Welfare Call (LAC) Ltd
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 Welfare Call (LAC) Ltd 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 Welfare Call (LAC) Ltd 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 Reservists
We also pledge the following:
Employment: o The Company recognises the hard work and sacrifice shown by members of the Armed Forces and is committed to ensuring that individuals who serve have the same opportunities for employment as others. o The Company aims to support its Reservist employees with a commitment to train regularly and a liability to be mobilised. Its goal is to ensure that all staff feel valued and can achieve the appropriate balance between working and non-working responsibilities. o The Company is committed to a fair recruitment and selection process that does not place any individual who is a Reservist, a veteran or a family member at an unfair disadvantage. o We welcome job applications from Reservists because we acknowledge the great benefit to the Company that the skills of a Reservist can bring, including teamwork and resourcefulness. No job application will be rejected on the sole basis that the individual indicates in their application that they are a Reservist. o The Company will grant 5 days unpaid leave per year to members of the Armed Forces in order to undertake any necessary training. o If call out papers are sent, the Company will ensure that any members of the Armed Forces are released to report for duty in all cases unless there are exceptional circumstances. Any members returning will be reinstated in their original role unless this is not possible, in which case another suitable position will be offered. o The Company recognises that experiences as a member of the Armed Forces may result in people facing challenges on their return to usual home and work life. Therefore, we will ensure that access to qualified counsellors is available via a confidential telephone counselling service who can offer personal support for any practical or emotional challenges people may be facing. Face to face meetings maybe arranged where this is felt clinically appropriate.
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.