenge and support us while living our values too.
Hearing from Flexibility Works
“Congratulations to the PEEK on achieving Flexible Workplace Accreditation. PEEK has created a genuinely people-centred culture where flexibility is built on trust, compassion and a deep understanding that employees have lives beyond work. Throughout the accreditation process, we heard powerful examples of how this approach helps people thrive, stay in work and continue delivering life-changing support to children, young people and families across Glasgow. We're delighted to award PEEK Flexible Working Accreditation."
Lisa Gallagher, Co Founder and Director, Flexibility Works
Keep listening, keep learning
A lot of what we offer today has grown from listening to Team PEEK. Being people-led shouldn't only describe how we work in our communities; it should apply to our own people too.
We also want to keep pushing ourselves on what good employment can look like in the third sector. We know the pressures charities are under, but our sector is powered by brilliant people. We should be ambitious about creating workplaces where people can build careers, progress and have a life outside of work.
Receiving this accreditation doesn't mean we've cracked it. There are things we can improve, and we'll take those on board.
That fits with where PEEK is heading. Investing in Our People will be an important part of our next five-year strategy. We want PEEK to be somewhere people can join, develop and progress, and somewhere they can build a career for the long term.
For now, we're really proud to celebrate this recognition.
Well done Team PEEK and thank you to our Board for continuing to back our people, our values and our ambition to be a genuinely family-friendly employer.