Free fruit, cooking demos, help to stop smoking and onsite health checks are just part of the wellness programme at Edgetech UK, a Quanex Company. This commitment to the wellbeing of its employees and the dedication of HR Manager, Suzanne Shelbourne, to health means Edgetech has been awarded the Workplace Wellbeing Charter at Achievement level for all areas, including leadership, communication, absence management and general wellbeing. Edgetech initially achieved Charter status in 2013 with the local Charter programme and has now achieved higher recognition through the National Charter.

Over the last four years Edgetech has been supporting staff to encourage them to make positive lifestyle choices, alongside continually improving their internal policies to ensure best practise within all the areas of the Charter.

“The team get really involved with the events we put on throughout the year,” says Suzanne. “Whether it’s cooking competitions or team lunches to sample healthy foods we’re always looking to create the best environment possible to work in at Edgetech. The programme is especially important for our shift workers, as the manufacturing facility runs 24 hours a day, five days a week. Irregular sleeping and eating patterns can make it harder to pick positive lifestyle choices.

“We have had visible results. Feedback on the programme for 2014 reported over 80% of staff felt they’d benefitted and over half saw medical health improvements. Looking out for the wellbeing of team members is a positive step for everyone. People feel more engaged, which leads to lower staff turnover rates and absence rates have reduced to less than one percent.”

Such is the success of the programme that Suzanne was asked to present at the recent Workplace Wellbeing Charter Awards event, covering the business case study for an SME with Charter recognition, to an invited audience representing more than 30 companies in the Coventry & Warwickshire region.

Charter recognition awards were presented to ten companies including Edgetech, Jaguar Land Rover Solihull, IKEA, Network Rail and Brett Martin. Edgetech was one of only two organisations that attained Achievement level in all areas.

“Being awarded Charter status proves we offer our team members the highest levels of support,” adds Edgetech’s Managing Director, Andy Jones. “The results speak for themselves: Edgetech is a healthy and happy place to work.