The payment technology company made the pledge as they
became a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, which
took place at an event in London yesterday.
The Armed Forces
Covenant is a promise from the nation to
ensure that the military community is treated fairly
and not disadvantaged by their service.
As part of their Covenant pledges, Mastercard will also
support employees who choose to join the reserves,
allowing staff the appropriate leave for reserve
training and deployment.
For those employees with spouses or partners in the
armed forces, Mastercard will also grant leave before,
during and after their deployment.
In 2012, Mastercard launched ‘SALUTE’ – a networking
group set up by employees with links to the military.
As part of their new commitment to the armed forces,
Mastercard will oversee the continued growth of the
group, which supports the transition of military and
ex-forces personnel into new civilian roles within the
organisation.
Minister for Defence People and Veterans said:
Having such a world-renowned organisation like
Mastercard as part of the Covenant family shows how
businesses across the UK are backing our armed
forces.
Mastercard’s commitments today will make a
significant difference for veterans looking to take
the next step in their career.
The signing took place at Mastercard’s offices in
Canary Wharf, and was attended by Defence Minister
.
The Armed Forces Covenant, which was established in
2011, now has over 3,000 signatories from a range of
public and private sector organisations. Support
services provided under the Covenant include education,
help starting a new career and facilitating
possibilities for reserve service.
Last week the Government published its
annual Armed Forces
Covenant Report, which sets out the Government’s
achievements in fulfilling its duty to ensure that the
military community is treated fairly.
Key accomplishments included:
- £23 million of Service Pupil Premium payments made
to support 76,000 service children in 10,000 primary
and secondary schools across England
- The launch of the Armed Forces Flexible Working
Act, enhancing service personnel’s ability to serve
part-time, should personal circumstances change
- Plans to launch the Defence Transition Policy
shortly, improving the holistic support available to
service personnel and their families when leaving the
services and returning to civilian life
- Over 3,000 businesses and organisations have now
signed the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging to support
and empower former and current service personnel and
their families
- The launch of the first UK-wide ‘Strategy for our
Veterans’, to improve the delivery of support to those
who have served
