IT seems that work-life balance is the new buzz phrase - a little bit like total quality management was in the late Nineties. But what does it all actually mean, and how does it translate to business and employee needs? Put simply, it's about striking the right balance of working life and home life, while meeting the needs of employers and employees. It is not the new strap line for a Mars advert, "helps you work, rest and play", but a practical solution providing modern-day approaches to working life.

The North East Chamber of Commerce is a principal sponsor of Work Wise North-East, a campaign aiming to banish the nine-to-five culture in favour of businesses adopting smarter working practices to make this region a truly progressive economy.

Businesses across the North-East are being asked to take part in a week-long trial during Work Wise Week (May 16 to 22) to look at smarter working practices, which could be anything from home, flexible, mobile or remote working. Benefits will not only contribute to the health and well-being of employees, but also to the level of congestion on the region's roads.

It is certainly not a one size fits all approach, but businesses will be given practical assistance with implementing systems that suit their business and employees.

Recent studies have shown that employers have a far greater understanding of what constitutes as a work-life balance than in previous years.

I recently visited Larchfield Community Centre, in Middlesbrough, to look at different ways of addressing needs. Larchfield is much more than just a Government initiative. It is a practical solution which involves more than just employment as it offers a means of independent living for some special community members. Although, this is not a typical type of business or community. It was for me an experience that I can only describe as a very humbling one. What struck me was just how much they lived and breathed a real work-life balance. Larchfield offers a purpose in life for many that would not be deemed as capable of employment in a traditional sense that we would recognise. But Larchfield has a shop, farm, butcher, cafe and 22 special residents. I'm not suggesting that we decide to move to a similar community, but I think we can learn from the importance of balancing economic and personal needs.

I was left questioning my own work-life balance.