Life at Secret Escapes
Take a look below to discover what it’s really like to work at Secret Escapes, from the parties we throw, our amazing office locations, and what our new joiners really think of their first few weeks here.
Our Networks
One of our company values is 'We are Good People' which is why we launched the Networks initiative at Secret Escapes. These Networks are first and foremost to create a safe space for people to share and support each other and secondly to highlight priority areas where we as a business can focus additional effort to create change. We currently have Networks in the following areas: LGBTQIA+, Women, Mental Health, Neurodiversity, and REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage).
Work From Anywhere
Over 60 Secret Escapers have already used this fantastic benefit to work remotely from some incredible destinations around the world. As a travel company that inspires the world to escape, we can’t think of anything better than seeing our talented employees exploring the globe while continuing to make stuff happen for the business. As part of this scheme, you can apply to travel anywhere you have a legal right to work for up to 30 days in a year. We have already seen people work remotely from India, Italy, South Africa, Germany, Thailand, Denmark, Curacao, Costa Rica and many more countries. Where would you go?
Flexible Working
We have a fantastic team here at Secret Escapes and we want to support them in achieving their full potential. We know how important it is to have the freedom to work flexibly around other commitments like appointments, check-ups, childcare, and to support your physical and mental health and wellbeing. We work core hours between 10 am to 4 pm and you can make up the rest of your time as and when it suits you. What’s more, we come into the office for a minimum of one day a week to get together and meet face to face leaving you with plenty of flexibility to work the rest of the week as it suits you and your team. Does this kind of flexible work environment sound like it would suit you?
Games
‘All work and no play’ is not a concept we promote! Ping Pong, table football and board game nights means there are lots of opportunities to take a break and have fun with your colleagues. We want our teams to have great working relationships, and what better way to build these than in our games room?
Farringdon and Leather Lane
The Secret Escapes London office is perfectly situated in Holborn and neighbours bustling Leather Lane and trendy Farringdon. Leather Lane is a busy market with a whole range of goodies, from burritos to curries, clothes and novelty goods. Who knows what you’ll bring back from your lunch break? A little further on, you’ll find Farringdon with bars, clubs, and lots to keep you entertained after a day’s work. We also have a partnership with Gymbox should you wish to get a sweat on!
Parties
Summer parties, Christmas parties, quarterly results celebrations and after work drinks at our Tiki Bar (don’t let the Tiki Bar sway you, too much…) adds up to plenty of partying. We love getting to know one another better, not to mention finding out who will bag the Best Dancer Award!
Tech Talent Charter
We are signatories of the Tech Talent Charter, a government-supported, industry-led membership group that brings together 700+ Signatory organisations and equips them with the networks and resources to drive their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. As Signatories, we can use the annual Diversity in Tech report to access data insights and benchmarking tools to help us understand Secret Escapes' position across a range of indicators in relation to DE&I.
Perks
There are many perks while working at Secret Escapes. If you fancy putting a bit of cash away for later, our pension scheme will help. We work hard, however, everyone is entitled to 25 days of holiday, so you can get out there and do whatever you love – rest, re-energise, rave. Our kitchens are also fully stocked with breakfast and lunch options, as well as the fizzy drinks fridges. You can also help yourself to alcoholic and non-alcoholic tipples to cheers to the end of the day with your colleagues. In addition, we like our staff to have a taste of the high life as our customers do, so make the most of the 20% staff discount when booking through the Secret Escapes website.
More Perks...
Each area of the office has the option of having music playing in the background, so whether it’s Celine Dion or Oasis you fancy, you have the chance to play DJ. You can also bring your hobbies to work, whether it's Bake-Off or Fantasy Football! Themed meeting rooms mean you could be overlooking the Eiffel Tower, be transported to a cosy ski lodge in Iceland (complete with fur rugs), or kicking back on our La-Z-Boy chairs in the USA.
We run weekly meditation sessions in our Quiet Room, celebrate annual events like Pancake Day and have had a visit from Paws in Work, plus many more!
Transport
We know, we know - not as exciting as all our perks and quirks, but it’s good stuff to know. HQ is based a very short walk from Chancery Lane tube, a 10-minute walk from Holborn, and a short bus ride from Waterloo. Farringdon station is also easily accessible, giving you lots of options to get to and from work.
Staff Awards
Staff awards and recognition are an important part of working at Secret Escapes. Our regular hero awards mean achievements and the completion of important projects don’t go unnoticed. These heroes are recognised at our company gatherings, like the end of quarter meetings and the Christmas party. Alongside these achievement awards, we also like to make sure we are having fun in the office and awards for the messiest desk, the most sporty or best dressed person etc, are also up for grabs.
Employee Blog
Meet the Execs: Charlotte Horne, Group Legal Director
We are thrilled to welcome Charlotte Horne, Group Legal Director, to our Leadership team at Secret Escapes. Charlotte brings with her 11 years of experience within the legal world having previously worked as a corporate and commercial lawyer at a London-based law firm. We sat down to find out a little more about life for Charlotte both inside and outside of SE.
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