Our new column, the HR Radar reports on how HR professionals manage legislation, deal with HR issues and apply latest thinking. In this latest edition, we ask three HR Directors which initiatives they use to improve work/life balance.
Steve Thompson, HR Director, Camelot Group
At Camelot we have created a culture based on high levels of performance from individuals, teams and the company as a whole – the results can be seen in the more than £18 billion which has been raised through sale of lottery tickets for good causes since 1994.
Camelot’s aim has always been to create a culture where employees feel valued, are passionate about what they do, are creative and highly motivated.
In a staff survey carried out at the end of 2005, more than two thirds of employees at Camelot agreed that their department actively encourages work life balance. Camelot has a track record of proven commitment to innovation and change and we continue to examine all areas of working practice as a company. We recently introduced a comprehensive list of flexible working practices as a result of pilots which identified the needs of managers and staff.
We have a great programme for staff volunteering where all employees are allocated, and encouraged, to take four hours a month to spend on voluntary work. Last year Camelot staff contributed 974 hours to the community through this scheme.
Last year also saw Camelot enter the Sunday Times Best 100 Companies To Work For for the first time and we also hold Investors in People accreditation.
If such a culture is ingrained in an organisation, as it is at Camelot, I believe staff will feel more able to manage their own workloads while maintaining the life they enjoy outside of work.
Susan Taylor, former Head of HR, Penguin Books Ltd
Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s annual reward conference, Susan Taylor explained the unique blend of work/life balance initiatives at work at this popular publishing house.
- Flexible and summer working – 30 days holiday: during the warmer months staff work longer hours Monday- Thursday in order to benefit from a shorter week finishing at Friday lunchtime.
- Family related benefits: 15 days are allocated each year for compassionate leave.
- Intranet information regarding weddings, sports, achievements etc: there is a mentoring parents forum as well.
- Rough Guide Holiday Club: as publishers of the travel guides, staff can benefit from access to holidays at industry rates.
- Well-being, 400 gym members, health days, EAP
- Community/charity involvement: any fund raising is matched by the company at 5%
Sally Mason, HR Director, Reward – The Compass Group
Compass believes that allowing employees to have a balance between work and home life eases stress and provides a more positive working environment – which leads to better performance.
The nature of our business providing high quality catering and support services to over 8,500 locations across UK and Ireland – means we can offer real opportunities to people looking for flexible working arrangements, which fit with their home lives. These include roles with more traditional office-based working times, term time working for our schools’ business, as well as weekend working for events contracts.
Hours can be variable to suit individual needs and we also operate arrangements based on annualised hours, which offer security of regular pay with flexibility around hours. We have also invested in technology to enable our management teams to operate from home or regional offices. Within our centralised processing centres, we also offer the ability to concentrate the workload into fewer days of the week provided the customer’s needs and expectations are always met in full.
We’d like to hear what your company does to foster an improved work/life balance. Simply post your comments in the box below and share your tips.
Other articles in this series:
