Council boss signs up for wise work

Mar 24 2007 By Ross Smith, The Journal

A North-East authority has become the first council in the UK to sign up to a groundbreaking scheme to end the nine to five work culture.

Northumberland County Council has signed up to Work Wise North-East, a campaign backed by The Journal which calls for more flexible employment in the region.

It backs initiatives such as working from home, job sharing and flexible hours in order to boost productivity, help staff morale and protect the environment.

And chief executive Mark Henderson fittingly signed the Work Wise North-East concordat with the project's chairman, Simon Roberson, at the kitchen table at his Stocksfield home.

His authority - which with 14,000 staff is Northumberland's largest employer - has already pioneered a similar internal initiative called Project WorkWell.

Mr Henderson said: "Work Wise North-East is a tremendous concept and one that we are keen to integrate with Project WorkWell.

"Combined, they will make Northumberland County Council one of the most flexible employers around which we believe will make for a happier, healthier workforce.

Work Wise chief executive Phil Flaxton said: "Signing up Northumberland's largest employer is a real feather in the cap of the Work Wise North-East campaign. We hope that other proactive authorities will see the very real benefits of the campaign and follow Northumberland's lead. The health, wealth and happiness benefits brought about by flexible working are impossible for employers to overlook."

The North-East last year became the first region in the UK to create its own arm of the national Work Wise initiative. It has already attracted wide-ranging support from business organisations.