The Lexmark UK office at Foundation Park is a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient smart building with a Very Good rating by Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and high Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). For example, to conserve energy, the office lights are all activated via motion sensors and automatically go off if there is no one in that part of the office. We also have a culture of diligently recycling our office waste, with recycling bins throughout the office, and using refillable drinking bottles to encourage plastic bottle waste reduction.
Our Flex@Lexmark programme, which enables our employees to have a more flexible and location-independent work schedule, and technology adoption (e.g., videoconferencing vs. business travel and in-person meetings) has helped conserve energy and water at our facility as well as reduce emissions from business travel and commuting.
We are also taking part in combating deforestation and offsetting CO2 emissions through the Fruitful Office. Each week, we receive a basket of various fruits, which are free for anyone at the office to eat. Fruitful Office collaborates with the UK charity Ripple Africa to plant a fruit tree in Malawi for every basket/box delivered to Lexmark UK. Ripple Africa, one of the largest and most successful tree-planting projects in Malawi, provides a long-term solution to combat deforestation in Africa as well as carrying out large-scale environmental projects and small-scale initiatives in the fields of education and health.
Fruits are sourced in the UK and Western Europe to help support UK producers and minimise fuel emissions from long-haul transportation. The fruits are also packaged in an eco-friendly manner—100% compostable or recyclable and plastic-free.
With growing anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues exacerbated by current events, some of our UK Management Team and several other employees have been trained as Mental Health First Aiders, with the aim of ensuring they are equipped with the tools to identify someone who is struggling, have conversations with them and signpost them for support. An Employee Assistance Programme is also available, which provides all UK employees with 24/7 telephone support, including counselling.
Our UK team has launched various health, safety and well-being activities. Wellness Wednesday emails are sent out to encourage employees, especially with a hybrid, location-independent work setup, to focus on self-care, such as taking breaks and leisurely walks, gardening and being in touch with wildlife, staying active and eating healthy, taking care of pets, or simply, slowing down. More health and safety training is also planned for the coming year.
Six members of the Lexmark Global Alliance of LGBTQ+ Employees (GALE) EMEA from the UK and Geneva marched in the Pride in London Parade in July 2023. The parade started at the Hyde Park Corner and finished at the Whitehall Place. Over 600 LGBT+ community groups, with 30,000 participants, joined the parade.
Each year, the Lexmark UK office selects a local charity to support. Pre-pandemic, we aimed to do one physical challenge event per year to help raise money and awareness for the charity as well as build us up as a team.
In 2023, there were 19 participants from the Lexmark UK office, representing almost all departments, who took part in the challenge in the beautiful Peak District, near Leek in Staffordshire. The challenge was made up of a 32-km hike, a canoe across Tittesworth Reservoir, and abseiling down some of the sheer cliff faces found in the Roaches. They raised £6,100 (around $7,700 USD) for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. Although none of the distances were huge, the ability and fitness within the team were quite broad, and for a few people, it was a significant mental challenge to even take part. Nevertheless, they all finished (in one piece!), and there was a great sense of pride in doing so. There were undoubtedly a few aching muscles the next day, but nearly everyone has put their hand up to sign up for the next one.
GALE UK set up a rainbow table at the office where Lexmarkers shared canned goods and other food items. The collected food was donated to those affected by the cost-of-living crisis and food poverty through Foodshare, an organisation serving the Maidenhead community by providing food support to nearly 450 people weekly since 2011.
Lexmark UK designated September as its Cancer Awareness Month. This year, the team hosted various activities such as quizzes, coffee mornings, bake sales, awareness promotion/campaigns, and donations to cancer charities.
Lexmark sponsored the Tour D’Alliance, an annual charity cycle event by our partner Alliance Healthcare. Two Alliance Healthcare teams covered over 1,000 km across the UK in just four days, from June 15 to 18, 2022. The event raised more than £40,000 for two charities, Vitamin Angels UK and Theodora Children’s Charity, both are focused on the health and well-being of children in the UK and across the world. Funds raised can help fight malnutrition by providing nutritious foods to twelve nurseries across the country.
Being a long-time partner of the Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, Lexmark sponsored the Liverpool Women’s Hospital Staff Excellence Awards, on June 30, 2022, celebrating staff achievements.
Lexmark was one of the original sponsors for the Unsung Hero Awards, the only national awards for non-medical/non-clinical NHS staff and volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty. In 2021, we were the IT & Digital 2021 Online Category Sponsor, and we presented the award at the ceremony.
Lexmark was recognised at the Technology Reseller Awards 2023 for our sustainability efforts, highlighting our carbon neutrality goal by 2035 and our progress in reducing our emissions over the years. Also highlighted were our zero-to-landfill policy, our EcoVadis Platinum rating, our recognition from Quocirca as a Sustainable Leader in 2022, and our incorporation of sustainability into our products.
Lexmark UK has been shortlisted for the Stock in the Channel Awards 2023 in the Vendor of the Year category in Printer Consumables. This data-driven nomination reflects the team's hard work in building strong relations and creating solutions for every business.
Lexmark has been awarded the A4 Printer/MFP Vendor of the Year in the 2023 PrintIT Awards.
Lexmark UK’s Dwayne Cowas has been awarded Account Manager of the Year in the 2023 PrintIT Awards. Dwayne is an experienced account manager with 30 years of experience in the industry. He uses his depth of expertise to support Lexmark customers, offering the insight and guidance that nurture lifelong customer partnerships.
