At Nationwide Building Society, having an inclusive culture where everyone thrives is central to their mission. The Working Families Network plays a key role in creating a workplace where people are fulfilled in both their personal and professional life. Wybren den Breejen, Co-Chair of the Families Network explains how the small things that the network does create a greater sense of belonging.
Nationwide Building Society is a British financial Institution and the largest building society in the world with over 16 million members. Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of the organisation which has 11 Employee Network Groups and 4 Support Groups. They provide a space for employees to be themselves, share similar characteristics or life experiences and connect with others.
Wybren den Breejen became Co-Chair of the Working Families Network in 2021. He says, “The network started just before Covid and was a way of getting groups of parents and people with parenting responsibility in a space to connect.”
Since then the network has grown rapidly to more than 1000 members and they now have many active and engaged subgroups. He adds, “We’ve got groups covering different stages of school lives: a group for parents with special educational needs, a support group for single parents which is smaller but very active. We also have a fertility and baby loss group which people join to ask questions, share experiences and support one another. The support from these in some cases, is life-changing,” he says.
How can ERGs support employees?
As Co-Chair, Wybren says part of his role is about making little changes which have a positive impact on employees. This may include organising a speaker on a commonly raised theme or doing intersectional working to have a wider reach. He describes a recent powerful example where Nationwide sponsored Swindon Pride with support from the Employee Networks. He explains, “The event was a great family day out for network members to connect with the wider community.”
In 2023 the Network won the Working Families Employee Network Award in the Pathways to Parenthood category. They were commended for creating a supportive and inclusive culture which met individuals’ needs. However, Wybren says that isn’t really what he sees as their biggest achievement. “We are not a network trying to do massive things,” he says. “For us it is really about the little things that are super important.” He highlights an event for Baby Loss Awareness Week where the network created a quiet space with a memory tree in which people could hang ribbons to remember lost loved ones.
Wybren also explains the value of the ‘formally informal’ support that the network offers when it comes to policy. He says, “We have direct escalation routes with HR and can help individuals figure out solutions.” He adds, “during the teacher strikes, we worked closely with HR to communicate to staff about how emergency dependent leave could be applied.”
How can ERGs impact workplace culture?
Wybren says that he hopes that the cumulative effect of these little actions will foster a workplace culture where people feel a greater sense of belonging. He goes on to explain, “Our mission is to enable people to have fulfilling home and professional lives. It is not about increasing the number of parents into leadership roles, it is about providing the support so people can achieve whatever it is they want, whether at home or at work.” He anticipates this will also have an impact internally, such as encouraging a parent to take a career change, or take a promotion.
The Families Network has two senior sponsors, one of whom is linked into the HR People function of Nationwide. Wybren says this puts the network in a strong position and adds, “We are not a network that has to fight for the benefit of our members. We work actively with the D & I team already, supporting people taking career breaks or working part time to get that work / life balance right.” He adds, “Our sponsors are both senior women in the organisation and have lovely family lives too. Many of our members are mums and it is great to have two leaders who have been on a career journey and have an understanding of the barriers some of our members face.“
Looking ahead for the next few years, Wybren says that the network is looking to consolidate the work they have done to date. He says “For us, it is very much a case of providing support, and making sure people and their managers get the right education, so we can implement the strong family friendly policies which support what colleagues might be going through.
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