R&M Williams Awarded MoD Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award 2026

R&M Williams has been awarded the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award 2026 in recognition of its support for the Armed Forces community.

The company is one of eight employers in Wales, and 162 across the UK, to receive the award this year. The Gold Award is the highest level of recognition available under the scheme and is presented to employers who employ and support serving personnel, Reservists, veterans and their families.

To achieve Gold Award status, employers must provide at least 10 days’ additional paid leave for Reservists each year, hold supportive HR policies for Reservists, service families, veterans and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, actively promote the Armed Forces Covenant and encourage others to support defence, and demonstrate long-term, proactive commitment that exceeds the scheme’s baseline requirements.

Martyn Osborne, Group Managing Director, said: “We employ over 150 people directly across South Wales and the Southwest and we have always taken the view that a good employer supports its people properly, whatever commitments they carry outside work. Recognition at this level tells us the approach is working. It also puts a responsibility on us to keep going and to encourage others in our industry to do the same.”

Freya Church, Head of Social Value, said: “The Armed Forces community brings skills and values that fit construction well. Discipline, teamwork, problem solving under pressure. This award recognises the policies we have put in place, but the real measure is the people we have brought into the business and the careers they have built here.”

Minister for Veterans and People, Calvin Bailey MBE MP, said: “For a veteran starting a new chapter, or a Reservist balancing two demanding roles, having an employer in your corner makes an enormous difference. These 162 organisations have gone out of their way to make veterans, Reservists and military families feel genuinely welcome and supported. I’m incredibly proud to recognise them today, and I hope their example inspires many more.”

Now in its twelfth year, the ERS Gold Award celebrates employers that embed forces-friendly policies, advocate for defence and create inclusive workplaces. This year’s recipients range across finance, manufacturing, healthcare, education, construction, transport, professional services, retail, emergency services and local government.

The other Welsh recipients for 2026 are Ollywood Ltd, Valley Veterans, Helix Operations Ltd, Platts Group, Powys Teaching Health Board, Powys County Council and KLA UK Corporation Limited.