Employee benefits
Investing in you
Our colleagues are at the heart of our shared vision to build a better world for every child.
We believe that an engaged and healthy team is the foundation of a great workplace. We offer competitive pay, fantastic benefits, and essential wellbeing tools to help everyone contribute to our vital work—creating a brighter future for every child.
We also support personal and professional growth, with comprehensive learning opportunities to help you advance in your career.
All colleagues can access all core benefits, including a pension, life assurance, income protection and health cash plan.
In addition you can choose from a range of flexible benefits such as critical illness insurance, discount cards and cycle to work. Our flexible benefits allow you to choose a combination of benefits that are best suited to you.
Financial Benefits
Competitive pay and salary review
Our appointments are made in line with market data, ensuring you receive a salary that reflects the market rate for your role. We also conduct annual salary reviews every April to keep our pay competitive.
Health cash plan
Colleagues are able to claim money back on everyday health care such as dental, optical and physio costs.
You also have the flexible benefit option to upgrade your health cash plan to a higher level of cover for you and your family.
Pension
Eligible employees are auto-enrolled into our pension scheme after 3 months of service, with flexible contribution options for both UNICEF UK and colleagues.
Income protection insurance and life cover
Our income protection plan safeguards 50% of your salary for up to 5 years if you are incapacitated due to injury, accident, or illness after a 26-week absence period, subject to insurer approval. Life cover is valued at three times your annual salary and covers death in service.
Critical illness cover (flexible benefit)
Enjoy peace of mind with a tax-free lump sum payment if you’re diagnosed with a serious condition (within the cover’s terms).
Personal growth loans (flexible benefit)
From learning a language or playing an instrument, personal growth loans support your personal interests.
Payroll giving (flexible benefit)
You can make a difference by opting to reduce your salary (and therefore the taxable portion) to donate to your chosen charities.
Time Away & Flexibility
Holidays and time away from work
Our holiday year runs from January to December. Full-time employees start with 25 working days of leave, increasing to 30 days with service. You can flex four bank holidays to take at any time of the year to celebrate your own beliefs. All leave is calculated in hours and pro-rated for part-time employees and new starters.
We offer both paid and unpaid leave to accommodate any time you may need away from work.
Buy and sell holidays (flexible benefit)
You can buy or sell up to 5 days of annual leave each year and carry across up to 5 days into the next year.
Work flexibly and hybrid
We trust you to plan where and when you work, ensuring that you meet the needs of the organisation and your specific role.
Everyone has the right to request flexible working, regardless of length of service. We currently ask colleagues to come into the office a minimum of 1 day a week on average, although you can attend above this baseline as you wish.
Early Moments (maternity, adoption, paternity) leave
We are committed to inclusion. All employees who are pregnant, expecting a child but are not the pregnant parent, or adopting, can enjoy up to 52 weeks of Early Moments Leave (EML). If you meet service criteria, your EML will be paid as 26 weeks of full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay.
Antenatal classes
Our Baby Friendly Team offers antenatal classes for colleague and their partners who are expecting a baby.
Health and Wellbeing
Health and wellbeing support
For us to do our best work for children, we need to be well first. This is why we have a suite of support and resources dedicated exclusively to our wellbeing.
Our wellbeing helpline and portal offer:
- 24/7 Helpline: Instant access to qualified counsellors, with referrals for legal, financial, and career support.
- Counselling Sessions: Up to 12 sessions in 35+ languages using evidence-based approaches like CBT.
- Digital Wellbeing Platform: Includes lifestyle, fitness, nutrition resources, and a digital gym (live and on-demand).
Menopause support
You have access to a menopause plan that offers confidential personalised support for anyone going through the menopause or for those who are experiencing symptoms. It includes a consultation with a menopause trained GP and personalised clinical advice in managing symptoms.
Adult carer support
We recognise that you may need support to navigate care for loved ones. We partner with an organisation to support colleagues who are balancing their careers with caregiving responsibilities by offering personalised consultations, expert advice on care funding as well as emergency support for those critical moments.
Personal development and life planning
Personal growth loans (flexible benefit)
From learning a language or playing an instrument, personal growth loans support your personal interests.
Free will service
Through our partnership with Co-op Legal Services, you can use UNICEF UK’s will writing service for free. Prepare a simple single or mirror will to plan what happens to your estate after your lifetime.
Leisure and Lifestyle
Discount cards (flexible benefit)
Save big with discount cards that offer deals at over 6,000 restaurants and on cinema tickets.
Cycle scheme (flexible benefit)
Through our scheme, you can get a bike and safety equipment for a healthier, eco-friendly commute.
Discounted gym access (flexible benefit)
Choose a discounted gym membership on a flexible basis and pay directly with your chosen gym provider.
