System Concepts is a finalist in the National Business Awards 2008 in the category Health, Work and Wellbeing Award for Small Business.

We believe that organisations benefit from putting people first - in designing their products, software and websites, and looking after their employees.  We practice what we preach and are delighted to be short-listed for this award and have our efforts to improve the well being of our staff recognised.

Our wellbeing initiatives

Over the last three years we have grown rapidly and recognise that focusing on wellbeing can make us more attractive as an employer and service provider and more effective as a business. 

The initiatives we have implemented include:

• Setting up a small team, led by two directors, to champion health, safety and well-being to drive progress
• Stress risk assessment and reduction, on an individual and company wide basis
• Flexible, family friendly working schemes for all staff
• Encouraging fitness and sporting achievement through matched sponsorship and company-organised outdoor team building activities
• Healthy eating initiatives
• On-site ergonomist and physiotherapist advice and support including DSE assessments and manual handling training for all staff
• Occupational health support through an external provider
• Improving our disability-friendly policies and return-to-work management

Stress management

We are particularly pleased with the results of our stress reduction strategy which we started in 2006 using the HSE stress management tool.  We surveyed all staff and used the results to run focus groups with employees to generate ideas for reducing stress levels and to involve them in deciding suitable control measures. 

Improvements we implemented as a result included:

• Providing PDAs to allow people to check their emails whilst at client sites, instead of at home in the evening, giving them greater control over their working life.
• Issuing a company handbook to clarify job descriptions and centralise our policies and procedures.
• Revising the performance review forms to include ratings for the six key stressors.
• Recognising the need to recruit more staff. 
• Completing individual stress risk assessments for staff when necessary.

The benefits

Our staff turnover has decreased considerably since 2006.  We believe that our initiatives have helped to keep valuable staff and avoid recruitment and training costs.

Our accident and injury statistics remain at zero – and this is not due to under-reporting!  We have never had a lost-time incident, nor have any staff received anything more than a minor injury (e.g. paper cuts) while working for System Concepts.

Find out more

If you would like System Concepts to help you improve the health and wellbeing of your workforce, please contact Tanya Heasman on 020 7240 3388 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .