We believe that the value of a business lies in its values as a business, and that’s why we’re committed to doing good things with and for the people around us.
Above and beyond a CSR initiative or one-off promise, a company should stand for something and live by it; building it into the fabric of its day-to-day actions. That’s what the TeamEV Charter is all about; from diversity and inclusion to charitable commitments, this is how we drive change in everything we do.
Putting pledges against this policy means that we can hold both ourselves, and each other, to account. The TeamEV Charter is about creating, protecting, and extending lasting opportunities, that incite change from today and every day thereafter.
Attracting and retaining talent
We’re an agency for a modern workforce // We embrace the power of our differences
PR is an industry that seriously lacks diversity, so we’re on a mission to change that: both within the EAST VILLAGE virtual walls and beyond. We want to be a business, within an industry, as part of a wider society, that’s truly representative of the world we live in. From working to remove bias from our recruitment process and ensuring transparency when it comes to salaries and progression; and doing what we can to build our EV. Grow Your Own Scheme: we’re committed to leading by example.
We commit to:
- Remaining an accredited National Living Wage employer
- Ensuring that we never have ethnicity or gender pay gaps
- Having transparent salaries and progression pathways
- Using a transparent recruitment process
- Always replying to potential applicants, be that work experience requests or job vacancies
- Continuing to grow our Grow Your Own scheme
Ensuring we’re all happy and healthy
We put people first. Always.
In fast-paced agency life, we understand the pressures of juggling multiple clients and projects. That’s why we support our team to make mental health, physical health, and wellbeing a priority; as well as offering ample amounts of holiday to ensure they get proper rest.
We commit to:
- Free access to mental health therapy and professional support
- Offering subsidised healthcare and insurance policies for our people and their families
- All members of SLT being Mental Health First Aid trained
- At least 50% of TeamEV being First Aid trained
- Offering above-average holiday allowance, including a day off for your Birthday
- Sending regular anonymous engagement surveys giving everyone the chance to have their say
Supporting the community around us
We work hard and with purpose.
Charity is about more than a one-off good deed; it’s a commitment to helping those who need it most, when they need it most. Not only do we actively encourage TeamEV to advocate for, volunteer with, and donate to charities that they are passionate about – we create the space and time on our client list for causes that need PR and communications services, in order to reach new audiences and amplify their message. This isn’t about a company-wide volunteering day or set of CSR tick-boxes, it runs through the DNA of EAST VILLAGE.
We commit to:
- A collective 50 days of volunteering time each year
- Providing pro bono support for community projects and founders from underserved communities through the spark. programme
- One whole team day of volunteering per year
- At least four talks at schools, colleges, or universities each year, working with local institutions and charity WorKingOptions
Holding ourselves and others to account
If we don’t believe it, we don’t sell it.
We recognise that we have a commitment to ensuring that the businesses – and the owners behind them – that we work with reflect the same values that we do. We know that this is about learning as much as it is about leading, but we aim to ensure that, to the best of our knowledge, the brands we align ourselves with reflect our own policies and promises; that we’re working with conscientious clients, who focus on diversity and inclusion, and give back to their communities.
We commit to:
- Reporting on our TeamEV pledges every year, providing an update on what’s been achieved
- Holding bi-annual DE&I training sessions for the whole of TeamEV
- Having a client charter that we issue to everyone we work with, to ensure they are upholding the TeamEV values
- Proactively seeking out diverse and underrepresented clients, using our due-diligence checker as a means to test
- Aspiring to enter our B Corp application for consideration in 2024
Protecting and supporting our people
We’ve always got your back.
We know that our people are our greatest asset, so we do all we can to ensure that every member of EAST VILLAGE. feels seen, supported, and secure. To make life easier for #TeamEV, we offer everyone additional funds each month on top of their salaries in the form of Juno Points, which they are free to spend on the things that are important to them – from childcare or train passes; through to special treats like massages or days out. We also make sure our policies protect our people and support their Life Goals, to make sure work works for them.
We commit to:
- Providing added financial incentives through Juno Points for the team to spend on the things that matter most
- Life skills training opportunities, to encourage personal development outside of work; including financial literacy and wellbeing education
- Providing access to our internal training platform, EV. Shorts, which includes includes videos and guides on topics beyond the 9-5, including grief and loss
- Enhanced policies to support TeamEV in achieving Life Goals, including menopause and baby loss policies. We also offer policies around pregnancy, parenting and caring responsibilities far beyond statutory and irrespective of gender
- The Better Business Act