Member Article

TransUnion UK Unveils Flexible Fridays to Continue Supporting Colleagues Through the Pandemic

With the ending of UK lockdown measures still to come, TransUnion – a global insights and information company and one of the UK’s leading credit reference agencies – has launched its newest initiative to further support colleagues during these unprecedented times.

Flexible Fridays, which will run through July and August, is one of many support measures offered to TransUnion employees since last April in recognition of the profound impact that COVID-19 has had and the challenges that many have faced during the pandemic.

Colleagues in the UK are being empowered to make Friday afternoons their own, putting pens down, and taking time for themselves, whether that’s for their own development, a pet project or simply to take some time off.

Tammy Taylor-Stowe, chief human resources officer at TransUnion in the UK commented: “We’re really proud of how our colleagues have responded during these challenging times and wanted to thank them for their hard work and dedication by giving back some time on Friday afternoons. We’re encouraging them to use this time for personal development or to focus on wellbeing using the Headspace app we’ve recently introduced.”

Throughout the pandemic TransUnion has been committed to supporting physical, mental and financial fitness with a series of events and activities, ranging from lunchtime yoga and boxing classes to mindfulness and meditation. The addition of Flexible Fridays is intended to give people the opportunity to focus on their own needs and help them to recharge, with diaries cleared and no meetings booked in.

Globally, TransUnion has already given two company days off in 2021 in recognition of the huge effort to go above and beyond that has been seen across the business throughout the pandemic, and has encouraged dedicated ‘away from keyboard’ time to ensure colleagues take a break from their laptops each day.

Colleagues also recently received a palm plant as a surprise gift for Mental Health Awareness month, which saw a surge of positive feedback on social media as people brightened up their home offices and shared pictures.

Tammy continued: “COVID-19 has brought about huge shifts in how we work and what employees need or want. We’re listening to what our colleagues are telling us and giving all the support that we can. Offering flexibility is crucial as people continue to juggle careers with home life demands and deal with the wider pressures and worries of the pandemic.”

Having moved colleagues to remote working earlier in the pandemic, TransUnion’s change in work environment has not impacted business capability, giving confidence to offer longer-term increased flexibility. The majority of colleagues plan on moving to a hybrid model, whilst some will remain remote and others in the office, once restrictions are lifted. As the business continues to grow, the company is encouraging colleagues to make choices that work for them with a ‘flex together’ approach. The aim is to empower colleagues with greater ownership and control of their own time and working hours, enabling them to manage their responsibilities out of work.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by TransUnion .