January 30 , SMARTER WORKING BEATS STRESS
Smarter Working Organisation Backs Stress Down Day
Work Wise UK, the national campaign backed by the TUC and CBI to promote smarter working practices has announced its support for national Stress Down Day, which will take place this Thursday February 1.
Stress Down Day is the creation of the charity Samaritans, which using a national series of fun events, aims to raise awareness of the serious issue of stress in the workplace and encourages people in looking after their mental health.
Phil Flaxton, Work Wise UK’s, chief executive said: “As an organisation which promotes the benefits of smarter working practices, particularly reduced stress through a better work life balance, we support strongly the aims of Stress Down Day. Our long working hours culture, fixed around a 9 to 5 day working at a central location, wastes time and reduces the freedom for people to develop a life beyond work. However, this is largely unnecessary. Through smarter working people have more control over their lives, allowing more time for family or simply just enjoying life.”
One aspect of working life where smarter working can particularly offer a solution is cutting stress caused by commuting: “Workers in the UK commute on average 47 working days per year. This is almost an extra working day per week”, explained Flaxton. “Smarter working can reduce the stress of commuting by reducing the number of journeys, through for example working from home, while flexible working allows people to stagger their travel outside peak periods.”
Work Wise UK, which has broad backing from business and the unions, supported by the TUC, CBI, BT, Transport for London, the RAC Foundation, Association of Commuter Transport, Scope, Henley Management College, Technology Means Business and British Chambers of Commerce, is a five-year campaign to encourage smarter working practices. It was launched in May 2006 with the objective of half the working population having the opportunity of adopting working practices by 2011.
Further details about Work Wise UK can be found on the website (www.workwiseuk.org).
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Notes to editors:
- A number of spokespersons are available for interview or to comment.
- Work Wise UK is organised by the IT Forum Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation.
- Further information about Work Wise UK can be found on the website www.workwiseuk.org.
- A dedicated electronic news room has been established for journalists to obtain further information, to download print-quality materials, and to register for media updates about Work Wise UK. This can be accessed either through the main website or directly at www.pressrooms.net/workwiseuk.
- Supporters of the Work Wise UK campaign include the CBI, TUC, the British Chambers of Commerce, BT, Transport for London, Scope, the RAC Foundation, Technology Means Business and Henley Management College.
For further information, please contact:
Work Wise UK:
Roy Turner,
Chelgate PR
020 7939 7939 or 07970 522232 or
rt@chelgate.com
Michael Hardware ,
Chelgate PR
020 7939 7939 or 07775 925 274 or
meh@chelgate.com