FEATURE
Support team- John O’ Sullivan( left) and Peter Loughran are part of CF’ s Inclusion Resource Group volunteering sub-committee.
We also invest heavily in personal and professional development, with a comprehensive programme to support individual Learning & Development goals. All employees can access CF’ s Core Curriculum, which includes leadership training, LinkedIn Learning and our educational assistance programme if they’ re studying. In a business like ours, up-to-date competence-based training is imperative and that’ s why we’ ve appointed a training supervisor within the last year.
We continue to develop talent through apprenticeships in partnership with Middlesbrough College / TTE. We’ ve recently offered three newly qualified apprentices technician roles and our efforts have been recognised in winning the Tees Business Training & Apprenticeships and NEPIC Apprentice Employer of the Year awards in 2026.
Wellbeing: blending data and a human approach To support the physical, mental, social and financial wellbeing of our people, we’ re leaning into data-driven insight from our site score card. This global CF metric allows us to evaluate our performance across all four pillars, focusing the decisionmaking of both HR and our Wellbeing Committee. Headed up by our Wellbeing Champions, our goal is that this newly trained group of wellbeing advocates help us reach all corners of the business, bridging the gap between their colleagues, HR and mental health first aiders.
Winners- the CF team after receiving the Best Place To Work prize at the North East Business Awards.
Benefits: support for every eventuality With a diverse employee demographic, we’ ve shaped a benefits portfolio to support people’ s physical health with a focus on preventive care. The launch of Bluecrest health assessments in April 2025 was central to this. There was a phenomenal take up and they’ re rolling out again now. We also changed our occupational health provision and more recently launched Hinge Health globally, which focuses on musculo-skeletal health, along with Espresa, a wellbeing rewards platform.
Sitting alongside these are Bupa Medical, Bupa Dental, Unum Help @ Hand and our EAP, ensuring employees and their families can access immediate care and support to meet their physical and mental health needs.
Additionally, we have workplace pension and income protection schemes, a Volunteering Time Off programme and flexible working schemes. For our management and professional staff, our new nine-day fortnight stems from employee feedback requesting more flexibility. This compliments flexible working arrangements already in place for operators and technicians.
Reward & Recognition: celebrating success, big and small Reward & Recognition isn’ t just about building our employer brand- it’ s about doing the right thing for our people. We talk about being seen and heard as important cultural markers, but so too is being valued. Our new Epic recognition platform allows us to do just this, with almost 90 % of employees activating their easy-touse account since March. People earn recognition and points, which have a cash value, three ways. The first is Social peer recognition; no points and it’ s also for birthdays, work anniversaries and long service. The second is Points, awarded by managers across their team and others, whilst the third is Boost, again for managers to boost anyone’ s existing points.
Another internal recognition tool is our employee Annual Awards night. Now in its third year, the award categories link closely to our values and Epic pillars of excellence, perseverance, integrity and collaboration. Nominations are from employees who also vote for the Unsung Hero winner, revealing true camaraderie and connection.
We’ re also proactive in nominating colleagues for external awards. From leaders to apprentices, HR to digital, this recognition is another way to shine a light on both our talent and CF.
By signalling its commitment to employees in the way it has, CF has deservedly earned their effort, trust and loyalty. But Jo knows that to hire, develop and retain winning talent, they can’ t stand still.
She adds:“ It makes me proud to hear people comment on how much we offer through our EVP. Winning last year’ s North East Business Awards Best Place to Work award was testament to the hard work of a lot of people here and we’ ll continue to review and add value where it’ s needed and matters most.”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 45