Virgin Group has launched a refreshed benefits package shaped directly by employees in London and New York.
The employer said the revamp challenges traditional workplace support and reflects employee insight gained through surveys, workshops and hackathons with employees based at Virgin headquarters on both sides of the Atlantic. This development stage had 95 percent employee engagement and helped HR and reward specialists design a “bold, inclusive and flexible” benefits offer for staff.
Chief purpose officer Holly Branson said that traditional benefits at the firm had low staff engagement, which had prompted a rethink of how to make support more meaningful and relevant to employees’ real-life needs.
One innovative change is the UK-first policy ‘Loved ones leave’. This is designed to recognise the growing, and often invisible, role of unpaid carers. It gives all employees equal paid time off to manage major life transitions or new caring responsibilities. This could be for a baby, an older child, a parent, partner, sibling or even a housemate. The policy acknowledges the diverse make-up of modern families and is a response to the reality that 34 percent of Virgin employees have caring responsibilities. It also reflects the wider national picture, where one in seven UK workers are balancing work with care.
Employees have also been given an annual personal budget through the ‘Screw it, let’s do it’ pot, which the employer said staff can spend however they choose.
Another initiative is ‘Real rest’, which is an extended office-wide closure over the festive period. This collective time off was initially introduced during the pandemic and proved so beneficial to employee wellbeing that it has been made a permanent policy. By allowing the entire team to disconnect from emails and work pressures together, Virgin said it aims to create space for genuine mental recovery and reflection.
Further measures include flexible working, enhanced pension contributions set above independently recommended levels, a health inclusion fund to address gaps in traditional medical cover, and expanded access to therapy, mentoring and volunteering opportunities.
The employer continues to offer unlimited annual leave and an uncapped bereavement policy, both of which have been in place for more than a decade.
Chief people officer Nikki Humphrey said: “This new package reflects the voices of our people and embraces their real lives, whether they’re discovering new heights or navigating unexpected detours, with bold, flexible, and inclusive support.”
The employer said the changes were delivered at no additional cost to the business by phasing out low-use legacy benefits and reinvesting the savings in what employees want. Inspiration for the overhaul was also drawn from other Virgin businesses, including Virgin Atlantic’s gender-neutral uniform policy, Virgin Voyages’ crew perks, and Virgin Media O2’s approach to neonatal and carer’s leave.
“Innovation and smart disruption are core parts of Virgin’s DNA and we’re pleased we can bring this to life through our benefits for our Virgin Group employees based in our brand-new HQ, Whitfield Studios, and our US HQ, Bleecker Street,” Humphrey said.
“We’re proud to be leading the way, and we hope it inspires other businesses to think differently too.”
