3M

"By addressing attendance issues we were able to increase productivity to cope with unprecedented demand for our products"

- Peter Gash, Human Resource Manager 3M UK

3M, one of the world’s most innovative companies, manufactures respiratory & environmental protection products at its Newton Aycliffe site in County Durham where it employs 330 people. The company works in partnership with both the AMICUS and the TGWU trade unions. In 1998 it established a joint consultative body known as the Works Advisory Council (WAC). Acas was involved from the outset in helping to establish and train the WAC. The training concentrated on problem solving methods and techniques, consultation and working together to achieve consensus on issues. Further training in joint working facilitated by Acas took place in 2001 to enhance its effectiveness.

In 2002, employee absence levels in some areas had become unacceptable being considerably in excess of the industry norm. The WAC discussed the issue with Acas and it was agreed that Acas would run a problem solving workshop with them to look at ways to resolve the situation. The trade unions were fully in support of the need to reduce absence & shared collective responsibility for a resolution. Following extensive consultation with the WAC on the nature of the problem and potential solutions, a new attendance procedure was drafted which was endorsed by the WAC and implemented early in 2003. Acas also trained first line supervisors & managers in return to work interview techniques. The need for good attendance was emphasised when the plant saw unprecedented demand for its products as a result of the SARS epidemic in the Far East and Asia.

The joint work undertaken proved to be a great success with absence levels more than halving since the start of the project.

Running in parallel with this initiative was a health improvement programme the basis of which was joint working between teams of employees that had been set up to investigate areas for continuous improvement in health, safety and the environment, both in the workplace and outside, workshops looking at work-life balance were particularly effective. As a result 3M became the first ever winner in County Durham of the Gold Award in the “Working for Health in County Durham” initiative run by the Sedgefield Primary Care Trust. The sites Occupational Health Advisor, Pat Hardy commented “We have always encouraged the close involvement of the workforce across the site and many of our special events are run in direct response to requests from our employees, and we are delighted that our success has been recognised by us winning this prestigious Award.

Following on from this success the management, trade union reps and employees are even more committed to working together in partnership to ensure that the Aycliffe 3M site has a long and sustainable future.