East Anglian based chartered accountants, Larking Gowen, is proud to be named as national runner up for the British Chambers of Commerce Workplace Wellbeing Award. The 15th Annual Chamber Business Awards took place last night at a gala dinner at Tobacco Dock in London.
“Attitudes to workplace wellbeing are evolving rapidly. I’m proud to be seen at the forefront of that in this region,” says Jon Woolston, Managing Partner at Larking Gowen. “For us, the wellbeing of all of our team is a fundamental part of our business culture, with positive impacts right across our business.”
Since launching its wellbeing programme, the firm has seen increases in employee retention and productivity, as well as a reduction in sickness absence. The programme is being developed through engagement with employees and Wellbeing Champions and covers physical and mental wellbeing, as well as wider career, financial, social and community aspects.
“We monitor the impact of our wellbeing measures closely,” says Amanda Ninham, Head of Human Resources at Larking Gowen. “We operate in a competitive sector where we have to work hard to attract and retain people.
“To go through the British Chamber’s judging process and to know that we stand out from entries from all over the UK, is brilliant. If our employees feel happier at work and are staying with us for longer, that’s a clear indication our approach works.”
“The partners at Larking Gowen are owner-managers,” continues Managing Partner, Jon Woolston, “and this means we still have a personal interest in and can directly influence the kind of environment we want to work in.
“The nature of our business, with strict submission deadlines, results in periods of intense pressure. It’s particularly important to create a culture where all employees are as happy to discuss mental health and wellbeing as they are to talk about physical health.”