Greene King to provide £5k to employees in need

The long-term scheme has been designed to help team members experiencing an unexpected life emergency like homelessness, loss of income due to sickness, relationship breakdown or bereavement, which could result in financial difficulties. 

The scheme will be managed independently by the Licensed Trade Charity on behalf of Greene King, where team members can access support through its helpline which is available 24/7. 

Greene King chief executive officer Nick Mackenzie said: “As a people business, we are continually striving for new ways to be a pillar for our team members.  It’s at the forefront of what we stand for, in the way we recruit and support our teams, promote inclusivity and provide great opportunities for career development.

Safety net

“But we recognise life can sometimes take us by surprise, in good ways and bad. So, this new scheme will be a safety net for team members knowing Greene King is there for them, if and when they need it most.” 

The scheme follows the success of two Covid emergency funds launched by the pub company and Licensed Trade Charity, which supported staff experiencing financial shortfall while furloughed with essential shopping and retail vouchers. 

A total of £1.1m was distributed through these schemes, funded from a combination of voluntary salary sacrifices from the Greene King executive board and leadership team and a company donation. 

'We care'

Licensed Trade Charity chief executive Jim Brewster said the organisation was happy to partner with Greene King to deliver the scheme. “We are proud of the range of services we offer to support licensed trade people; whatever life throws at them and to work with Greene King, an organisation whose value “We Care” is aligned with our own aims ‘to equip people to be self-reliant and achieve their personal best,” he said.  

Calls are confidential and will be answered by a trained expert from Care First, who will offer and guidance, and triage each circumstance against a set of criteria to see if the applicant is eligible for financial support. A formal application process will then follow to access the cash grant.