The Forum will take place on Tuesday 20 June at Nettle Hill Conference Centre in Ansty in Rugby Borough and is being offered as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Wellbeing for Life programme, where representatives from businesses across the region are invited to attend the free varied programme.

At the upcoming event employers can expect to hear from experts in Economy and Skills talking about local recruitment and training opportunities and thought-provoking sessions from guest speakers offering insight into wellbeing ideas to retain happy and healthy staff.

In a highly competitive market, recruiting and keeping hold of employees has become a major challenge for employers. According to the HR Review, employee turnover rates have increased by 9% since 2019 and are expected to rise to 41% in 2023. On top of this, uncertainty around the financial future is affecting businesses’ decisions on recruitment budgets and wellbeing/total reward packages.

There will be an opportunity to pick up more information and talk to attending organisations including Fairchance, Thrive at Work and Thrive into Work, Coventry Job Shop, Corporate Games NWSLC and the Skills Hub. Attendees can also get a free health check from Hub Minibus project. The health MOT consists of weight, blood pressure, BMI and diabetes tests. Attendees will also be able to enjoy a complimentary buffet lunch.

The Workplace Wellbeing Forum was launched by Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council in 2022 and is working to encourage people to take a more proactive approach to looking after their own wellbeing and to raise the profile of local prevention opportunities. It is also helping to provide a place for local employers to network and access resources that will support them in developing improved wellbeing practices. We recognise there are many challenges different organisations will face when trying to implement changes to health and wellbeing policies, so the Forum will also provide an opportunity to share best practice, as well as challenges, hopefully finding ways to overcome these.

Promoting employee wellbeing will not only benefit individuals; positive staff wellbeing can also bring benefits for the organisation. It can be a foundation to employee engagement and organisational performance, help prevent stress and create positive working environments where individuals and organisations can flourish.

Cllr Kamran Caan, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport said:  

“There is a strong link being supporting the wellbeing of your workforce and retaining that workforce.

“I would encourage as many of our local businesses to attend this event as possible to learn more about the many tactics and strategies that can help business in our region increase their retention rates. These include developing and offering a more flexible working culture and a stronger work-life balance, particularly after emerging from the pandemic, which is something that many employees value above other benefits. Demonstrating to your workforce that you care about their wellbeing, goes a really long way. Just as making sure there are training and learning and development opportunities for career progression for those that want it.”

For more information about the event, guest speakers and to book your place please visit the Eventbrite page.

For any queries please contact josouthan@warwickshire.gov.uk