The Mark Jennings Partnership LLP
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 The Mark Jennings Partnership LLP 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 The Mark Jennings Partnership LLP 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 Service Spouses And Partners
- Flexible Leave For Spouses
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Discounts
We also pledge the following:
Promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation. a) To actively participate in Armed Forces Day through company awareness, campaigns, and activities; and b) To support local armed forces events, for example, help the heroes. Seeking to support the employment of veterans young and old and working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), in order to establish a tailored employment pathway for Service Leavers: a) As an equal opportunitys employer, we will always consider offering an interview to veterans, young and old, if they meet the selection criteria laid out in a job advert; and b) Recognise the relevant military skills and qualifications when interviewing for new positions. Striving to support the employment of Service spouses and partners: a) Ensure our recruitment campaigns cover the Armed Forces community, such as advertising through ‘Service-friendly’ recruitment agencies; and b) Always consider offering an interview to spouses/partners if they meet the selection criteria laid out in a job advert. This would not constitute the guarantee of a job, but rather the offer of an opportunity to prove themselves in an interview Endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partners deployment: a) Allow special paid leave as part of our Time Away from Work Policy for employees who are bereaved or whose loved ones are injured. Seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment where possible: a) Encourage participation in Uniform to Workday across the company. b) Accommodate training commitments wherever possible in line with our Flexible Working Policy and Time Away from Work Policy; and c) Accommodate mobilisation if they are required to deploy offering support to our local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, where possible: a) We will promote offering support through our formal volunteering initiatives (each permanent member of staff is entitled to one day paid leave per month for volunteering). Aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day: a) We will fly the flag on Armed Forces Day; b) We will promote each year Armed Forces Day on our web site; and c) We will allow all our staff staggered time off to attend our local event should Armed Forces Day fall on a working weekday. Offering a discount to members of the Armed Forces Community: a) We offer to all Armed Services personal a discounted annual retainer fee to £0; and b) We will provide through the CII Forces Money Plan initiative to Armed Forces Personal and Veterans a Pro Bono consultation resulting in an options and priorities report (financial guidance) from a fully qualified financial adviser and member of the Personal Finance Society
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.