The London Plus team is taking a well-deserved break after Friday 22 December, until Tuesday 2 January 2024.
At London Plus, we aim to be a considerate employer while ensuring the organisations we serve are properly helped. One way we do this is by being flexible. Our staff manage their own time and we encourage staff to take time out during the working day to do exercise, if they wish. It is particularly the case that women often do not do as much exercise in winter months as they avoid going out in the dark for a run or walk. Staff know that they can adjust their working hours and take exercise during the day if they want, or manage other aspects of their personal lives.
A guiding principle for us is trusting the commitment and professionalism of our team to do the right thing. The relationship between our staff and the charity is grounded in a shared sense of what we are trying to achieve. The team understand what work they need to do and the hours needed to do this well. Sometimes this can mean long or antisocial hours – such as when an emergency strikes London. At others there is more flexibility.
We hope we get this balance right – trying to meet the needs of the charities and others we help in London. This way, we can be a thoughtful and considerate employer and ensure we are living true to our values. We know that it is something we have to keep on top of. And like many small charities, our formal contractual arrangements do not always keep up with our practices. We hope to address this in 2024 as we keep trying to improve.
We hope you have a lovely break. See you in the new year!
Sincerely,
The London Plus team.
Need support?
There are many charities out there that need to stay open all year-round. In fact, the festive period can be one of the busiest times of the year! If you need extra support over Christmas, here are some organisations that could help with specific issues:
- Crisis [homelessness]
- Trussell Trust [find a foodbank]
- Refuge [domestic violence]
- Samaritans [mental health]
- London Plus [cost of living]
