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 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 UKís, chief executive said: ìAs 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.î
One aspect of working life where smarter working can particularly offer a solution is cutting stress caused by commuting: ìWorkers in the UK commute on average 47 working days per year. This is almost an extra working day per weekî, explained Flaxton. ìSmarter 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.î
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.
Smarter working beats stress
Smarter Working Organisation Backs Stress Down Day
