Barclays Bank PLC
We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.
The Armed Forces Covenant
An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families
The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.
Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant
1.1 We Barclays Bank PLC will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment
2.1 Barclays Bank PLC recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- UK Reservists
- Armed Forces Charities
- UK Wounded, Injured And Sick
We also pledge the following:
Commercial commitment to the Armed Forces - A full-time Military and Veterans Outreach Team as the interface with all facets of our Armed Forces communities, providing innovative economic growth opportunities for Serving personnel, Veterans, Reservists, Military Spouses and the wider military family, delivering long-term mutual benefit. - A dedicated online landing page for all military-related customers, providing access and guidance to the products and services that Barclays provide to the armed forces community - Access to everyday banking through mobile branch by bringing banking services to military sites across the UK. - Access to mortgages through the Forces Help to Buy Scheme, providing military customers with the opportunity to buy their first home. - Use of British Forces Post Office (BFPO) shadow postcode system, insuring those serving outside the UK are not unfairly penalised when accessing banking services and credit. - Providing tailored support to entrepreneurs with our Veterans Owned Business strategy, in conjunction through our Veterans Founders Programme and Barclays Eagle Labs. - Through Global Supplier Diversity our mission is to do business with the best, for-profit, diverse entrepreneurs in the world who are diverse in size, ownership (i.e. military veterans) and mission such as social enterprises. We aim to ensure that our procurement process remains transparent, objective and non-discriminatory in the selection of suppliers. Commitment to the employment of Military Talent - Recognising military related (Veterans, Reservists, Spouses and Partners) colleagues as a formal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group, through the provision of voluntary self-identification. Ensuring they are given equal opportunity for career advancement in line with Barclays Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy. - Providing bespoke resettlement to Service Leavers through the Barclays Military Talent Scheme; a 12-week civilian work attachment, guaranteeing access to Barclays Internal Jobs Board. - Supporting Service Leavers, Veterans, Military Spouses and Partners applying for roles within Barclays, through the provision of a dedicated Military Talent Acquisition Manager, a Military Talent Pool and self-identification for external applicants. - Partnering with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to ensure service leavers have access to employment opportunities within Barclays. - Attending CTP employment fairs across the UK. - Providing Attraction and Engagement events, nationally and regionally, to enable Military Talent to understand the employment opportunities provided by Barclays and the wider private sector. - Delivering bespoke outreach activities, specifically geared towards a career within the Financial Services, such as CV & Interview Workshops. - An internal Armed Forces Network (Barclays Military Employee Resource Group) providing internal mobility opportunities and a soft landing for Military Talent within the business. Commitment to Military Spouses and Partners - Providing a standalone employment pathway for Military Spouses and Partners in partnership with a military employment charity service provider, in recognition of the challenges faced by this underemployed demographic. - Formally recognising Military Spouses and Partners as a DEI group, through voluntary self-identification of employees and external applicants to Barclays. - Supporting Military Spouse entrepreneurs in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs. - Providing Military Spouses and Partners employment opportunities in partnership with the Forces Families Jobs Initiative. Commitment to Reserve Service and Military Family Commitments - HR policy providing colleagues with 10 additional days of paid annual leave in order to allow them to complete their mandatory Reserve Forces training. - Online training modules to educate hiring managers and the broader colleague network on the nature of Reserve Service, facilitating optimal support for returning Reservist colleagues. - Guaranteed return to role, grade and benefits package following up to one years Reserve mobilisation. - In line with the Ministry of Defences Reserve Force 30, making provisions for colleagues to deploy in support of Military Assistance to the Civil Authority taskings and as part of the Strategic Reserve. - Establishment of a Military Family Leave policy, recognising the additional commitments placed upon Service families. To include additional paid leave to assist relocation as part of a posting, or when a family member returns from deployment longer than three months. Commitment to Wounded, Injured, Sick & Vulnerable (WIS) - Commitment to support WIS members of the armed forces community with employability skills. - Provision of outreach activities in partnership with Personnel Recovery Centres, providing employment opportunities for Wounded, Injured and Sick personnel. - Providing equal opportunities to WIS applicants and colleagues at Barclays, supported by the Military and Veterans Outreach Team. - Promoting colleague fundraising for service charities. Commitment to External Advocacy Barclays is proud of its three Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Awards and continues to advocate for the military community, publicly sharing best practice and policies externally. Barclays will also; - Deliver regular internal and external communications highlighting the positive aspects of engagement with the armed forces community, the positive influence the community can bring to society and the business benefits of investing in military-related talent. - Support other organisations to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant by engagement and mentoring of other signatories and advocating for those yet to sign the Covenant. - Provide public awareness of the achievements of the Armed Forces community and participate in Armed Forces Week activities. - Play an active role in the promotion of the Gold Award Association as the primary method of collaboration amongst the UKs leading Military and Veteran advocates. Deliver on the commitment central to its constitution to be an independent, collective voice of employers on matters relating to Defence People and Veterans. - Actively engage in the Office of Veterans Affairs Veteran Employer Action Group.
2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.