Hat-trick of awards for EEF

For the sixth year in a row, EEF has been rated the top support organisation for manufacturing businesses in the UK by The Manufacturer Magazine. EEF has also been named “Overall Winner” in the prestigious Occupational Health Awards 2007 for its unique Managing Sickness Absence Toolkit.

The third award was for Woodland Grange, EEF West Midlands’ conference and training centre near Leamington Spa. The centre won the coveted gold award, at the Godiva awards, for Best Conference Venue in the Coventry & Warwickshire region.

The Manufacturer’s in-depth survey of senior managers in nearly 500 companies across the UK revealed that 94 per cent of those who had contacted EEF found its advice and information useful, while 42 per cent said EEF was “very useful”.

The result was higher than the ranking achieved by any other business support organisation or government support agency. The Manufacturer, described the number one ranking as “an impressive accolade” and said “EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has proven to be the organisation most highly rated by the industry,”

The Occupational Health Awards, organised by Occupational Health magazine, were presented by Dame Carol Black, the National Director for Work and Health, at a special lunch.

Praising EEF’s unique Managing Sickness Absence Toolkit, the judges said it was great to see “such an unusual blend of expertise” in the team responsible. “The group put together a pragmatic and useful guide for employers that needs no further work from the customer and is useable by any size of organisation,” the judges’ citation stated.

The toolkit, produced by EEF in association with AXA, is an innovative, multidisciplinary resource showing companies how they can change their work culture by managing sickness absence in a systematic and professional way. It embraces employment law, human relations, occupational health and general medical practice, providing checklists, model policies and route maps for creating a high attendance ethos among employees.

Speaking about the awards Martin Dean, Director of Membership Services at EEF West Midlands said:

“We are delighted by theses awards which have once again recognised EEF as a top business service provider throughout the UK”

“We work in close partnership with each and every one of our members providing a wide range of advice, support and expertise. It is clear from these awards that we are meeting the needs of businesses and we are committed to continuing to do so in every way possible.”

EEF’s services reflect the breadth and depth of its knowledge: HR & Legal; Health & Safety; Environmental Services; Training & Development; Policy & Representation; and Information & Research. The result is an unrivalled source of advice, support and expertise designed to help businesses succeed.

EEF West Midlands is the largest employers’ association in the region, representing primarily engineering, manufacturing and technology-based organisations. Serving those member companies is a team of 160+ staff providing a wide range of experience and expertise.

EEF West Midlands supports and advises on all aspects of HR including employment law and employee relations (ER). The ER team handles hundreds of employment tribunals for members annually. Other areas of support include health, safety and the environment. With its training centres, EEF West Midlands can also help develop the workforce required for businesses to succeed. Regionally and nationally EEF represents the interests of those determining the economic and social conditions in which employers operate.