Four Organizations Receive APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award, Nine Honored for Best Practices

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Psychological Association will recognize nine organizations for their efforts to promote employee well-being and performance at its eighth annual Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, March 9.

The four employers who will receive APA's Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award (PHWA) are Bowers + Kubota Consulting (Hawaii), Triple-S (Puerto Rico), Christiana Care Health System's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, (Delaware) and Tripler Army Medical Center (Hawaii).

These organizations reported an average turnover rate of just six percent in 2012 – significantly less than the national average of 38 percent estimated by the U.S. Department of Labor. In surveys completed by the winning organizations, on average, fewer than one in five employees (19 percent) reported experiencing chronic work stress, compared to 35 percent nationally, and 84 percent of employees said they were satisfied with their jobs, versus 67 percent across the U.S. workforce. Only 11 percent of employees at these organizations said they intend to seek employment elsewhere within the next year, compared to almost three times as many (31 percent) nationwide.

"Forward-thinking employers such as our 2013 award winners are taking steps to create a positive work environment where employees can thrive," says David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, head of APA's Center for Organizational Excellence. "In turn, employees are more engaged and committed to the organization's success. This shared responsibility for creating a psychologically healthy workplace promotes an organizational culture that values well-being and performance and delivers results on both sides of the equation."

The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center will be recognized for its comprehensive programs including an annual employee retreat, wellness website and flexible scheduling. The company reports that since the implementation of the annual retreat, employees have demonstrated measureable improvements in conflict management, internal communications and group cohesiveness. 

Bowers + Kubota Consulting offers generous health coverage, flexible work schedules and employee recognition through bonuses and retirement account contributions. For example, the company's wellness program which encourages employees to earn points for making healthy choices in exercise, nutrition and behavioral health has enhanced productivity and helps the company retain high-performing employees.

The Tripler Army Medical Center's flex-schedules, telework options, onsite exercise rooms and fitness programs are some of the workplace practices that helped earn a 2013 award. This has resulted in lower turnover rates along with increased clinical productivity, financial performance and customer satisfaction. 

Award winner Triple-S offers a comprehensive onsite health clinic and extensive offerings of medical services, support programs and preventive screenings, all available at work. Its healthy workplace practices have reaped rewards for both the organization and its employees. For example, in 2010, while employees saved time and money by visiting the onsite clinic instead of having to attend outside medical appointments, the company avoided a reported $381,843 in lost productivity.

In addition to the PHWA winners, nine organizations will receive Best Practices Honors for a single program or policy that contributes to a psychologically healthy work environment and meets the unique needs of the organization and its employees. The honorees are the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research (Ohio), St. Luke's (Minnesota), Tasty Catering (Illinois), The Harvest Group (Arkansas) and the University of Southern California.  PHWA winners Bowers + Kubota Consulting (Hawaii), Christiana Care Health System's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center (Delaware), Triple-S (Puerto Rico), and Tripler Army Medical Center (Hawaii) will also receive Best Practices Honors.

The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards are designed to recognize organizations for their efforts to foster employee well-being while enhancing organizational performance. The program has both local- and national-level components. APA's award program spans North America and is designed to showcase the very best from among the winners recognized by APA's affiliated state, provincial and territorial psychological associations. Nominees are selected from a pool of previous local winners and evaluated on their workplace practices in the areas of employee involvement, health and safety, employee growth and development, work-life balance and employee recognition. Additional factors that are considered include employee attitudes and opinions; the role of communication in the organization; and the benefits realized in terms of both employee health and organizational performance. Awards are given to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations as well as government, military and educational institutions.

The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program is a public education initiative from APA's Center for Organizational Excellence.  The Center offers the following resources for employers through its website apaexcellence.org:

• Good Company newsletter, blog and podcast, featuring tips, tools and other resources to help employers create a healthy, high-performing work environment
• A searchable database of professional, academic and popular press literature related to employee well-being and organizational performance
• Case examples and best practices from award-winning organizations
• Conferences, webcasts and online courses for human resource professionals, benefits managers, health and wellness professionals, organizational consultants and business leaders.
• A calendar of events with information about conferences from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, human resources, health promotion and employee benefits

Connect with APA's Center for Organizational Excellence on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 137,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.

SOURCE American Psychological Association