How is Your Flex Life? Twin City Employers are Recognized for their Flex Initiatives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) September 26, 2011 -- Minneapolis (September 26, 2011) - Today, more than ever, employees need to have a healthy “flex life” if they are to meet the demands of both work and home, and for many, that need for workplace flexibility means looking for a different job. The 2011 Work+Life Fit survey found more than a third of respondents (35%) plan to seek a new job either inside or outside of their organization, and 65% of those job-seekers wanted a more flexible schedule.

Thirteen Twin City companies are already giving employees exactly what they need. On October 11th, they will be recognized by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. The winning companies include Deloitte, Dorsey & Whitney, Ernst & Young, Health Dimensions Group, KPMG, LaBreche, Mahoney Ulbrich, Christiansen & Russ, McGladrey, Netgain Hosting, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Turck and Western National Insurance.

The Sloan Awards are part of “When Work Works,” a national project to educate the business community on the value of workplace effectiveness and flexibility. The Awards are unique for their rigorous, two-step selection process, which involves an evaluation of employers’ flexibility programs and practices, and a confidential employee survey.

Sloan Award community leader Kathy Kacher says, “In an economy where everyone is doing more with less, it’s uplifting to see so many employers who understand the payoff for creating a supportive, flexible workplace. When Work Works had hundreds of applicants this year and our winners are truly leading the way!”

Sloan Award winner Ginny Latocki, with Western National Insurance, agreed about the benefits of flexibility. "Using flex as a strategy,” she says, “has improved our ability to grow in an unexpected and positive way. Western National has recently experienced four acquisitions, three alone in the last year. With each acquisition our goal has been to assimilate, rather than dictate, and our flex programs are key in communicating that message."

The awards program will be the grand finale of the Work/Life & Flexibility Expo, a full day conference dedicated to educating, celebrating, and creating more winning work cultures in the Twin Cities. Expo attendees will hear from some of the nation’s top speakers including Ryan Estis, business performance expert, and Henry Emmons, MD. Emmons, author of The Chemistry of Joy, will share about the impact resilience training has had on both employees and organizations.

The Expo will be held at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11th, and ending at 4. More than 200 professionals in human resources, diversity, work-life, organizational development and other senior business and line leaders are expected to attend. For more information visit http://www.worklifeexpo.com

absenteeism     Employee Benefit     employee engagement     flexible work     human resources     Stress in the Workplace     work and family month     worklife balance