FROM STAFF STRIPPING off to pose for a cheeky calendar to raise money for charity, to councillors sleeping outside in the town centre bandstand to raise awareness of homelessness, when it comes to helping good causes Crawley Borough Council's employees don't do things by halves. Staff report that their employer does a lot for the community, giving a positive score of 56%, while a 54% result shows that a desire for publicity isn't the reason it supports good causes — the council is ranked 17th on both points among mid-sized organisations. The workforce also believes the council does its bit to protect the environment, giving a top 10 positive score of 68%. Everybody is allocated two days a year to volunteer, and environmental champions encourage staff to think green. Crawley is working to reduce its impact on the planet by recycling more and reducing business mileage. The 798 people who work for the council have been on the payroll for an average of 13 years. The job isn't too stressful (69%), staff say that pressure doesn't affect their concentration (66%) and deadlines are realistic (62%). Any employee can request flexible working, and nearly a third work part-time, 519 do flexitime and 40 job share. People are happy with the balance between their professional and home lives (67%) and don't feel they are spending too much time working (57%, ranking 11th). The council has recently recorded its lowest sickness absence rate for 10 years, at under a day a year for senior managers and an average of 3.2 days a year for all employees. A top 10 score of 71% shows that staff feel their manager regularly expresses appreciation when they do a good job. They say they have the support they need to provide a great service (62%), managers motivate them to give their best (58%), talk openly and honestly with them (72%) and help them fulfil their potential (63%) — all top 20 scores. www.crawley.gov.uk
