A firm with a heart for its people

I work for a firm that boasts to be a model company with values at its core DNA.  I realise that most companies will claim to have values.  But recently there were multiple events in the same week that touched me and made me realise that at our company this a true reality and not just idle words. While I definately don't work for the perfect company (those don't exist), it's nice to be in an environment with a lot of attention to the individual people working there and getting treated with a lot of respect. It reminds me of this quote from Sir Richard Branson.




  • One of my colleagues retired.  There was a small retirement reception during lunch where all were invited with lovely speeches, a film of a prank that multiple departments had set-up for her, presents etc. (there was also a team dinner for her and her colleagues). 
  • There was the yearly veterans lunch: all company's retirees  + almost retired employees are treated on an exquisite long lunch together.  This way the retirees stay in touch with the company and their former colleagues. 
  • We have developed a renovation plan to turn old houses in sustainable affordable healthy homes.  Our model social home get just inhabited by a family and my colleagues did the moving during business hours. 
  • One of the managers got a bad health diagnosis 9 months ago and she has been fighting disease ever since. But she's not out of sight out of our hearts. On a day where she had to undergo a critical surgery, every department has made silly picture collages of all of us crossing our fingers and toes for her to send her some courage and warming thoughts.  All week there was also a candle burning for her in one of her teams. 
  • Every day we are getting spoilt daily fresh biological fruit cut into big fruit salad plates (and if you are stuck in meetings all morning, a tray with fruit will be brought to you). Just to make you a bit more jealous, we get each month a 20' chair massage.  Unless there is a very critical deadline to meet or other (em)urgency, it is acceptable to plan your other meetings around your massage appointment.
  • ....

Of course job content,  skill development, etc are critical for the happiness in a company but I've learned to appreciate the importance of these little things as a contributor to the well being on the job as well. 

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