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If staff at Business West don't know which direction to turn they know they can ask their bosses for guidance.
Managing director Phil Smith posts weekly thought-provoking updates on work and what's going on in the world offering support and encouragement to his workforce.
Business West is a not-for-profit organisation working with 21,000 businesses to help them start and grow as well as lobby government on their behalf with profits reinvested back into the business. Formed nearly 200 years ago as Bristol Chamber of Commerce Industry and Shipping, it supports business communities in Bath, Swindon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
As an organisation, Business West tries to follow its own good advice providing an environment where staff can balance work and life and are engaged in the business. Employees are encouraged to shadow colleagues in teams across the organisation and take part in volunteering days for staff to go out into the communities they operate in.
The medium-size organisation has kept a close eye on how its staff has coped throughout the various lockdowns through pulse surveys, online staff meetings and regular communication.
The Executive team has led from the front on encouraging flexible working, posting pictures of themselves taking breaks to encourage others to do the same.
Business West provided additional IT for those who needed it and made stationary deliveries to homes. It also introduced a working from home allowance and has awarded a number of ad hoc bonuses to staff who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic.
