2006 MINNESOTA WORK-LIFE CHAMPIONS™ ANNOUNCED
Lancet takes homes the silver for small businesses.
Leaders from General Mills, Inc., American Solutions for Business, Madelia Community Hospital and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation received top honors today at a ceremony recognizing work-life balance initiatives.
The luncheon awards ceremony, held at the Doubletree Park Place Hotel in St. Louis Park, Minn., honored winners of the 2006 Minnesota Work-Life Champions™ Awards, Minnesota's first state-wide awards program spotlighting the efforts of Minnesota businesses to implement programs and practices that create flexible and supportive workplaces.
Twelve companies- from Rochester to St. Cloud- were recognized with Gold, Silver or Bronze Work-Life Champions Awards, and other attending companies were accorded Work-Life Advocate Awards, based on their substantial efforts to create balanced work-life cultures.
"Creating work environments where employees don't have to choose between doing their job and caring for their family members is increasingly important as our global economy expands," says Diane Cushman, director of the Office on the Economic Status of Women, and advisor to the 2006 Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards. "Workplaces that acknowledge this and respond by creating benefits, policies and environments that support their employees will see improved morale, productivity and commitment to the success of the business - factors that directly contribute to improved profitability."
Recipients of the 2006 Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards include:
Gold: General Mills, Inc.-Golden Valley, Minn. (Very Large category- 1,000 or more employees); American Solutions for Business-Glenwood (Large category- 250-999 employees); Madelia Community Hospital-Madelia (Medium category- 50-249 employees); and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation-Owatonna (Small category- 5-49 employees).
Silver: Medtronic, Inc.-Fridley (Very Large); Leonard, Street and Deinard-Minneapolis (Large); Marco-St. Cloud (Medium); and Lancet Software-Burnsville (Small).
Bronze: Mayo Clinic-Rochester (Very Large); Gray Plant Mooty-Minneapolis (Large); Healthia Consulting-St. Louis Park (Medium); and Karlsson Consulting Group, Inc.-Bloomington (Small).
Noteworthy efforts made by Gold award recipients include offering flexibility and control over work schedules; employer-paid health premiums; generous holiday and illness leave; and formal systems of communication for employees to express their opinions on issues relating to both organizational operations and how they are treated as employees. For complete summaries of outstanding work-life practices and efforts made by Gold, Silver and Bronze Work-Life Champions, visit www.worklifechampions.org/champions.
Minnesota employers had the opportunity to apply for the 2006 Work-Life Champions Awards from July 20 - October 21, 2005. Applicants in four size categories, based on the number of employees, were evaluated on their organizational culture and leadership; work practices and flexibility; health, wellness and benefits; help with personal and family issues; and community involvement. Finalists were also evaluated based on a survey that was administered to a random sampling of employees from each company. The judging panel for the 2006 awards was comprised of ten delegates from Minnesota businesses of varying sizes and industries.
Award ceremony highlights included a keynote address by Ronald Turner, Chairman, President and CEO of Ceridian Corporation, long-time advocate of supportive work-life policies and practices and attendance by over 190 Minnesota business leaders.
The first annual Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards™ were sponsored and presented by The Minnesota Work-Life Champions Partnership, a group of local chambers of commerce, business and professional associations, foundations, and non-profit work-life advocacy organizations committed to making Minnesota's employers the strongest in the nation. The awards program was initiated by a grant from The McKnight Foundation and is managed and organized by the Center for Ethical Business Cultures with assistance from Work and Family Connection, Inc.
The 2006 Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards have a framework similar to that outlined by the National Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP). The award was initiated by a grant from The McKnight Foundation and is managed by the Center for Ethical Business Cultures. Work & Family Connection Inc, a nationally recognized publisher and consultant on work-life practices, provides content expertise to the project. For more information about the 2006 Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards, contact David Rodbourne, vice president at the Center for Ethical Business Cultures at 651-962-4120 or visit www.worklifechampions.org.