Business leaders to meet to share ideas on boosting staff wellbeing

Leading UK businesses are coming together in May for a unique event to share good practice on nurturing employee wellbeing to raise profits and beat the recession. The Business in the Community (BITC) Health and Work Summit on 12 May will see business leaders and public sector managers discuss how to make people’s wellbeing a strategic business objective and driver of organisational success. Delegates will also take part in workshops to discuss how a range of new tools to be launched at the event can raise productivity and boost performance.

This is a must-attend event for anyone responsible for maximising the value of employees at a time when this is a key challenge facing UK organisations. It's all about practical solutions for business by business. The case for taking action has never been more compelling.

Among the organisations taking part in the summit are Alliance Boots, Bupa, EDF Energy, the Food and Drink Federation, Nestlé UK, Parcelforce Worldwide and Standard Life.

There will also be advice from National Director for Health and Work Dame Carol Black; managing director of the Work Foundation, Stephen Bevan; and other experts on the links between good work, a skilled workforce and employee wellbeing.

BITC’s Business Action on Health campaign aims to get 75% of FTSE 100 companies committing to boardroom reporting on employee wellbeing by 2011.

Louise Aston, Business Action on Health Director, says: “This is a must-attend event for anyone responsible for maximising the value of employees at a time when this is a key challenge facing UK organisations. It's all about practical solutions for business by business. The case for taking action has never been more compelling.”

The event is sponsored by the cross-Government Health Work and Wellbeing programme and the Food and Drink Federation.

NEW at the BITC Work and Health Summit:

• Groundbreaking UK research on the key factors needed to nurture employee resilience during the recession and beyond.
  
• Emotional resilience toolkit: practical ideas developed by business to drive employee engagement and business performance.
  
• Learning and Development Toolkit showing how people’s skills and knowledge are linked to wellbeing and high performance.
  
• Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Toolkits: leading organisations share ideas on boosting the fitness of staff and making the workplace a setting to boost people’s health.For more information, please contact Keren McCarron or Rebecca Wilhelm on 020 7420 7132/40.

Notes to Editors

1.    The BITC Health and Work Summit is taking place at the Kings Fund, Cavendish Square, London on 12 May.

2.    Business in the Community mobilises business for good. They inspire, engage, support and challenge companies on responsible business, working through four impact areas: Workplace, Marketplace, Environment and Community. With more than 850 companies in membership, BITC represents 1 in 5 of the UK private sector workforce and convene a network of global partners.

3.    The Business Action on Health campaign is an innovative business to business campaign, which was launched in October 2007. Under the guidance of the Business Action on Health Leadership Team, the campaign promotes the compelling business case for investing in employee health and wellbeing and practical tool kits developed by business for business. The campaign works collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders and Government.

4.    The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK’s largest manufacturing sector. For more information about FDF and the industry we represent visit: www.fdf.org.uk.

5.    Health, Work and Wellbeing is a Government-led initiative to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of working age people. Founded on a growing evidence base that working is good for health, it brings together employers, unions, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to promote the positive links between health and wellbeing and help more people with health conditions to find and stay in employment. For more information visit www.workingforhealth.gov.uk.