Coronavirus information

The Covid-19 outbreak has affected everyone in the UK as we’ve had to adapt to the new normal. At Royal London, we believe it’s brought out the best in our people. We’ve been looking out for each other, for our network of advisers, for our members and customers, and for our communities ­­– locally and nationwide. Here are just some of our stories.

CAPTION: Looking out for each other

When Royal London went into lockdown, 98% of our people were working from home within six days, making sure we could keep service levels at high standards.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: Collaboration in our team is excellent and we have willingly helped other teams regularly over the past few weeks when they are lower on resources.

Working from home helped bring us closer together and meant juggling much more than the normal day job for some of our colleagues.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: We seem to be sharing more of our lives with each other. It’s great to see people’s loved ones in the background and learn about ourselves.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: Everyone has been great about understanding I have a young child at home so I can't work a strict 9-5 and she loves to pop up on video calls!

But not all roles can be done at home, meaning some colleagues needed to work in the office to keep our services running.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: Hi my name’s Luke and I’m one of the team managers in our Customer Relations department. Fortunately we have had a brave individual, Vicky, on my team who has agreed to go into the office and facilitate all of our customers’ requests. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without her, so I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you Vicky – you’ve done a great job.

Recognising the importance of mental as well as physical wellbeing has been key in helping all of our people work through the pandemic.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: I’m consciously continuing to check in with friends regularly to ask how they’re feeling, as well as sharing how I’m feeling.

CAPTION: Looking out for our network

Our network of advisers are on the front line, working with members and customers to secure their financial wellbeing, so it’s been crucial that we give them all the support they need.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: Just had feedback from an adviser to say that as a result of the positive experience he’s had with us, he’s recommended us to another of his branches. This is in despite of a competitor offering cheaper terms.

ADVISER QUOTE: You’re making a massive difference to us and our clients and it’s much appreciated. It’s just remembering we’re all in this together and we know who are those who stand up to the plate! Tough times don’t last… tough teams do.

CAPTION: Looking out for our members and customers

Members and customers are at the heart of everything we do at Royal London. So we made sure that, in a time of huge uncertainty, we provided a level of service they could rely upon.

CAPTION: Key projects that have impacted Royal London customers

• 98% of our people working from home within six days
• The whole business was fully operational when competitors were still finding ways to get back to business as usual
• Changes made to some policies to allow for payment holidays
• Payments being made by bank transfer instead of cheques in the post
• Customer service teams calling vulnerable customers to check on their welfare
• Covid19 support tool for our call consultants to use with customers who may be experiencing difficulties (financial or otherwise)

With so many conflicting opinions during the crisis, we’ve reached out to members with a clear voice in order to provide information they can trust.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: Today I’ve been recording a podcast aimed at helping parents and prospective parents plan their finances around having children.

CAPTION: Information on our website to help members and customers cope: www.royallondon.com/coronavirus

CAPTION: Looking out for our communities

As local communities felt the pressure under lockdown, our colleagues have given their support and time to help the most vulnerable.

EMPLOYEE QUOTE: When the first hints emerged that we’d be facing these stay-at-home measures, I noticed that someone had set up a Facebook group looking for local volunteers to help vulnerable people in Porty. My wife, Fiona, and I joined the group and subsequently set up a WhatsApp group for the volunteers who had shown an interest in helping out.

CAPTION: Looking out for everyone

We signed up to the C-19 Business Pledge and looked for ways to support charities and good causes on a nationwide level.

CAPTION: We donated £400,000 to the National Emergencies Trust, which is coordinating the national response to coronavirus, ensuring that the right people get vital support quickly.

We also continued to look at other ways of supporting our charity partners through virtual lunch n’ learns, fundraisers and creating a virtual and remote volunteering model.

CHARITY QUOTE: Words sometimes fail me and this is one of those times. We are totally blown away by your incredibly generous donation and can’t thank you enough. This truly means the world to us as such a small charity… so your incredible donation means more than any words could ever express.

These are just some of the stories from Royal London that show how we’ve all come together during the outbreak. We’re always proud of our people, but particularly during these incredibly difficult circumstances. They’ve supported each other, shown determination to deliver the best service and outcomes for our members, customers and advisers, and played their part in wider society. Thank you to each and every one of them.