February 24 2009

Home Group has signed an agreement pledging to encourage the adoption of smarter working practices across the UK.
By signing the Work Wise Concordat Home Group, which is one of the UK's largest providers of affordable and supported housing with its HQ in the North East, will be supporting the development and implementation of smarter working practices throughout the region.
Work Wise North East promotes the adoption of smarter working practices which include flexitime, working from home and remote working in order to bring about a workplace revolution that will bring benefits to both employers and employees.

Mark Henderson, Home Group's Chief Executive fully supports the Work Wise initiative. He said:
"Smarter working is about making intelligent and cost effective use of space and resources - but more than that, it's about releasing the potential of our workforce - and for us about freeing up time currently spent behind a desk to spend with our clients and customers, which is what our business is all about."

Signing the Concordat is seen as a positive step in working towards the Work Wise Standard - a mark of excellence which assesses the effectiveness and deployment of flexible and remote working practises within the UK workforce. To achieve this, organisations have to demonstrate how smarter working has delivered operational, employee, and environmental benefits.
Simon Roberson, chairman of Work Wise North East, said:
"It's fantastic that another company in the north east has pledged its support to smarter working by signing the Concordat and I hope the Home Group continues its efforts in working towards the Work Wise Standard."

"Smarter methods of working have a positive impact on business process improvements, the social aspects of work, the environment and the transport infrastructure. It is therefore important that organisations in the region pledge their support to help benefit the north east economy as a whole."
Work Wise North East's strategic partners were amongst the first to sign the Concordat. These include: Association of North East Councils, BT, Dickinson Dees, EEF Northern, Equality North East, Government Office North East, Nexus, North East Chamber of Commerce, One Northeast, Onyx Group, RBLI, The Workplace Travel Plan Company and TUC.

For more information about how you can sign up to smarter working please go to www.workwiseuk/northeast.org

ENDS
Picture reference: wwne.jpg
Picture caption: From left to right, Mark Henderson, Chief Executive of Home Group, Simon Roberson, Chairman of WWNE, Rod Bennion, Chairman of Home Group and Sarah Stewart, Project Director of WWNE
For more information please contact Charlotte Nichols at Clothier Lacey & Co on 0191 273 9897 or charlotte.nichols@clothierlacey.co.uk