Request information Welcome to Life@Work Welcome to the summer issue of Life@Work and with the holidays fast approaching, this can be a particularly stressful time for working parents. External stress factors such as childcare and caring for a dependent can affect well being and productivity which was highlighted this month by National Childcare Week and Carers Week. These two events remind us that supporting these work groups is increasingly important and will have a positive impact on their performance and ultimately your bottom line. Another way to improve the bottom line is by encouraging personal development of your employees through motivational programmes. In last month's quick poll, 64 per cent said you would consider a motivation scheme for under-achievers before dismissal. Graham Povey, Capital Incentives, responds to this by giving an insight into why maximising improvement among under-achievers should not be disregarded. Congratulations to Joyce Forster who has won £200 worth of Early Learning Centre vouchers for her nursery, First Steps Nursery in Harrogate. Joyce also received £25 worth of M&S vouchers to treat herself after completing our childcare provider survey - the findings of which provide an interesting insight below. I hope you find this issue as useful and interesting as the previous issues and don't forget, if a colleague would also like to receive Life@Work they can subscribe by emailing me at editor@accorservices.co.uk Fay Bliss / Editor Do you think it is an employer's duty to help employees quit smoking? Please click below to view our previous newsletters. Issue 1 Issue 2 Childcare providers have their say Childcare providers are rarely asked what they like or dislike about Childcare Voucher schemes. Accor Services surveyed this 'forgotten' audience and was delighted to discover that its voucher scheme is the one that childcare providers would most recommend. Here, childcare providers offer a fascinating insight into how schemes could be improved to make life easier for them and parents alike. read more Provide emergency support for working parents Working parents have childcare problems on average nine times a year, with 89 per cent having to take time off as a result. How can employers support staff and keep the wheels turning when their childcare arrangements break down? read more Putting customers first The dedicated Accor Services Helpdesk takes an average of 150,000 calls a year, assisting employers, their employees and service providers with their enquiries. We take an in-depth look at the Customer Services Department to find out what goes on behind the scenes. read more Familylife Solutions It's a fact that at least 25 per cent of your staff are juggling care and work responsibilities. We look at how the Familylife Solutions confidential helpline can give your employees the practical advice and support they need. read more • Congratulations to National Express who won the award for the Most effective strategy for organisations with more than 1,000 employees and the overall Grand Prix Award at this year's Employee Benefits Awards held in London on the 8th June. The judges awarded the coach operator for the 'low cost, but high value' employee benefits package it had developed over the last 3 years which had resulted in a significant fall in staff turnover. The company was commended in particular for its introduction of benefits to encourage more women to join the male-dominated organisation. They included Accor Services Childcare Vouchers, boxes of goodies for new parents, increased maternity provision and flexible working. • M16 is promoting its family friendly benefits in an attempt to increase the recruitment of female spies. Childcare Vouchers, generous maternity pay and flexible working are included in its offering. The website recruitment campaign assures potential candidates that it is a 'family organisation' and female agents will 'absolutely not' be used as a 'honey-trap'. (Daily Mail, May 14th) • A new document was published recently regarding the 'Disclosure of National Insurance Avoidance Schemes'. However, this 'guidance' does not apply to standard Childcare Voucher schemes. It has been created in an attempt to identify NEW initiatives whose main purpose is to claim NICs advantage.  Further information can be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk/aiu/nics-disclosure.htm • The Listening to Families report published this month calls for nurseries to open at weekends and in the evenings to cater for the demands of modern working life. According to the DfES-backed survey of parents, there is growing dissatisfaction with the restricted care on offer despite billions of pounds of investment in nurseries. Ministers have backed the findings and said that they expected government-funded nurseries to cater for parents who needed to work outside traditional office hours. The survey also found a need for emergency childcare and greater flexibility around childcare options available to parents in the UK. (The Times, 14th June) • The need for more flexible childcare has also been underlined by new research from the Equal Opportunities Commission which found that Britain still lags behind the rest of Europe when it comes to flexible work. While 90 per cent of German and Swedish companies offer flexible working, only 48 per cent of British firms extend this benefit to employees. • Work Wise has launched a quality mark which will help organisations gain recognition for introducing smarter working practices. • Employers are being put under pressure to offer breast feeding breaks for new mothers at work. More than 180 MPs and numerous unions have already pledged their support to the Breastfeeding Manifesto, which was launched last month. (Employee Benefits, 14th May). • The DTI has put new proposals on paternity leave out for consultation. Views are being sought on how the administration of additional paternity leave and pay will work in practice. (HR Zone, 2lst May) • Accor Services has developed a useful online survey to help employers measure the potential take up of Childcare Vouchers within their organisation. The survey will help employers not only gauge demand, but also identify perception issues amongst parents that can be used to develop the communication style when a scheme is subsequently launched. The survey can also be adapted to include company specific questions and the survey link, which is emailed to employees, only takes a few minutes to complete. At the end of the process, employers will receive a summary report to inform their next steps and maximise the success of the scheme. • Business Development Manager, Tania Brown was invited to host a workshop on Attracting and Retaining Parents in the workplace along side 4 Children's Sue Finch at the recent launch of the Birmingham Best Business Awards for the Development of Work-Life Balance 2007. HR professionals and business owners attended the event to find out how they can develop their work-life balance strategies to become an employer of choice. • The summer holidays are just around the corner and keeping young children and teenagers occupied while their parents are at work can be a challenge. A summer camp could be the answer and parents who use Accor Services Childcare Vouchers as payment for Camp Beaumont Day Camps can enjoy special discounted rates. Camp Beaumont is Britain's most experienced Day Camp operator and offers multi-activity holidays for children aged 3 to 16 years in London, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, Essex and Middlesex. Click here for more information. • Accor Services highlighted the importance of regular eye tests at last month's Safety & Health Expo at the NEC in Birmingham. There was also an increasing interest in the issue of driver eyecare and the employer's duty of care. Members of the Eyecare Vouchers team explained to visitors how employers can alert staff to the dangers and encourage drivers as well as computer users to have their eye-sight tested regularly. Registered office: Accor Services, 50 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 2RS The following trade under Accor Services & are registered in England Childcare Vouchers: 2420196 Luncheon Vouchers: 540144 Cleanway: 1336372 VAT number: 649503520 ©2007 Accor Services. The entire content of this newsletter publication is protected by copyright. Full details are available from Accor Services. All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior permission, in writing, of the copyright owner. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher cannot accept any liability for inaccuracies.