Our culture
At GCHQ we have a strong community spirit, supporting each other so that everyone has the opportunity to thrive and play their part in keeping the nation safe
One of the greatest things about working at GCHQ is knowing that your contribution is helping to keep the nation safe. Every person at GCHQ is empowered to challenge, support each other and to question existing thinking and spark innovation. Everyone, from our Project Managers and Personal Assistants to our Intelligence Analysts and Cryptographers, plays their part in our nation's security.
Our Community
We're strongest when we pull together and community spirit is something we have in spades. Our people go out of their way to help and support each other and bring great curiosity into everything we do. We apply that curiosity to our own personal development and the development of others. We take great pride in helping others reach their full potential.
There are many different ways the people of GCHQ come together as a community. We have a thriving collection of affinity networks where people from our underrepresented communities come together to share cultural insights and host social events. These networks also offer friendship, support and are passionate about championing an inclusive environment where all can thrive.
We also have a variety of hobby and sports groups. There are running, climbing, cycling and kayaking clubs to name a few and many of our people participate in international sporting competitions in their spare time. We have groups meeting for board gaming, chess, crosswords and pub quizzes. And for those with a creative flair there are photography and writing groups, cross stitch and knitting clubs, we even have a choir and band.
The GCHQ community stretches right across the country and around the world. From Cornwall to Yorkshire, from Manchester to London and overseas. But for us, community doesn't just exist within our office walls but includes our families, our friends and the villages, towns and cities we live and work in.
You will find our people out and about in their local communities, standing as councillors, acting as school governors, repairing local amenities, creating community gardens or volunteering in care homes. They also take part in rafts of fundraising events, from charity cake sales to sponsored runs.
An environment where people can thrive
GCHQ believes it should do everything it can to support this great community. Work-life balance is important to us, our flexible working patterns and part time opportunities are designed to help work fit in alongside our personal lives. We also have great parental and carer policies designed to help our staff get the best of both worlds.
The wellbeing of our workforce is paramount and we have a variety of services which help to make sure our people are healthy and happy. Our Disability and Neurodiversity Team, alongside Occupational Health, offer assessments and workplace adjustments for all people with disabilities, health conditions and cognitive processing differences to minimise barriers to work. Several of our locations also have onsite gyms.
We also have an Employee Assistance team who offer counselling and behavioural therapies as well as running mindfulness, meditation and guided breathing sessions to help everyone take care of their mental wellbeing. Our trained network of Mental Health First Aiders also offer a listening service.
Corporate social responsibility is something we take seriously and we support our workforce to contribute to their local communities. All our staff are given six volunteering days a year to spend volunteering for good causes. We also host community days, inviting local charities and organisations in to share the great work they do and scout for volunteers or mentors.