PUBLIC SECTOR BOSSES URGED TO TACKLE SMARTER WORKING

ONE of the key supporters of the Work Wise North East campaign will be staging an event on Thursday to highlight the benefits of flexible working to leaders in the public sector.

Government Office North East (GONE) who is backing the Work Wise campaign will spell out the benefits of smarter working practices to heads of public sector organisations at a Work Wise North East event at their Citygate offices, Newcastle on Thursday 14 June at 11am.

GONE is backing the flagship campaign as it believes that smarter working practices can ease transport congestion in the region, help the environment, improve productivity amongst the North East work force and help employees have a work life balance.

Attendees will include representatives from local authorities, the Prison Service, Pension Service, Northumbria Police, Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service and Natural England.

Delegates will be urged to consider innovative ways to address the traditional nine to five working culture and will be given the best advice and support in adopting smarter working practices such as mobile working, remote working and working from home.   Keynote speakers will include Kevin Rowan, regional secretary, TUC, Simon Roberson, chairman Work Wise North East and Regional Manager of BT and Michelle McGuigan, head of organisational development and workforce at Gateshead PCT

The North East has seen the number of people working from home grow by over 56 per cent since 1999. Almost 50,000 workers - nearly five per cent of the working population - are now based at or regularly work from home. But British workers spend the longest time traveling in Europe - as much as 47 working days per year (Samsung research 2004).

Government Office is firmly committed to the work wise campaign and has pledged to improve its own flexible working policy for its two hundred plus staff in its Citygate offices, including home working, staggered start and finish times and job sharing, as part of its ongoing commitment to smarter working.

Jonathan Blackie, regional director said "Work Wise has the potential to offer public sector employers ways in which we can support the policies of our Whitehall masters and also to assist us in being proactive with further efficiency savings as we await the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
 
Even though many of us have flexible working policies, we are keen to see the wider benefits for our staff, the environment, the region and our budgets more actively promoted" said Jonathan.
 
Simon Roberson, regional chairman of Work Wise North East campaign said:
"Reducing costs and increasing productivity are two of the drivers to introducing new ways of working. Both private and public sector organisations are constantly struggling to find to find the best allocation of scarce resources and the introduction of new information and communication technologies enable organisations to introduce greater flexibility into working practices."

"Even a limited change in working practices and culture will lead to increased business productivity and competitiveness, reduce transport congestion and pollution, improve health, assist disadvantaged groups, and harmonise work and family commitments" he said 

Kevin Rowan, regional secretary of the TUC, key partners of Work Wise North East said "Employers need to look after their staff and ensure they have opportunities to work flexibly - this can help to lower stress levels, particularly for carers and parents and can help reduce absenteeism. Flexible working and other innovative working practices offer a wide range of opportunities for workers and businesses, as well as for the regional economy as a whole."

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK said "A healthy, happy workplace boosts productivity, takes the strain off government and the health service and adds to the bottom line of UK plc"

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Media contact:  Sheila Chapman, Sheila Chapman PR on 07732 827 486 email scpr@btopenworld.com

Notes to editors:

• Further information about Work Wise UK can be found on the website www.workwiseuk.org.
• Work Wise North East has attracted wide-ranging support from leading organisations in the region. Strategic partners include the TUC, One NorthEast, Government Office, North East Chamber of Commerce, Onyx Group, EEF Northern, Workplace Travel Planning Company, Dickinson Dees and BT. Other supporters include the Journal, CBI, Federation of Small Businesses, Northumberland County Council, Northern Business Forum and Women into the Network.