Bank launches flexible back to work programme

By flexibleboss on June 11, 2015 • ( 0 )

Lloyds Banking Group has launched a programme to get men and women who have been out of the workplace back into employment.

The nationwide Returners Programme started this week with ten women and five men who have been out of the workplace for more than two years. A third of the roles are outside London – in Edinburgh, Halifax and Manchester. The programme also focuses on agile working, with a number of new positions being undertaken on reduced and flexible hours. After an initial ten week placement, there is the possibility of a permanent position.

In 2014, Lloyds made a public commitment to having 40% of roles filled by women by 2020, and this initiative is designed in part to enable senior female talent into the business.

Fiona Cannon OBE, director of diversity and inclusion at Lloyds Banking Group, said the Returners programme “reaches beyond just London to give senior people a structured route back into the workplace”. She added: “We believe that diversity and inclusion brings about richness of thought and better business decisions, and it is important that we reflect the whole of the country as an organisation. Many men and women across the UK take time from work during their career, and this programme is designed to reconnect with a wealth of talent.”