Our benefits and rewards

The National Archives is part of the civil service and offers the many advantages of civil service employment, such as opportunities for flexible working and generous annual leave.

Because our staff are important to us, we offer the following:

  • maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 3 weeks full pay (provided eligibility criteria are met)
  • training and career development
  • regular performance reviews
  • individual development plans
  • staff forums and green committee

It’s not all about the work that you do – your health and wellbeing matters to us too. We run regular wellbeing initiatives and offer an Employee Assistance Programme and an eye care voucher scheme.

We also have a sports and social club, which is part of the wider Civil Service Sports and Social Club. Your subscriptions fund many activities including yoga, our on-site gym, shower facilities, and staff bar (Friday evenings) as well as social evenings like our popular quiz nights.

In addition to the above, we also offer a great range of benefits, outlined below.

Financial

  • choice of occupational defined benefit pension or stakeholder pension

Annual leave

  • minimum of 22 days annual leave – rising to 25 days after 1 year, and incrementally to a maximum of 30 days after six years’ service
  • an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays

Travelling to work

  • covered bicycle shed on-site
  • bicycle loans
  • interest-free annual season ticket loans
  • on-site car park (limited spaces available on an application basis)

Discounts and subsidies

  • subsidised staff restaurant
  • subsidised coffee bar
  • discount in The National Archives bookshop
  • free admission to many museum and gallery exhibitions, including the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum, Hampton Court, the National Gallery, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum
  • free admission to Kew Gardens