Responsible business

Disability Confident

Nest recognises the positive impact that diversity brings to organisations and society as a whole. We have signed up to the Department for Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident campaign. This is a voluntary scheme which aims to make the most of the talents that disabled people bring to the workforce and increase the proportion of the disabled population in work.

There are three stages to the scheme:

Level 1: Disability Confident Committed
Level 2: Disability Confident Employer
Level 3: Disability Confident Leader
Nest has signed up at level 1 and it aims to achieve at least a level 2 by March 2020.

Women in Finance Charter

Nest signed up to HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter in July 2016. Its aim is to improve gender balance across financial services, recognising that gender balance will improve productivity, introduce new talents and improve decision making in our sector. In line with the charter, Nest set itself a goal to achieve 30 per cent of our leadership being female by September 2019. Nest has developed a women’s mentoring programme and will be rolling this out shortly. Nest’s Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group has responsibility for delivering the recommendations in the charter. Nest is now looking beyond 2019 and will set more ambitious targets for gender balance over the coming years.

Nest’s gender pay report

In 2017 UK legislation required all organisations with more than 250 members of staff to publish their gender pay gap on 31 March 2018. While we were not required to, we still elected to publish our gender pay report externally. This is part of Nest’s ongoing commitment to transparency and openness. 

You can read the full report here

Promoting good mental health 

Nest recognises that employers have an important role in promoting mental wellbeing and resilience and combating the stigma that surrounds poor mental health. In February 2019, Nest participated in the #timetotalk campaign, which encourages employees to have open conversations with colleagues about their mental health. The campaign aims to break down stereotypes, improve relationships, aid recovery and take the stigma out of something that affects many people. Nest used posters, desk drops, posts on the intranet and office TV screens to raise awareness of the campaign. Nest celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week in May 2019 and used it as an opportunity to share experiences of poor mental health and signpost and promote mental wellbeing in the workplace. Beyond this, Nest aims to deliver broader impact in a number of ways.

What we buy

We are increasingly examining ways in which we can deliver positive impact through the companies we work with day to day. In 2018/19 we:

• Held our staff town hall at the International Students House (ISH) at One Park Crescent. ISH is a social enterprise that uses profits from the hire of the venue to provide bursaries for foreign students from low income families.
• Employed Mediorite, a social enterprise providing work experience in film and photography to disadvantaged youths in London, to produce video content for internal and external marketing.
• Bought prizes for staff events from social enterprises, including the Soap Co and Divine Chocolate.  

Charity fundraising

Macmillan Cancer Support

In August 2018, Nest chose Macmillan Cancer Support as its charity partner of the year. This was the first time that Nest has partnered with one specific charity, a decision that was taken to provide a focus for fundraising efforts. Staff are however actively encouraged to undertake activities to support other charities if they wish. In 2018/19 Nest staff raised over £1,280 for Macmillan Cancer Support through a programme of internal events. As well as raising money for charity, these events foster a sense of community at Nest and support high staff engagement. Staff events included karaoke, a staff quiz night, a cake sale, a Christmas performance by the Nest choir, a Christmas raffle and a film showing for World Cancer Day.

Firstlove Foundation

The First Love Foundation was established in 2011. Since then, it’s helped thousands of people in extremely deprived UK boroughs get their lives back on track by serving as a foodbank as well as an advice and support centre. With a small team of seven people in place, the First Love Foundation help approximately 100 people per month, including families with children and single people by providing food, counsel and opportunities, to help tackle poverty. As part of Nest’s corporate responsibility programme, colleagues raised £380 and donated six sacks of food to the First Love Foundation. A small group of Nest colleagues also visited the First Love Foundation offices in December 2018 to meet the Chief Executive Officer Denise Bentley and the project manager, Debbie Pemberton. 

Volunteering

Volunteering can bring benefits both in terms of social impact and staff development. Staff are entitled to take four days per year to volunteer, which can be used to work with charities or organisations of their choice. Regular internal communications encourage staff to volunteer, either individually or in groups. Over the past year employees have participated in community clear ups, fundraising for charities, volunteering in care and nursing homes and engaging with young people in schools.

 

 

 

Last updated 06/19