Lothian Buses has received the Gold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Award from the Ministry of Defence for its support of the armed forces.
The scheme was set up to encourage employees to support the forces. The “Gold” award recognises organisations who have signed Armed Forces Covenant and have endorsed a positive cultural environment.
In Lothian’s case, the award was partly in recognition of its employment of many individuals who are reserves or ex-forces personnel. It also has established policies and procedures to support these employees.
The Edinburgh-based operator was awarded silver in 2018 and was named Employer of the Year at the 2021 Scottish Veteran Awards.
Sarah Boyd, Managing Director for Lothian, says: “I’m thrilled that Lothian have received the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, the highest badge of honour available. We are very proud that a number of our people from across the Lothian business have either served in the armed forces or currently serve as reservists.
“As a business, we continue to take steps to improve our offering of support to these employees. We look forward to further developing our partnership with the Armed Forces Covenant and continuing to strengthen our commitment to the wider armed forces community.”
Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, adds: “I would like to thank all the organisations that have been recognised in this year’s awards. I’m delighted that we have seen so many organisations recognised with a gold award. Their continued support demonstrates the unique benefits and strengths that our armed forces community can bring to the workplace.”
