A team of occupational health nurses have been given the chance to offer their support services from their homes or on the move, it has been revealed.

The flexible working initiative has seen Norwich Union Occupational Health establish a "virtual contact centre" that can offer professional nursing expertise to customers on a 24-hour basis.

In addition to the potential benefits of greater customer access to occupational health advice, Norwich Union is convinced that the initiative has allowed participating staff to establish a better and more productive work-life balance.

Julia Haughton, absence team manager at Norwich Union Occupational Health, commented: "By drawing on our huge understanding of the occupational health market, we know that the ‘one size fits all’ approach doesn’t always work.

"By using this system, we’ve found the team is more productive and motivated whilst offering an improved experience for all our customers."

Norwich Union is part of the Aviva insurance group and claims to be the foremost sponsor of athletics in the UK.