NEWS RELEASE
Immediate: 20 May, 2005
Getting The Balance Right
Local not-for-profit company Positive Steps Oldham (PSO) has become one of the first ten organisations in the North West to achieve the Investors in People UK Work-Life Balance standard.
The Work Life Balance Model is a practical framework that helps organisations and individuals find solutions that match their culture and business needs. It recognises that people are more productive and happier when they can achieve a balance between their working and personal lives.
PSO has been an Investor in People since 1998. Introducing Work Life Balance policies is part of a commitment to providing high quality services by empowering staff to work more effectively.
Positive Steps Oldham is an Oldham-based not-for-profit company that delivers an integrated range of young people-focused services, including Connexions and Oldham Youth Offending Service.
To achieve the standard, PSO was assessed on four main areas. It had to demonstrate that it had created a culture that supported work life balance, that work life balance was central to its strategy, that work life balance solutions had been introduced and that these were effective. It passed in all of these areas.
The assessor’s report was very positive, including the following passage:
“The company has recognised the diversity of its staff and the different working patterns within the organisation and offers staff a number of alternative working patterns to meet the needs of both the individual and the organisation. These include:
- Annualised hours
- Reduced hours
- Compressed hours
- Flexitime – with no core hours imposed
- Home Working
- Flexible retirement (up to 65)
- Term Time Working
- Career/Service Break
- Job Sharing
The organisation is very aware of all Work-life Balance issues and has taken a number of steps to ensure that it is everyday practice with many of the issues covered within the staff handbook.”
PSO Chief Executive Tim Mitchell said: “We are delighted to have achieved the Work Life balance standard. We want to provide a good quality, caring, friendly service to our clients and are encouraging staff to design their life around the work they do.
“We have responded to the needs of staff by abolishing core time and TOIL (time off in lieu), reducing hours of work to 36 hours per week and increasing pay awards. Our vision is to get the best possible productivity from the staff we employ by being flexible in the way they work”.
Positive Steps Oldham is keen to help other organisations in Oldham benefit from its experience in introducing work life balance. To find out more about PSO’s consultancy services in this area, contact Ken Power, HR Manager, on 0161 621 9400.
Ends
Note to editors: A photo opportunity can be arranged featuring Positive Steps Oldham Chief Executive Tim Mitchell, pictured with PSO’s Investors In People plaque and the Work Life Balance certificate.
For further information, contact Andy Swain, Marketing and Information Manager, on 0161 621 9321.
