iwin Requests Sloan Award Applicants

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 17, 2010) - According to a recent International Data Corporation study, one-third of the world’s workforce will be mobile by 2013, and the United States is leading the charge. Researchers from Harvard University working on a work-life project also found that "Generation X" professors value efficiency over "face time." It's all about flexibility.

Kentucky employers can see how they stack up through the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. Applications for 2010 award are now available.

University of Kentucky's Institute for Workplace Innovation (iwin) sponsors the Sloan Awards, a national project on workplace effectiveness and flexibility that recognizes employers across the country for best work practices. "This prestigious award offers Kentucky employers the opportunity to be recognized nationally among other employers who strive to promote a culture that leverages workplace flexibility as a tool to meet business and workforce objectives,” said Jennifer Swanberg, iwin's executive director.

UK Work-Life Director Robynn Pease understands the need for workplace flexibility. "We have employees ranging from age 19 to 89 here at UK," she said. "With a multigenerational staff of both men and women, we need these types of accommodations."

The University of Kentucky founded its work-life department in 2004 under the direction of President Lee T. Todd Jr. "It makes good business sense," said Pease. "Numerous studies show that workplace flexibility promotes increased engagement and productivity in the workplace, as well as a reduction in absenteeism."            

The Sloan Awards are unique for their rigorous criteria. To win, applicants must rank in the top 20 percent of U.S. employers in terms of programming and practices for creating effective and flexible workplaces, based on nationally representative data from the Families and Work Institute.

More important than the attractive award trophy is the local, regional and national recognition that companies receive that assist them in recruiting, engaging and retaining employees, according to iWin. In addition, all applicants receive a customized benchmarking report comparing their practices to a nationally representative sample of U.S. employers and to fellow award winners.

The Sloan Awards are part of "When Work Works," an initiative of the Families and Work Institute, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce and the Twiga Foundation.

Applications are due April 16.

For more information on the Sloan Awards, please visit iwin online at http://www.uky.edu/Centers/iwin/ or contact Lee Ann Walton at leeannwalton@uky.edu or 859-323-0582.