Welcome to our employee benefits page, where we've chosen a bundle of flexible benefits to not only save you time and money, but also help support your overall wellbeing and future aspirations. We believe in providing our people who support us to be the best we possibly can be with an excellent benefits package.
This package includes everything from a generous Local Government pension and flexible working, support for your health and wellbeing, salary sacrifice schemes, and high street discounts.
Your entitlement is between 23 and 29 days annual leave depending on your length of service. On top of this, you're also entitled to 10 additional days bank holiday and statutory days.
If you join us from another local authority or government body you may be entitled to retain your length of service and be entitled to a higher annual leave amount.
Our offices and depots close down for Christmas week, and work resumes in the new year. Although Brockhole remains open over Christmas week, it is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
You can buy up to two weeks of additional annual leave and pay it back over 12 months.
Paying into a pension scheme is a great way to save for you and your loved ones' future and we're proud to be part of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The LGPS is a salary-related, defined benefit scheme and will not be affected by stock market changes or performance of investments. You'll be automatically enrolled into the pension and we'll pay a significant employer contribution into it.
This secure pension is worked out every scheme year and takes into account the cost of living now and when you retire.
You can also increase your monthly pension contribution or chose to pay less, but still stay in the scheme.
We recognise the importance of training and developing staff whether this is to improve skills and knowledge, ensure legal compliance or supporting into higher roles. As well as providing a mandatory training package for everyone, there are opportunities to develop and progress your career or personal growth. Appraisals and one to ones are times to agree and discuss requests with your line manager.
All employees are given a thorough induction and on the job training as well as putting together an initial development plan with the line manager. Each post may also require additional mandatory training (such as chainsaw use or first aid).
We provide ongoing training and also support to attend away days and conferences so you'll be up to date with your industry and networking with fellow professionals.
Our e-learning platform has a large number of modules, which has been collated especially for all our national parks nationwide. Modules can be beneficial for professional and personal development.Internal recruitment
Posts may be advertised internally first to give existing employees the opportunity to apply for jobs.
We have provided financial assistance and time off for staff to take professional studies which are related to their role.
Internal secondments cover temporary or fixed term vacancies to give valuable opportunities for development and gaining experience. 'Acting up' can be applied if a staff member carries out duties and responsibilities at a higher grade, thus gaining experience as well as increase in salary.
Staff wellbeing is important to us and we have a range of benefits to support you, in and out of work.
Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is completely free and is designed to help you deal with any personal or professional problems. Telephone counselling or advice can be provided by fully qualified professionals who support you with any emotional, legal or even health related issues.
We have a number of staff who have volunteered as Mental Health First Aiders and are trained to spot the signs of mental ill-health and provide initial support to those who need assistance, in much the same way as physical first-aiders respond to injury or illness.
Save money and claim cashback to help pay for a wide range of essential healthcare - such as trips to the dentist, opticians or the physiotherapist.
We also pay for eye tests and have an occupational health provider who can provide medical and workplace assessments.
A healthy work-life balance is all about having quality time away from your job, so you can focus on your personal life. We're proud to provide a workplace with a range of flexible working options.
Flexible working options include reduced and compressed hours and can be temporary or permanent. Or you can change your start and finish times if you have other commitments. Many of our staff also enjoy hybrid working, so they can chose to balance working from home with our office bases in the Lake District. Whats more, you’ll be provided with a laptop to enable you to access our secure IT network when working remotely.
Our flexitime scheme enables you to accrue credit which can be taken as flexi leave for those unexpected appointments or to take time off at a later date.
We're committed to supporting our employees to volunteer and donate their time and skills within the community. If you wish to volunteer, you'll continue to be paid for up to three of your workdays per year. Our own Lake District Volunteers Service has a range of volunteering opportunities in the national park, so you could help maintain footpaths with Fix the Fells or join our team at Brockhole for the Halloween Spooktacular.
We have other paid and unpaid leave options in place to help, such as dependents leave, compassionate leave or time off for public duties.
It is important that our employees work in an environment where they are valued and where outstanding achievement and performance is recognised. Reward and recognition reinforces the Lake District National Park’s strategic vision by recognising contributions or behaviour that supports its goals and objectives.
As well as our annual staff conference, we have Team and Service away days in the national park.
Our Ranger-led Ways of Walking staff events are very popular. Staff can sign up to a guided walk, where one of our Area Rangers show and tell you about a land based project they've been working on in the national park.
Line managers often recognise individuals or the team's performance and values with gifts such as extra annual leave, gift cards or an afternoon tea in the Lakes.
Financial awards and honoraria can recognise outstanding performance, work on a project, going above and beyond or successfully passing a qualification.
As part of a celebration of time working with us, we gift all staff a financial payment to treat themselves.
All employees are given a parking permit for free parking in all Lake District National Park Authority car parks.
We're signed up to the Cycle to Work and Tuskers electric car salary sacrifice schemes. If staff chose to sign up, monthly repayments will be deducted directly from their gross pay, meaning that they'll benefit from paying less tax and NI.
All staff receive a 20% discount in the Brockhole visitor centre shop, Brockhole cafe and the Gaddum Restaurant.
Our employees are provided with access to benefits and savings on shopping, travel, entertainment and treats at a range of high street shops and businesses across the UK.
