BUSINESSES URGED TO TACKLE SMARTER WORKING

ONE of the key supporters of the Work Wise North East campaign will be staging an event to urge businesses to work smarter.

The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC), one of the leading Work Wise partners will spell out the benefits of smarter working at a business breakfast at the Beamish Hall Hotel, Stanley on Wednesday 3 October.

NECC is backing the flagship campaign and is hosting the event 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 achieve a good work life balance.

At the event, delegates will be urged to move away from 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 James Ramsbotham, NECC chief executive who will be talking about the chamber's drive to implement smarter working practices and Simon Roberson, chair of the Work Wise North East and BT's regional manager. Dickinson Dees and Procter and Gamble will also be sharing their knowledge and expertise, highlighting best practice in smarter working.

The NECC, which represents 4,400 businesses that collectively employ a third of the region's workforce, has undertaken a major review to give its 230 staff a whole host of opportunities to work more flexibly.  James Ramsbotham said:

"We urge businesses to come along to this event to hear about smarter working practices which can bring great benefit to business. It enables staff to strike a good work/life balance and that makes for happier, more productive employees."

NECC has built on a range of existing practices to create a more innovative workplace for its employees and to show its commitment to the campaign which aims to consign the nine-to-five work culture to the dustbin of the past.

Home and remote working, along with staggered start times, is being underpinned by improved technology to make life easier for the 230 NECC staff - many of whom now operate from a series of hotdesks, allowing them to work flexibly from any of NECC's sites across the North East.

James added "Plans are being introduced to offer term-time contracts and staggered start-times to fit in with the changing pressures of modern living. It also enables NECC to offer greater flexibility to member companies for longer periods of the day.

"The modern workplace is vastly different from what it used to be and NECC is ahead of the game when it comes to providing its employees with as much support and flexibility as we can.

"Reducing costs and increasing productivity are two of the drivers to introducing new ways of working and the introduction of new information and communication technologies enable organisations to introduce greater flexibility into working practices" said James.

Simon Roberson, chairman of Work Wise North East said
"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.

"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. There is real evidence to prove that flexible working is a win-win both for the employer and the employee."

 "NECC is setting a tremendous example to its membership that smarter working is very achievable and that there are real business benefits from taking a fresh look at how you manage your workforce. and this will be demonstrated at the Work Wise event.

Anyone interested in attending the smarter working event should contact Judith Churchill at the North East Chamber of Commerce at Judith.churchill@necc.co.uk or call Judith on 019 13861133 for further details.

• Further information about Work Wise UK can be found on the website www.workwiseuk.org/northeast
• 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, BT, RBLI and Equality North East.