Equal - Digital Repository

Warwickshire County Council has a dedicated work-life balance adviser who encourage organisations to give their employees reasons to stay rather than reasons to leave by developing new ways of working. This is achieved through a range of initiatives which include, workshops and seminars, a work-life forum and an Employer of Choice Awards scheme.

In 2004 a workshop programme was developed for employers in Warwickshire in response to new management standards for stress introduced by HSE in November 2004, to help employers address concerns about the level of stress identified in business. Workplace stress is an issue for all employers and it is clear from the HSE audit tool that it is directly related to good employee relations, good business practice and a range of work-life balance policies.

Warwickshire Coounty council has been contracted through the Adjust the Balance Development Partnership to deliver the workshop programme throughout the Partnership Region. In-house workshops on Health and Wellbeing are also offered to employers who attend the initial sessions. The programme has been set up to help employers understand:

• the signs and symptoms of stress
• the importance of tackling stress within the workplace from a moral, legal and business perspective
• the legislation relating to stress within the workplace
• HSE Management Standards on Stress and how to utilise them
• auditing techniques and the importance of risk assessment
• the potential of work-life balance policies for reducing stress in the workplace