FEPS GmbH UK
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 FEPS GmbH UK 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 FEPS GmbH UK 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:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Armed Forces Charities
- UK Wounded, Injured And Sick
We also pledge the following:
Promoting the Armed Forces: To promote FEPS as an Armed Forces-friendly organisation we will publicise our commitments on our company website. In this way we want to show that members of the Armed Forces community are welcome employees and that we are supporting them in multiple different ways. Employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community: We provide reservists with special terms to make carrying out their duties possible. For these activities all reservists that are employed at FEPS are offered additional unpaid days of annual leave. FEPS understands the challenges veterans are facing while searching and applying for a job. To make the application process less stressful we provide mentoring and assistance in preparing their CV and opportunities to improve their interview skills. FEPS offers work placements and insight days to allow veterans to experience our processes and gain a deeper understanding of what a certain job entails. In addition, if veterans meet the requirements for a current job advert, they are guaranteed an interview with the FEPS HR department. FEPS provides Cadet Force Adult Volunteers with special terms to facilitate their training requirements. For this training all Cadet Force Adult Volunteers that are employed at FEPS are offered additional unpaid days of annual leave. FEPS supports Cadets that are looking to broaden their horizons by gaining more work experience or education. To give Cadets looking for apprenticeships an opportunity to explore our company we offer them insight days where they will meet the FEPS team and gain a deeper understanding of the job position. We also support Cadets in finding further education opportunities that match their requirements. FEPS understands that many members of the Armed Forces Community face challenges when transitioning from the military to civilian life. While some of the struggles leavers face are addressed by FEPS commitments mentioned in the covenant FEPS recognises that further assistance may be necessary. To investigate how FEPS can further assist in reducing these struggles FEPS will engage with the Career Transition Partnership. Their extensive experience will greatly benefit FEPS in supporting leavers by ensuring their wellbeing. FEPS appreciates the service every member of the Armed Forces provided and wants to give back to the community. FEPS will focus and work with relevant charities and the Career Transition Partnership to offer different work opportunities focusing on the Wounded, Injured and Sick. We seek to give them a new task and make their contribution and work meaningful. Communications, engagement and outreach: FEPS supports and encourages the growth and development of all employees. We provide and promote training and explore e-learning for the FEPS Armed Forces Community. This helps our employees to become more well-rounded and adapt to new challenges. The support of the Armed Forces is very important to FEPS. To ensure others recognise the importance, we will promote the Armed Forces Covenant, the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and our support for the Armed Forces Community to our staff, supply chains and the wider public. FEPS recognizes that special events and traditions are of high importance to the Armed Forces Community. We support and promote Armed Forces events, such as the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance Day activities and focus on Armed Forces Day/Week and Reserves Day. We want to encourage others to learn about these events and connect the Armed Forces Community with our other staff and the public. FEPS wants to ensure that others are aware of our commitment through promoting our signing of the Armed Forces Covenant. We will use the Armed Forces Covenant and our Employer Recognition program logos in our communication and marketing. A visual presentation will make our commitment easily recognizable to the greater Armed Forces Community, our staff, supply chains and the wider public. To increase awareness further we will create a dedicated FEPS Armed Forces page on our website. On this page the Armed Forces Covenant signed by FEPS will be presented alongside information on FEPSs current involvement with the Armed Forces and any future projects or measures planned that would regard the Armed Forces. This page will also include the FEPS Employer Recognition Program as well as open job opportunities and an option for feedback to gage satisfaction or possibilities for improvement. We want to give the Armed Forces Community a focal point within our organisation. In an effort to facilitate this coordination and ensure our personnel are well informed of the opportunities and support available to them, FEPS will appoint an Armed Forces Champion. This member of staff will be in very close contact with the both the FEPS Armed Forces Community as well as the greater Armed Forces Community ensuring satisfaction and collecting feedback from our members. We want to give back to the Armed Forces Community for their service and great sacrifice. FEPS will engage with and support local Armed Forces charities. We will support their activities to raise greater awareness and show our appreciation and respect for all members of the Armed Forces Community both previous and current serving members. The health and wellbeing of FEPS staff and members of the Armed Forces is the most important factor for us. To encourage staff to seek the support they need we will refer members of the Armed Forces Community to available support on the Armed Forces page on our website but also by posters in the workplace. By signposting in the workplace and within our private and public areas, we create awareness and remind all our staff and the Armed Forces Community that no one needs to suffer alone. To further amplify the previous point we will also promote support networks (such as coffee mornings, breakfast clubs etc.) for veterans and other members of the Armed Forces Community. FEPS is committed to building and continuing to foster esprit de corps as appreciated within this community. This will provide a source of understanding and support to the members of the FEPS Armed Forces Community as these networks understand the difficulties and challenges that may be faced. FEPS sees communication and interaction as crucial ways of showing respect for the service of the Armed Forces Community but also as an opportunity to learn from each other. To ensure optimal communication we will engage with any local Armed Forces presence for example, local Army units, reservist units, RAF stations and/or naval bases. This will give us a better connection to the community and provide opportunities to improve the current conditions for them. Health and healthcare: The health and wellbeing of all employees are two very important factors for FEPS success. We want to guarantee that all members of the FEPS Armed Forces Community and their families receive good medical care without facing any disadvantages. To ensure this we will promote awareness such as veteran-friendly accreditation for GP practices and Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance. Housing: FEPS recognizes that poverty and homelessness are problems some members of the Armed Forces Community face. We will promote awareness of housing and homelessness services among the Armed Forces Community to ensure that people in need know where and how they can get the assistance they require. Education: As previously mentioned FEPS values education and wants it to be accessible for everyone. To achieve this, we will promote training and further education opportunities for Service leavers, ex-Service personnel and their families. While it can be challenging for members of these groups to obtain follow on employment, we believe this will support their journey. Civic responsibilities: FEPS understands and respects the importance of remembering the fallen soldiers and past generations of the Armed Forces and are committed to the upkeep of war memorials and war graves. We will achieve this by engaging with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and encouraging participation in Commonwealth Workers Foundation We will promote remembrance and other ceremonial activities in our workforce but also in the local community. FEPS employees are encouraged to take part in these activities to show their support and respect for the Armed Forces.
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.