Bank of Ireland partners with Family Carers Ireland to support colleagues in a caring role

 

 

• 14% of Bank of Ireland Group’s workforce, identify as carers
• Partnership with Family Carers Ireland to provide supports and promote ongoing visibility of colleagues who are carers

Bank of Ireland has announced a new partnership with Family Carers Ireland to provide supports and resources for colleagues in Ireland and the UK who are balancing their jobs with caring responsibilities at home. The partnership will help support those families and parents among Bank of Ireland Group’s 9,000+ colleagues who are in a caring role, currently representing 14% of the workforce.

The partnership will provide information, tools and supports to colleagues, with guidance and training also provided to managers on how to support their teams with parenting and caring responsibilities.

Kate Butler, Group Inclusion & Diversity Lead, Bank of Ireland said: “As a leading employer with a large workforce of over 9,000 colleagues, we recognise our responsibility to ensure that all sections of society are represented and supported in their careers at Bank of Ireland. While we estimate over 50% are working parents, among that there is a significant proportion of colleagues who are also carers. We are very aware of the additional considerable challenges that they can face.”

“We are therefore delighted to collaborate with Family Carers Ireland to deliver ongoing supports and activities to ensure that members of our team, who are also in caring roles at home, are visible and receive the supports they need to thrive and advance their careers at Bank of Ireland. We are also proud to have had a dedicated Family Network since 2017, made up of colleagues passionate about making Bank of Ireland an inclusive place to work for those who balance caring with a career.”

The Family Network provides support, guidance and resources to help balance parenting and caring responsibilities to Bank of Ireland colleagues. Regular events and panel discussions, bespoke training and internal articles are available to colleagues.

Bank of Ireland has a range of colleague supports and policies in place, including access to Carers Leave, as part of its Family Matters policies. To ensure visibility for carers in the colleague community, the Bank also tracks how carers feel about the company on an annual basis through its sentiment survey and encourages colleagues to self-declare as carers.

Bank of Ireland colleagues in need of support can contact people managers confidentially or access the Bank’s Family Matters Hub or Wellbeing App. They can also avail of the Group’s Employee Assistance Programme, Here for you 24/7 which provides counselling and information services.