Personnel Today Awards 2021 winners: ‘Radical’ partnership scoops top prize for Wickes and Peppy

An innovative benefits programme that supports employees with menopause, fertility and early motherhood was crowned overall winner at this year’s Personnel Today Awards.

Peppy’s partnership with DIY retailer Wickes was hailed by judges for “radically shifting the gender balance” at the once male-dominated company, and an impressive example of a major employer investing in benefits as part of its wider inclusion efforts.

The Personnel Today Awards returned to London’s Grosvenor House Hotel for the first time since 2019, after hosting a virtual ceremony in 2020 because of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Almost 800 attended the glittering ceremony, which was hosted by comedian Russell Kane, who has appeared on shows such as Live at the Apollo and Celebrity Juice.

Personnel Today’s editorial director Rob Moss told the audience how the pandemic had knocked the world of work “sideways”, and praised the profession for its resilience and imagination in helping employees to work in new ways.

He said: “It’s been a tumultuous 18 months for anyone in HR, and the quality of this year’s finalists is testament to how innovative the function can be, and how central it is to keeping organisations running smoothly.”

“Congratulations not just to the winners but to all our finalists. It’s been terrific to be back together to celebrate the profession in person.”

HR Team of the Year, presented by headline awards sponsor PeopleScout, went to Pets at Home Group. The company has undergone a significant business transformation and restructure that combined its retail and veterinary operations, with HR leading this change.

Ruth Busby of Great Western Railway was presented with the HR Director of the Year award. Judges were impressed with how she had increased visibility of senior leaders and levels of reassurance during a period in which the railways were under severe threat from the pandemic.

This year Personnel Today launched the People and Purpose Award for the first time, and this went to waste management company Biffa for an initiative that helped colleagues to see the link between their everyday roles and the broader environmental goals of the business.

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme won an award for the second year, taking home the award for Family Friendly Employer of the Year.