The Armed Forces Covenant

Proudly supporting those who serve.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a commitment made by organisations across the UK to ensure that no member of the Armed Forces or their families are ever disadvantaged by their service.

Those who serve in our Forces make huge sacrifices for the defence of our nation and deserve respect, support and fair treatment in all aspects of their lives.

Employers that sign the Covenant are making a public declaration that they recognise the contribution members of the Regular and Reserve Forces, plus Service-Leavers, Cadet Volunteers and Military families, make to our country.

It contains two key pledges:

That no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen.
That in some circumstances, special treatment may be appropriate, especially for the injured or bereaved.

Who can sign the Covenant?

The Covenant can be adopted by a business or organisation of any size, and from any industry.

Nationally, around 13,000 organisations have signed the Covenant, with businesses increasingly recognising the benefits members of the Armed Forces Community bring to their workforce.

In the East Midlands more than 1,100 organisations have signed up – ranging from small businesses, charities and sports clubs to large international corporations like Caterpillar BCP, who were the 1,000th signing in the region.

Why sign the Armed Forces Covenant?

The Armed Forces Community can contribute real value to a business, bringing a wealth of skills and experience.

Signing the Covenant shows that an organisation recognises this and gives you access to a range of support available for organisations looking to employ members of the Armed Forces Community.

When you sign up, you’ll be listed on a searchable register, held by the Government, which can be found here.

Those that sign the Covenant are also eligible to take part in the Employer Recognition Scheme, which acknowledge employers that provide exceptional support to the Armed Forces Community by going above and beyond their Covenant pledges.

What can we pledge?

While all copies of the Covenant commit to the two pledges above, the exact specifications of what this means, and the individual wording, can be tailored to your organisation.

You are free to specify – with as much or as little detail as you think necessary – how exactly you plan to support and uphold the Covenant.

The following list of options is included in the pledge document itself and you can select those that are appropriate for your organisation:

Friendly

Promoting the fact you are an Armed Forces-friendly organisation.

Inclusive

Seeking to support the employment of Service-Leavers, young and old.

Family

Striving to support the employment of Service spouses and partners.

Flexible

Endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment.

Members

Seeking to support employees who choose to be members of the Reserve Forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment where possible.

Local

Offering support to local Cadet units, either in the local community or in local schools, where possible.

Involved

Aiming to participate actively in Armed Forces Week.

Discount

Offering a discount to members of the Armed Forces Community.

How does my organisation sign the Covenant?

A template can be downloaded from the Armed Forces Covenant website here (see ‘Sign the Armed Forces Covenant and make your pledge’).

Once you have customised the template to your requirements, please send a copy to your East Midlands-based Defence Relationship Managers via em-empspasst@rfca.mod.uk.

More information can also be found on the Armed Forces Covenant website.

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