Sarah Jones and Rachel Watson are Performance Development Managers at the Barclays UK Banking Contact Centre at Gadbrook Park in Northwich, Cheshire. They both work part time, 3 days a week, and together they are responsible for improving the working environment for the 450 staff employed at the contact centre.

“ Balancing the demands of being successful in work, raising children, looking after sick relatives and having some space for friends, family and out of work interests is a very real and increasing challenge. The business impact of not achieving a good work-life balance is very real - people who are under an immense burden simply don’t perform to their best.

We have actively promoted and encouraged staff to take advantage of the flexible working options on offer, and we’ve done this for two reasons: Firstly, because the management team believe it’s the right thing to do to keep staff motivated and fulfilled, by allowing them to choose a working pattern that suits them, their families, and their lifestyles. Secondly the contact centre has undergone a period of growth and expansion over the last 12 months. In Cheshire we’re based in an area of low unemployment. As such there are a lot of companies competing in the employee market. And it’s the range of flexible working policies that Barclays offers that sets us aside from so much of the competition, and attracts staff to work for Barclays. Take up has been really positive. We have staff working part time, job share, term time, compressed week, and so on and so forth.

And it’s not just working mums who have taken advantage of the flexible working patterns for childcare purposes:

• We have staff who are working part time - using their days off to work towards a qualification or pursue a hobby.
• We have staff using their free time to care for elderly or sick relatives.
• We’ve recruited several retired members of Barclays staff who work part time – this provides them with the ideal balance of enjoying their retirement, whilst also utilising their years of banking experience to the benefit of less experienced staff, and providing significant benefits to the business.

In promoting our flexible working agenda, we have encouraged team leaders and managers to adopt a ‘can do’ attitude. It’s fair to say that often managers see all the reasons that flexible working can’t work, rather than looking at all the benefits and reasons to make it work. For instance, they see job sharing as two staff to manage and two performance reviews to complete, rather than getting a mix of skills and experience in 2 job share partners which maximise the effectiveness of a role.

Our performance development team acts as a role model for the rest of the contact centre – 100% of staff on the team are on flexible working contracts – proof that flexible working really can and does work.

We’ve implemented a wellbeing programme, which has several components. The two elements which have the greatest impact on work-life balance and staff wellbeing are as follows:

Holistic
We’ve introduced holistic therapies for staff during the working day. Response has been overwhelming, and we now have consultants who come in 3 days per week – offering Reflexology, Reiki, back massage, Indian Head Massage and sports massages. The cost of these treatments are subsidised for staff. Due to popular demand we have also introduced a beautician who is on site one day a week, offering facials, manicures and pedicures.

Concierge
We are currently piloting a concierge role. Basically the concierge is there to take the everyday hassles out of peoples lives. Because Gadbrook Park is based outside the town centre, we have staff dashing into town during their lunch hour to run various errands. The Concierge makes a daily trip into Northwich to run those errands for staff. Whether it be dry cleaning, post office, cheques to be paid in, shoes to be mended – the Concierge can do those errands for staff.
It enables staff to take a quality lunch break instead of dashing into town whilst constantly clockwatching. Takeup has been tremendous, and feedback excellent.

And there’s a lot more going on in addition to these initiatives:

• Financial wellbeing – whereby we get financial advisors to visit the contact centre to speak to staff – once again saving time that staff would otherwise have had to fit in to their lunch hours.
• lots of community and charitable initiatives taking place
• an innovative approach towards environmental initiatives
• we’re running a wide variety of workshops for staff:
  • Performance Development
  • Recruitment & Assessment
  • Coaching skills
  • CV writing
  • Assertiveness
• We’re actively promoting and encouraging use of the Barclays University library and the training hub on site
• We’ve set up a staff council – which acts as a forum for staff issues and suggestions.
• And for the first time we’ve held a big awards ceremony for 250 staff which recognised and rewarded significant achievements across the business

So how have these initiatives added value to the business?

• We’ve seen a marked improvement in our sickness and attrition.
• Feedback from staff taking advantage of the holistic treatments is that they feel energized, relaxed, de-stressed, etc.
• The feedback from the introduction of Concierge services has been so encouraging, that we are now looking to make the role a permanent position.
• We were shortlisted for the Age Positive awards 2004.
• We’ve recently been notified that we’ve been shortlisted for the European Call Centre Awards 2004.
• And staff satisfaction survey scores are at a record high.

Work-life balance is a deeply personal issue, there is no right answer, only the right answer for each individual - it is not Barclays responsibility to take the many pressures of balancing home and work away from individuals. However it is our role to support people with flexible policies that allow them to take career breaks, carers leave, emergency leave, etc. at the times when they need to.”