ARMED FORCES COVENANT
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
What is the Covenant?
The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives.
Its two principles are that those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
Armed Forces Covenant explainer video
Why We Signed
At Donut Pig Digital Marketing, we take immense pride in having signed the UK Armed Forces Covenant—a pledge that recognises and honours the dedicated men and women who serve or have served in the British Armed Forces, as well as their families. Our founder, Shaun, is a former Royal Air Force serviceman, and his passion for supporting the armed forces community has been woven into the very fabric of our company culture.
Under Shaun’s leadership, we’ve achieved the prestigious Gold Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Award, which is the highest accolade a business can receive for championing veterans, reservists, and their loved ones. We remain committed to promoting flexible working for reservists, actively recruiting former servicemen and women, and fostering a workplace where everyone’s unique experiences are valued.
Shaun regularly encourages other business owners to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and discover how service leavers, veterans, and reservists can bring invaluable skills—such as leadership, resilience, and teamwork—to any organisation. By embracing these talents, businesses across the UK can help ensure that members of our armed forces community are never overlooked, and that their dedication and expertise continue to be recognised and rewarded in civilian life
Be a Forces Friendly Employer
Reservists and veterans bring a variety of transferable skills and qualities to the civilian workplace, developed throughout their military careers.
These 3 short films below eloquently articulate the range of transferable skills that a career in the military provides and MOD wholeheartedly endorses the key message that companies of all shapes and sizes should consider the proven business benefits of hiring veterans.
They have been produced by Deloitte (one of the earliest signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and an Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award Winner) in collaboration with the Officers Association (a member of MOD’s Career Transition Partnership), Business in The Community and the Drive Project. It is important that whilst we continue to improve support for the minority of service leavers and their families who face challenges after leaving, we also recognise and celebrate that most veterans leave enriched by their service. Being flexible to the unique situations of the wider armed forces community ensures fair treatment to all who are involved, including the spouses and partners, and cadet force adult volunteers
Employer Recognition Scheme
The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) acknowledges employers who have provided exceptional support to the armed forces community and defence by going above and beyond their covenant pledges.
Through a 3 tier approach of bronze, silver and gold awards, the scheme recognises the different levels of commitment provided by employers. This allows the Ministry of Defence to publicly thank and honour those organisation for their support.
You can nominate yourself for a Bronze award, Silver and Gold awards are bestowed to organisations meeting specific criteria.