Warwickshire News Mine

Now in its fifth year, the event, held at previous award winners the Hilton Hotel in Warwick, celebrates the achievement of organisations who excel in looking after their staff with exceptional work-life balance policies and practices.

This includes offering benefits to staff such as flexible working, remote working, incentives to return to work after maternity leave and much more.

Merle Bayliss from Warwickshire County Council, who works with employers to develop work-life balance policies and who organised the Employer of Choice Awards, said: “These practices are all recognised in increasing business productivity and in-turn the competitiveness of Warwickshire businesses. For example, remote working helps reduce transport congestion and pollution, as well as improving workforce health.”

“Work-life balance is now a key component for running a successful business with benefits such as increased profit directly related to reduced recruitment costs.  The awards are a real success in highlighting organisations that have developed policies to support their staff and are now reaping the benefits”

The awards reward all sizes of business in Warwickshire as part of the County Council’s initiative to raise the profile of Work-Life Balance policies - from small companies that employ less than 10 people up to corporate companies employing many thousands of employees.

Previous winners of the awards have found themselves to be in an excellent position where they are regarded as a top employer as well as benefiting from having a happy and dedicated workforce.

Winners from this year are;
Small Employer Award - BD Commercial Services, Rugby
Medium Employer Award - Education for Health, Warwick
Large Employer Award - ConocoPhillips Ltd, Warwick
Corporate Employer Award -  The Myriad Childrenswear Group,
Nuneaton

Alumet based in Southam, Domestic & General Plc of Bedworth, and Hair Management of Warwick were all Highly Commended. Further Special Achievement Awards went to Nuneaton & Bedworth CAB, Tollbar Volvo based in Warwick, Blitz Games of Leamington Spa and Dairy Crest based in Nuneaton.

The awards are supported by EQUAL, ‘Adjust the Balance’ Development Partnership, which aims to influence work-life balance policies throughout the region and set an example at a national and international level.

Chair of Warwickshire County Council Councillor Chris Davis presented the awards, while Bruce Draper, the winner of Britain’s best boss and previous winner of the awards was guest speaker.  The master of ceremonies for the evening was John Deegan, Director of the Environment & Economy Directorate for Warwickshire County Council.

John Deegan said: “The awards are really going from strength to strength and this year is even more competitive than last year. It’s a real pleasure to see the excellent practices winning businesses have adopted and how they help business profitability as well as the workforce”

For further details on the awards, including winning policies and practices that the top businesses in Warwickshire use, see http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/eoc or contact Merle Bayliss, Work Life Balance Advisor on 01926 412738.

Link to WCC