Benefits of working at Forestry England

As a vibrant organisation with highly talented staff, we work to improve people’s lives through the many benefits that woods and forests provide. We also believe in rewarding our people by providing them with an excellent benefits package.

Annual leave

The annual leave entitlement for full time staff is 25 days, pro rata for those who work part time. Your annual entitlement will rise to 30 days after you have been with us for 5 years. We also offer staff the opportunity to buy up to an extra five days annual leave or sell up to two days.

Pension

We are part of the Civil Service pension arrangements. For new staff, there are two pension schemes to choose from, giving you flexibility to suit your needs. The two schemes are:

• Alpha – This is a defined benefit pension scheme. Details on the contribution rates can be found on the Civil Service pension scheme website. We will also make contributions on your behalf.
• Partnership pension account – This is a stakeholder pension (a type of personal pension) to which you can choose to contribute. We will pay contributions into your pension fund whether you choose to or not, and these funds will be invested for you by your chosen provider.

You can find more information about our pension schemes on the Civil Service Pensions website.

Flexible working

We that understand allowing our staff to work flexibly can provide a range of benefits, which is why we do all we can to help you find the right work-life balance. We offer flexible working options depending on your circumstances and needs. These include the potential for part-time working, job sharing, home working, annualised hours and a compressed working week.

Family-friendly benefits

We recognise that life isn’t all about work. We offer maternity, adoption and shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid. We offer paternity leave at two weeks full pay. 

We also operate a career break scheme for staff who, for example, wish to spend more time with their family or take a long trip overseas.

Salary advances

If you would like assistance with purchasing a season ticket for public transport, sports/health club membership or IT equipment, we can provide an advance of salary. Repayments are made through payroll over 12 or 36 months.

Salary exchange benefits

By choosing to exchange a proportion of your salary for these benefits, you could save tax and National Insurance on their value. Current options include childcare vouchers and bicycles under the Cycle to Work scheme.

Employee Assistance Programme

Our Employee Assistance Programme is a free, confidential service that offers expert advice, information, specialist counselling, and support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Vacancies

So, if you’d like to work at an exciting organisation that truly cares about its people, take a look at our vacancies which can be found on Civil Service jobs. Just enter “Forestry Commission” in the Organisation search box.

If you’d like more information about working in the wider Civil Service, why not have a browse of the Civil Service careers website? The perfect opportunity could be just around the corner!