Member Article

HR training firm supports National Work Life Week

Leadership, management, HR and coaching firm Awbery is encouraging their team and clients to think about the balance between home life and the office with a week-long programme of wellbeing-themed days and charity fundraisers as part of a national campaign.

The Derbyshire-based business is committed to improving knowledge and strategies for mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace, and has devised a programme of events for its own team to run throughout National Work Life Week (3rd to 7th October 2016) - the UK-wide campaign by charity Working Families - to highlight the importance of creating an equal balance between time at work and home.

This is the first time Awbery has taken part in the annual Work Life campaign, and its programme kicks-off with a ‘Munchies Monday’ picnic to ensure staff take a proper lunch break, at the same time raising funds through donations for its charity of the year, Forever Stars.

On ‘Take a Break Tuesday’ staff will have alarm clocks on their desks, set to signal a break every hour. There will be a lunchtime exercise session on ‘Workout Wednesday’, and staff will be given a water bottle on ‘Thirsty Thursday’ to ensure they drink the recommended daily amount. The week finishes with ‘Fruity Friday’ with fresh fruit smoothies for all staff in return for a small charity donation

Awbery Director Mary Sisson, explains: “Wellbeing and work-life balance are embedded in our bespoke high-impact leadership and management development programmes, HR and coaching solutions.We want to highlight the ways we can help businesses and our team to find the right work-life balance, which is good for them, their families, and for our business too because our people are more motivated, productive, and healthy.

“Wellbeing in the workplace is important for a variety of reasons, in particular reducing employee absence, increasing employee engagement and motivation, and ultimately improving organisational performance. The National Work Life Week is the perfect platform for us to highlight the value and benefits, of taking regular breaks and exercise, eating and drinking well, all vital components of an effective wellbeing strategy.”

Corporate burnout in the workplace is one symptom of poor employee wellbeing in the workplace; Awbery’s founder Dr Howard Awbery has led a pioneering research study into the escalating problem, as Mary explains:

“Burnout is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged pressure, and one potential consequence of an unbalanced work-life culture. It is a unique condition that results in a complete inability to function. Our research found that 20% of high performing middle and senior leaders are affected by it, but that a change in corporate cultures to better understand the importance of employee health and wellbeing, and a better work-life balance, will reduce it.”

Separate research has found that almost two-fifths of employees (38%) are under excessive pressure at work at least once a week, and 43% say that long hours working is the norm for their organisation (to a great or moderate extent).

Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive of Working Families, the work-life charity behind the national Work Life campaign, said: “It’s great to see employers such as Awbery talking to their employees about managing their time for a better work-life balance. Gone are the days of long hours in the office being a measure of dedication. There’s a lot of evidence that more agile and flexible ways of working produce better results for business and a better deal for families.”

Working Families, which helps parents and carers - and their employers - find a better balance between responsibilities at home and work, is encouraging organisations to take part in National Work Life Week from October 3 to 7, 2016. For information, visit: www.workingfamilies.org.uk and follow the campaign hashtag #timetorebalance on Twitter.

Awbery has its head office in Derbyshire and delivers high-impact leadership and management development programmes, HR and coaching solutions to multi-national organisations across the UK. For more information: www.awberymanagement.co.uk, Tel: 01283 703828, and follow @AwberyTweet.

Corporate burnout and the issues facing all levels of leadership in organisations is tackled in Dr Awbery’s book, ‘Pixie Dust V - A Tale of Combatting Corporate Burnout: Protecting Your Talent’. It is the fifth instalment in his series of Pixie Dust management books, and explains the physiological changes that employers and individuals must look out for, and provides a number of recovery strategies for coping with burnout.

Photograph shows: Some of Awbery’s Derbyshire team preparing for the National Work Life Week. (Left to right) Lucy Lewis, Mary Sisson, Jemma Taylor-Smith, Judy Hazeldine, Sue Davidson.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Awbery .