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Met ' Cops ' Top WLB Prize
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The Metropolitan Police (MPS) has beaten off stiff competition from blue chip names like McDonald's and National Grid, as well as other leading public sector organisations, to be named Working Families Employer of the Year 2006, sponsored by HP.
The Working Families Employer Awards, sponsored by HP, recognise innovation and creative thinking in work-life balance.
The Metropolitan Police has taken a particularly forward thinking approach to supporting its staff. For example, the force's comprehensive offer to its staff includes a heavily subsidised emergency back-up childcare scheme which everyone can use if they are called out suddenly in a crisis. Flexible working and emergency leave are available to all police staff, while parents can also use subsidised holiday playschemes and childcare vouchers. The Awards judges were particularly impressed by the fast progress MPS had made in a difficult organisational culture.
Kate Rider, Human Resources Director at HP and one of the judges for the award, commented that: "We were particularly impressed by the progress the Metropolitan Police Service has made with their childcare provisions in a profession where unpredictability and variable working hours are common. The MPS demonstrated a very supportive, flexible and innovative culture."
Employers of all sizes from the private, public and voluntary sectors nominated themselves for these prestigious Awards. External evaluators shortlisted entrants to each Award for interview by expert judging panels.
The final selection of the overall Working Families Employer of the Year was made by a judging panel comprising Sir Howard Davies, Director of the London School of Economics and Patron of Working Families (Chair of panel); Professor Susan Vinnicombe OBE, Cranfield University; Baroness Margaret Prosser, Chair of the Women's National Commission; Kate Rider, UK and Ireland HR Director, HP; and Sarah Jackson, Working Families Chief Executive.
The Metropolitan Police was chosen as the overall Employer of the Year from the winners of the seven awards run this year.
Working Families Chief Executive Sarah Jackson said: "The sheer range of our winners this year demonstrates that work-life balance policies bring benefits to every kind of business.
"In particular, the Metropolitan Police show us that even the most traditional of working cultures can be turned around by inspired initiatives. We celebrate the creativity and innovation of all our winners today and hope that their inspiring stories will motivate all those employers who are yet to be persuaded."
The winners of the 2006 Awards are:
- The Working Families Innovation Award joint winners: McDonald's Restaurants and Mercedes-Benz of Eastbourne.
Flexible working is central to the way McDonald's Restaurants does business. All hourly-paid employees choose their availability on a weekly basis, there's a part-time scheme for restaurant managers and office staff can work compressed summer hours to get more from their weekends.
Now, their unique Family Contract allows employees from the same family (including grandparents and same-sex partners) working in the same restaurant to share and cover each other's shifts - this provides employees with a way to deal with family emergencies and relieves restaurant managers of last minute 'sickie' calls.
This has led to the lowest staff turnover in the hospitality industry, a high proportion of female managers and high levels of staff satisfaction.
Mercedes-Benz of Eastbourne has introduced a 'compressed hours' scheme into the very traditional working environment of an all-male technical team. Their three service teams work four longer days and then have three days off to spend time with their family or pursue other interests.
The company gains by recruiting and retaining skilled personnel and providing an improved service for customers. Now they've tried it, the employees say they wouldn't give up their extra day to look after a new baby, take the kids to school or go fishing or biking, even if they were offered extra money.
- The Working Families and NSPCC Family Friendly Award, sponsored by Norman Broadbent: The Metropolitan Police.
The Metropolitan Police's comprehensive offer to its staff includes a heavily subsidised emergency back-up childcare scheme which everyone can use if they are called out suddenly in a crisis. Flexible working and emergency leave are available to all police staff, while parents can also use subsidised holiday playschemes and childcare vouchers.
The Awards judges were particularly impressed by the fast progress MPS had made in a difficult organisational culture.
- The Working Families Public Sector Award, sponsored by The Times Public Agenda and CAREER: Hertfordshire County Council.
Hertfordshire County Council offers a range of flexible working opportunities to all employees, as well as a range of initiatives to support carers and parents.
Benefits on offer include an independent information and support service, a carers' group, paid emergency leave, an onsite nursery, childcare vouchers, a summer playscheme and a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. 75% of employees work flexibly.
- The Working Families Silver Service Award: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers a variety of work-life policies and practices which embrace the needs of older workers. These include flexible working arrangements, a flexible retirement scheme, carers leave and active recruitment, training and development of older workers.
Winding down, retiring early and returning to work on a part-time basis are all possible options offered to staff through the flexible retirement policy of the Trust. There are several benefits to this scheme: deferred retirement or flexible working is not only more rewarding for older workers, but it also allows the transfer of skills and knowledge from older to newer staff. It also means that a pool of experienced older employees is available to provide extra cover in the critical winter months.
- The Working Families and Institute of Directors Small Business Award: Clanmil Housing Association.
Clanmil Housing Association in Northern Ireland turned around an under-performing not-for-profit business by offering staff a wide range of work-life balance options. Staff can choose which flexible hours suit them best, can accrue up to two days a month to take at a later date, buy or sell additional leave and even receive an extra day off on their birthday.
Unsurprisingly, this has resulted in a drop in staff turnover, improved morale, savings on recruitment costs and improved client service.
- The Working Families Wellbeing Award: ClinPhone Group Ltd.
ClinPhone Group Ltd's Healthy Options Campaign (CHOC) ensures a culture of wellbeing within the organisation. It includes free fruit twice weekly and a variety of health-related events ranging from 'Quitting Smoking', 'Stress Awareness', 'Fun in the Sun' and 'Back to Work', A summer sports day helps to remind employees that exercise really can be fun. ClinPhone is aware of the various commitments of its employees both in and outside of the workplace and offers flexible working, an Employee Assistance Programme and private family health insurance.
- The Working Families and UKRC Women in SET Award, sponsored by Jaguar and Land Rover: National Grid.
National Grid impressed the Award judges with their strong business case for work-life balance policies. It is vital for them to attract female engineers and they have been remarkably successful in doing so - 25% of their graduate engineers are female.
Their inclusion and diversity policies are driven by a specific steering group, with CEO Steve Holliday as chair. A Women's Network (WiN), formed over a year ago, organises discussions, specific development programmes for women and is working towards a formal scheme of mentoring and role models.
The right to request flexible working is extended to all staff and 8% of the workforce work flexitime or part time. However, 34% of women employees exercise the option. The company points to its Family Provision Policy as one factor contributing to a 98.65% return from maternity leave, ensuring valuable skilled resources are retained by the company.
Working Families is widely acknowledged as one of the UK's leading work-life balance campaign organisations. It supports and gives a voice to working parents and carers, whilst also helping employers create workplaces which encourage work-life balance for everyone. In addition to the Awards, it also runs the Best Boss competition which celebrates individuals who have made a real difference to their employees' working lives. The winners of the Working Families Employer Awards were announced at a Gala Luncheon and Presentation Ceremony at the Caf? Royal in London. Keynote address at the event was given by The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Guest speakers were The Times columnist Camilla Cavendish and bestselling author Kathy Lette.
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