Four Ohio Organizations Named Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award Winners by the Ohio Psychological Association
Columbus, OH (PRWEB) December 18, 2014 -- In today’s nonstop work environment, workplace pressures continue to mount. Productivity demands, information overload and increasing pressure to balance work and home lives can take a toll on employees’ health, well-being and job satisfaction. A 2013 survey by APA's Center for Organizational Excellence found that job-related stress is a serious issue. More than one-third of working Americans reported experiencing chronic work stress and just 36 percent said their organizations provide sufficient resources to help them manage that stress. This work stress can affect both individual well-being and organizational performance.
Some Ohio organizations have responded to these pressures by taking care of their employees. These employers are creating workplaces that do more than just improve productivity – they build a strong, vibrant organizational culture that supports the company itself.
The Ohio Psychological Association is proud to announce its 2014 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards winners. These workplaces were evaluated in five areas: employee involvement, employee growth and development, health and safety, employee recognition and work-life balance.
Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library—Chillicothe
The Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library has seven locations in Ross County, serving a population of about 80,000 people.
The Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library recognizes that its employees are the most valuable resource and aims to provide them with the tools they need to achieve personal and professional success. All staff members are encouraged to participate in continuing education classes, webinars and workshops. Staff members are also active in the community with outreach events, fostering a sense of pride in the organization and increasing morale. This past spring, the staff took part in a “Live Healthy, Live Well Challenge.” The six week challenge was designed to help participants improve their health and maintain their weight or lose a few pounds by encouraging regular exercise, nutrition, recipe substitutions, and wellness tips. Of those who participated, 80 percent adopted practices to reduce their risk of chronic disease and 96 percent lost or maintained their weight.
Dawson—Columbus
Dawson is a family-owned recruitment and staffing agency, operating in Columbus since 1946. They place professionals in temporary, temp-to-hire, and full-time jobs in the fields of administrative, call center, skilled trades, accounting & finance, creative, information technology, engineering, legal, and health care.
Since implementing a wellness program over a year ago, Dawson has noticed several areas of improvement in morale, physical health and stress management. Dawson has an onsite, fully equipped gym with onsite locker rooms to enable workouts before, during, or after work. They also partner with a local gym to have trainers come to the office twice a week for group fitness classes. Dawson also has an annual Wellness Week to promote healthy activities. Last year the focus was on stress management and activities included free chair massages, stress management presentation, yoga class with free yoga mats, and water bottles, and a free month of group fitness. In a survey conducted last year, 81.82 percent of folks working at Dawson currently participate in a sport or exercise on a weekly basis.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company—Akron
Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies, with operations in most regions of the world. Together with its subsidiaries and joint ventures, Goodyear develops, markets and sells tires for most applications. Goodyear operates 50 plants in 22 countries, with its world headquarters located in Akron, OH.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company introduced the GoodLife Program to help integrate all services and make sure all associates have access to programs to improve their quality of life. The original goal was to decrease the quickly escalating health care cost burden. However, it quickly became much broader. Goodyear started by hiring a Chief Health Officer. The program is designed to increase health in six components: physical, social, spiritual, emotional, environmental and mental. With the implementation of the GoodLife Program, associates have experienced a number of benefits. As a result of their “No One Gets Hurt” initiative, their incident/injury rate has dropped 28 percent. Employee satisfaction continues to improve with the most recent survey showing improvement in nine out of 12 categories. Over 10,000 of their U.S. associates now know their biometric numbers which can start them on a path toward healthier living.
Grants Plus—Cleveland
Grants Plus is a fundraising consulting firm that provides an infusion of energy and expertise for organizations of all shapes, sizes, and missions. Their team of experienced fundraising strategists, grant writers, and philanthropy experts boost their clients’ strengths with a roll-up-our-sleeves approach to the fundraising process.
Grants Plus is a fast growing company with a blossoming reputation for its forward-thinking employee-centered practices. Since the beginning they have paid close attention to balance, employee growth and autonomy, and other factors related to a psychologically healthy workplace. Grants Plus is built on a foundation of flexibility, as work is often completed by employees at their homes and on their own schedules. Their self-described “ridiculous levels of professional development,” includes regular, free educational sessions on a range of job-specific and workplace topics to personal health and wellness and recreational topics. Grants Plus also created and uses a quarterly scorecard system for reviews based on the company values: truth, bravery, hard work, laughter, professionalism and team. Supervisors meet with employees each quarter and have a dialog about the values and how the employee is demonstrating each one.
About a Psychologically Healthy Workplace
The benefits of a psychologically healthy workplace can include increased productivity and employee retention rates, recruiting advantages, company image enhancement, a better workplace atmosphere, and workers who are less stressed and more satisfied with their jobs. Applications for the 2015 awards will open in the spring.
For more information about Ohio’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award, visit ohpsych.org/about/awards/PHWA
Located in Columbus, OH, the Ohio Psychological Association is a membership organization of approximately 1,600 Ohio psychologists. Its mission is to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.
Heather Gilbert, Ohio Psychological Association, http://www.ohpsych.org, +1 (614) 224-0034 Ext: 15, [email protected]
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