Warwickshire Employer of Choice Award 2007

Winners of the Warwickshire Employer of Choice Awards 2007

Employers across Warwickshire have been recognised for their commitment to staff following a glittering awards evening attended by over 170 people at the annual Warwickshire Employer of Choice Awards 2007

Now in its sixth year, the event, held at the Best Western Weston Hall Hotel in Bulkington on Wednesday 5th December 2007, celebrated the achievement of organisations who have adopted exceptional work-life balance policies and practices.

Merle Bayliss from Warwickshire County Council, who organised the Employer of Choice Awards and who also works with employers to develop their work-life balance policies said:
“This annual event continues to give us a chance to celebrate the success of organisations which really 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.”

Guests enjoying a pre-dinner drink at the Employer of Choice Awards 2007

Warwickshire Employer of Choice Awards 2007

“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.

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

The Employer of Choice Awards reward all size 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.

This year many high quality entries were received, including more from organisations who have not taken part in the awards before.

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Master of Ceremonies John Deegan

After dinner keynote speaker Amanda Wright from the West Midlands Quality Centre, spoke of becoming and Employer of Choice. Master of ceremonies John Deegan, Director of PTES, then named each of the winners with Councillor John Wells, Chair of Warwickshire County Council, presenting the awards.

All Winners of the 2007 awards are included within a Profiles booklet, released after the awards ceremony, which details all policies and practices winning businesses have, and acts as a guide for any other employers looking to adopt work-life balance into their business.

Please watch this space as it will be attached to this webpage soon!

A total of fifteen awards were presented to companies within the county. These included winners, highly commended and commended, as well as special achievement awards for outstanding work in Work-life Balance. All winners received a framed certificate and magnificent cut-crystal block engraved with the name of the business and awards category in which they had won.

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Special Achievement Award Alumet Systems Ltd

The Warwickshire Employer of Choice Awards are organised by Warwickshire County Council and help in raising the profile of Work-life Balance as a first-class benefit to businesses and organisations within the county. Congratulations to all those who entered the awards or supported the event this year.

Winner Small Employer Award 2007

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Winner Small Employer Extracare

eXtracare, Harborough Magna, for creating an exceptionally caring working environment where work-life balance and flexibility underpin the business. In the last 12 months Extracare have embarked on assertiveness training, a bi-monthly staff prize draw for shopping vouchers, extended leave for long haul visits, ‘Daring to dream’ – planning for the future and homework time for vocational qualifications.

Winner Medium Employer Award 2007

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Winner Medium Employer Bright Kids

Bright Kids, Studley, for the exceptional range of work-life balance policies and flexible working opportunities on offer which support the staff the business and its customers and the policy of continual improvement. High on their agenda are happiness at work, health and fun. Senior Management Meetings have been restructured and the organisation has its own NLP practitioner. They now have a health and wellbeing programme up and running.

Winner Large Employer Award 2007

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Winner Large Employer ConocoPhillips

ConocoPhillips Ltd, Warwick, for creating an exceptional working environment by continually pushing out the boundaries in terms of work-life balance and striving to meet the needs of its employees. The policies which have proved most beneficial to ConocoPhillips are; The working parents policy which includes a maternity returners allowance as well as extended maternity and adoption leave and enhanced maternity pay. A Further Education Assistance Plan. The Flexible Benefits Plan and the Health Promotion Programme which offers monthly seminars on personal health and safety both in and outside the workplace.

Winner Corporate Employer Award 2007

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Winner Corporate Employer Domestic and General

Domestic & General Services Ltd, Bedworth, for embedding work-life balance in company culture, demonstrating a complete understanding of the benefits to the organisation and its people, and for the excellent programme of continual improvement. Domestic and General has made flexible working available to all staff though it’s ‘Changing Times Policy’, it has also introduced an IVF policy to give women time off for treatment and has developed a wellbeing at work project in conjunction with Warwick Medical School who have carried out a study and made recommendations.

Winners of the Special Achievement Awards 2007

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Special Achievement Alumet

Alumet Systems (UK) Ltd, for working hard to create a balanced workplace through a programme of continuous improvement and developing work-life balance policies which reflect the changing needs of the staff and the business.

Alumet Systems operates in an extremely commercial environment where long hours, lots of travel, and demanding customers are the norm. Initially when the directors started working with Warwickshire County Council, they didn’t really understand what work-life balance was.

Currently this is not the case and while keeping pace with demand for its products the Company tries to accommodate the needs of its workforce. To attract and keep staff with the right skills the organisation will consider all requests for flexible working. The location of the organisation has meant that recruitment of people with the right skills is difficult, and in the last few months six school leavers have been recruited as trainees. People are really happy in this supportive, friendly environment, and 90% of them said as much in a questionnaire from a building magazine, putting the company in the top 50 of best companies to work for.

In the last 12 months people have been given more flexibility to take & collect children from school, more staff are linked up to work at home and office hours have been reduced following targets been met. There have also been more opportunities for job role changes linked to personal development and more social events to encourage integration of office, factory and site based employees.

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Special Achievement Olive Catering

Olive Catering Services, for offering a range of flexible work options, personal support and training opportunities, which have kept staff motivated and happy during a period of exceptional business growth.

This is an organisation making it’s first application to the awards. It has gone through an amazing period of growth in the last three years, moving from a team of three to a team of 300 in that time, while ensuring work-life balance and the needs of the workforce are paramount.

With only one contract in November 2004 the organisation now has fifty. The nature of the business means that employees, which mostly work part-time using various flexible working options, are dispersed at a number of different locations. In spite of this there is a feeling of cohesion in this organisation. People receive intensive training in food preparation and are encouraged to have an enthusiasm for food and to include family recipes in the organisation’s own recipe book. Managers and Directors are approachable and supportive and are keen to identify particular skills in their employees and to offer promotion accordingly.

In the last 12 months Olive has introduced a Company wide appraisal system. A team building weekend for Operational Managers & Head Office team members to improve communication and team working. It is also working towards Investors in People.

Employer of Choice Awards 2007 Group Winners

To view winners and finalists from other years of the awards click on the links below

Award winners for the Employer of Choice Awards 2007

Award winners for the Employer of Choice Awards 2006

Award winners for the Employer of Choice Awards 2005

Award winners for the Employer of Choice Awards 2004

Award winners for the Employer of Choice Awards 2003

Award winners for the Employer of Choice Awards 2002

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