Aviva is giving all its 16,000 UK employees an extra day off this year, specifically to help with their wellbeing. This is part of a range of ‘winter wellbeing’ events Aviva is running to support colleagues as the Covid-19 struggle continues.
Colleagues can use this extra day how they wish – whether that’s to indulge in hobbies or simply rest and recharge. This day off is in addition to holiday leave available to employees at any point throughout this year.
The insurer said it wanted to recognise employees for their continued work to support customers.
Danny Harmer, Aviva’s Chief People Officer, said:
"We want to make this winter a little bit brighter and say thank you."
“Our people have worked incredibly hard to support our customers throughout what has been a really difficult time for everyone. We want to make this winter a little bit brighter for them and say thank you. So this is an opportunity for colleagues to take a day for themselves.
“When our people are at their best, our business is at its best for our customers. Rest is an important part of wellbeing and it’s vital that organisations create space for people to recharge their batteries wherever possible.”
"Rest is is an important part of wellbeing."
The ‘Wellbeing Day’ is part of a range of support available to Aviva employees to help this winter, including:
- In December, UK employees received a £100 voucher to say thank you for their hard work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
- A range of support tools to assist with working from home, including mental and wellbeing support, and 24/7 Employee Assistance programme.
- DigiCare+, available for our employees free of charge. This is a smartphone app that can help detect, manage and prevent physical and mental health problems.
- Free access to wellbeing apps, Headspace and Thrive. Headspace and Thrive are meditation apps that help build overall resilience, but it is also useful for specific areas, for example, helping with sleep.
- #backtobest – a wellbeing campaign where employees can earn points for doing things that are good for them, like being active or meditating.
- Flexible working available for all our people. Since the first lockdown we have paid, and will continue to pay, all our people in full, regardless of the hours they are able to work.
- 35 hours paid leave per year for UK employees to help manage caring responsibilities. In 2020, 536 Aviva colleagues in the UK each used an average of 11 and a half hours.
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Notes to editors:
- We are the UK's leading diversified insurer and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
- We help our 19.2 million (as at 31 December 2023) customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
- We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2023, we paid £25.6 billion in claims and benefits to our customers.
- In 2021, we announced our ambition to become Net Zero by 2040, the first major insurance company in the world to do so. We are aiming to have Net Zero carbon emissions from Aviva’s operations and supply chain by 2030. While we are working towards our sustainability ambitions, we recognise that while we have control over Aviva’s operations and influence on our supply chain, when it comes to decarbonising the economy in which we operate and invest, Aviva is one part of a far larger global ecosystem. There are also limits to our ability to influence other organisations and governments. Nevertheless, we remain focused on the task and are committed to playing our part in the collective effort to enable the global transition. Find out more about our climate goals at www.aviva.com/climate-goals and our sustainability ambition and action at www.aviva.com/sustainability
- Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pension and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at https://www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
- As at 31 December 2023, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £376 billion and our estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus as at 31 March 2024 was £8.5 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
- For more details on what we do, our business and how we help our customers, visit www.aviva.com/about-us
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