Warwickshire News Mine

More than 200 people, representing 48 businesses, attended the annual Employer of Choice Awards 2008.

And business from around Coventry and Warwickshire have clinched accolades at the awards, ranging from MIRA in Nuneaton, to ConocoPhillips Ltd in Warwick or Alumet Systems (UK) Ltd, based in Southam.

Now in its seventh year, the event, held at Dunchurch Park Hotel, publicly recognises and celebrates the achievement of organisations that have developed and offer exceptional work-life balance policies and practices to their staff.

This includes flexible working, remote working, incentives to return to work after maternity leave, and much more.

This year for the first time, Warwickshire County Council joined up with Coventry City Council to host the awards. This year also saw the launch of a new category to reward businesses for demonstrating that they care about their employees’ Health and Wellbeing.

Merle Bayliss from Warwickshire County Council, who organised the Employer of Choice Awards and who offers free advice to employers to develop their work-life balance policies, said: “The winners tonight are the best employers to work for in Coventry and Warwickshire, as they offer the most up to date policies and benefits for their staff.

“The awards give us a chance to celebrate the success of these organisations who understand the importance to the success of their business - particularly in the long term - of offering a range of flexible working opportunities and other benefits to their staff.

“Work-life balance is now high on the agenda for many employers as a way of working that gives staff the freedom to pursue activities and responsibilities outside work without impinging on work responsibilities and productivity.” 

The Employer of Choice 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.

Merle continued: “This year we’ve received great entries from many organisations which have not taken part in this event before – and the competition gets hotter.

“Previous winners are regarded as a top employer in the county which can make it easier to recruit and retain the staff they need.”

All winners of the awards are included within a profiles booklet, released after the awards ceremony, which details all the policies and practices the winning businesses have developed. The profiles booklet acts as a guide for any other employers looking to adopt work-life balance into their business.

Winners from this year are:

Small Employer Award Hair Management Salon Group, Warwick
Medium Employer Award Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs
Large Employer Award ConocoPhillips Ltd, Warwick
Corporate Employer Award Coventry Building Society, Coventry
Health & Wellbeing Award CSWP Ltd, Coventry

Further Highly Commended awards went to Hinckley Road Nursery, Coventry who achieved Highly Commended in the Small Employer category as well as a Special Achievement Award in the Health and Wellbeing category; Alumet Systems (UK) Ltd, based in Southam who achieved a Highly Commended in the Large Employer category; AXA UK from Coventry and MIRA Ltd from Nuneaton who jointly won Highly Commended in the Corporate category.

Jim Graham, Chief Executive of Warwickshire County Council and Bev Messinger, Acting Chief Executive of Coventry City Council presented the awards, while Sue Lyness of Lyness Accountancy Practice was guest speaker.

The master of ceremonies for the evening was Paul Galland, Director of the Environment & Economy Directorate for Warwickshire County Council.

Paul Galland 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