Surrey Board of Trade presents Family-Friendly Workplace Awards
Dee Sharma, Incoming Chair of BC HRMA’s Fraser Valley Advisory Council, presented the award to Paul Mann of The Lunch Lady.
The Surrey Board of Trade’s Leadership Surrey Program which began four years ago – in collaboration with the Children’s Partnership of Surrey-White Rock – showcases a business that has created workplaces that support their employees in both their work and child/family responsibilities.
The Lunch Lady’s application included specific points about flex time: staff dropping off their children for school, accommodating staff to leave work when they have to pick up their children from school. They also have a children’s area in their building, equipped with a television, Internet access, toys and more. By providing information in the five areas of assessment, The Lunch Lady showed that their focus on a family-friendly workplace resulted in greater productivity for the business when the employees’ kids are taken care of or they are able to adjust their schedules for child-care. This has reduced sick time and stress for employees.
“Workplaces are changing. Employees from all sectors are quick to list the changes they are experiencing in their workplaces: Globalization, technological advances, rise of non-standard employment/work hours, increased workload, greater learning pressures,” said Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade. “This is why the Surrey Board of Trade continues to showcase a Surrey business each year that shines above the rest of the applicants in our assessment of how the business manages flexibility in the workplace, supportive supervisors/managers, a culture that is family-friendly, alternative work arrangements and recognition of child and elder care issues.”
