As we spend more time in the workplace, the issue of work-life balance becomes increasingly important and maintaining a healthy lifestyle the key challenge faced by employees today. The overall cost to the economy of working-age ill health is more than £100billion each year. About 172 million working days are lost a year to sickness costing the economy £13billion. With long, busy hours spent in sedentary positions, health and wellbeing are crucial to managing stress and work performance. We plan to partner with Wellbeing of Women www.wellbeingofwomen.org and other stress management organisations on future wellbeing events for employees.
Health and Wellbeing
The Founder of the Global PA Network is a practising Healing Practitioner and CTI Coach and offers consultations in managing stress and finding your work life balance to individuals and organisations. Please e-mail enquiries@globalpanetwork.com for further information.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the positive action taken by organisations to contribute to the wider community within which they operate. It implies the adoption of more sustainable practices both socially and environmentally as well as in economic terms, whilst at the same time balancing the business interests of the organisation.
The Global PA Network actively supports CSR initiatives in the workplace and supports the work of certain charities including the WWF. In 2008 the Network hosted a webinar with BT and Futerra, to raise awareness about environmental issues and canvas ideas for a green handbook exclusively for PAs and secretaries. The Network has also joined forces with the Teenage Cancer Trust whose Vice Chairman, Susie Foottit, was guest speaker at the Global PA Network Launch at the BT Tower earlier in the year. We have also raised funds for Wellbeing of Women through our association with the National Executive PA Conference 2007 & 2008 at the Grand Hotel, Brighton. The Conference raised money for Wellbeing of Women and we were delighted that Eve Pollard agreed to be the Guest Speaker at the Gala Dinner. Eve is an active supporter of the charity.
Rosemary Parr had the opportunity in November 2008 to visit charities in Bali, Indonesia which urgently need our help. She was shown the work taking place at the Smile Foundation in Bali. It was distressing to see the suffering children and adults are experiencing with craniofacial abornormalities due to a poor diet and lack of nutrition in areas of Indonesia. The Centre in Bali is run by Mary Northmore who was presented to HRH Prince Charles on his visit to Indonesia last November. The Global PA Network supports the work of this organisation and their website can be found at: www.senyumbali.org.
Rosemary also visited Bumi Sehat Health Care in Bali. This is a charity that supports local women on Bali have a safe natural birth as many cannot afford the fees to pay for hospital births. The maternal mortality ratio on Bali is high, 718 deaths per 100,000 live births. This is largely due to malnutrition caused by the introduction of Green Revolution rice in the 1960s. Overnight the staple food of the people stopped providing pregnant women with the full rainbow of nutrients necessary to sustain healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes. Since the second Bali bombing on October 11th 2005, economic conditions have spiralled downwards. Pregnant women under financial stress are less likely to have prenatal care or proper nutrition, increasing risk factors during pregnancy, labour and childbirth. Please take a look at their website at www.bumisehatbali.org.
In the future the Network will be working with other charities and not-for-profit organisations to highlight the benefits of sustainability and community involvement and will be delighted to act as an intermediary for companies who would like to explore these benefits for their own organisation.
For more information about CSR in the workplace contact us
Today it is more important than ever before to minimise your carbon footprint. Not only are the developed western countries producing more and more carbon emissions, but the populations in Africa and Asia are also consuming much more energy as a result of improved lifestyles. We need to lead the way.
Did you know that electricity is one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions? Every time you make a coffee or turn on the television you are adding to global warming.
Here is a list of simple things you can do immediately. The items in this list will cost you nothing and will in fact save you money.
Sign up to a green energy supplier, who will supply electricity from renewable sources [e.g. wind, hydro-electric power] - this will reduce your carbon footprint contribution from electricity to zero.
Turn appliances off when not in use [lights, television, DVD player, Hi Fi, computer, etc].
Turn down the central heating [try just 1 to 2 degrees C].
Turn down the water heater setting [just 2 degrees will make a significant saving]
Check the central heating timer setting – remember there is no point heating the house after you have left for work.
Fill your dishwasher and washing machine with a full load – this will save you water, electricity and washing powder.
Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need.
Unplug your mobile phone as soon as it has finished charging.
Defrost your fridge/freezer regularly. Do your weekly shopping in a single trip.
