Arizona Spine and Joint Hospital Wins Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility

Business Wire, July 2, 2007

Local Businesses Receive National Recognition for Business Practices at Award Ceremony Hosted By The Chandler Chamber of Commerce

MESA, Ariz. -- Arizona Spine and Joint Hospital was named a winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility today, distinguishing the employer as one of the top practitioners of workplace flexibility in the nation.

The Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility are part of the When Work Works project, an ongoing initiative of Families and Work Institute, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW), an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Twiga Foundation to recognize businesses that are dedicated to making work "work" for the employer and the employees. Through When Work Works, these partner organizations provide research, resources and recognition to businesses nationwide, and share the results of the research on creating effective and flexible workplaces that meet the needs of the 21st century.

"The best way to describe Arizona Spine and Joint Hospital's flexible work policies is in two words: No Programs! We use the Platinum Rule here...treat everyone as though THEY want to be treated. This means getting to know everyone of our employees as an individual. Each one of use has different wants, needs and desires. Meeting these factors for each of our employees leads to pride and loyalty to the organization and great 'word of mouth' advertising!" states Kristin Schmidt, CEO.

Representing a diverse range of employer size and industry, winners of this prestigious award not only offer excellent workplace flexibility policies and practices, but they also use flexibility as a strategic business tool to benefit business and employees. Each of the winners will be recognized in a national advertisement, just as 2005 and 2006 winners were recognized in USA Today earlier this year.

"Two of the biggest issues for employers in today's economy are recruitment of top talent and retention of valued employees," said Greg Roth, senior manager of programs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce. "The business community sees workplace flexibility as a vital piece in a broader plan to develop the strongest possible workforce. As a strategy to stay competitive, workplace flexibility can be a sound business decision for employers no matter the size or industry sector."

Applications for the Alfred P. Sloan Awards were open to all businesses in the greater Chandler area with more than 10 employees that had been in business for at least one year. Applicants were evaluated in a rigorous two-step process, first comparing the employer's application to nationally representative data from Families and Work Institute's National Study of Employers, and then validating what employers report against employee responses.

"This award is one of the most rigorous in the country," said Ellen Galinsky, president of Families and Work Institute. "When comparing the winners to national data, they score in the top 20 percent of all employers in the U.S. - which is phenomenal," she said. "To have employers' data corroborated by their employees is what is most exciting. These businesses understand that workplace effectiveness and flexibility are part of being an employer of choice today. They are truly models for other companies."

Families and Work Institute research finds that effective and flexible workplaces have benefits for employers and employees alike. In fact, employees in effective and flexible workplaces are more likely to be:

* engaged in their jobs and committed to helping their companies succeed;

* satisfied with their jobs; and

* to plan on staying with their employer.

"Ten years of intensive data collection tells us that adopting workplace flexibility practices may be one the most strategic businesses decisions a company can make regarding its work culture," says Patricia Kempthorne, founder and executive director of the Twiga Foundation.

Chandler is one of 24 select communities nationwide chosen to host and participate in the When Work Works initiative. Other communities participating are: Aurora, CO; Boise, ID; Brockton, MA; Chattanooga, TN; Chicago, IL; Cincinnati, OH; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Durham, NC; Houston, TX; Long Beach, CA; Long Island, NY; Melbourne-Palm Bay, FL; Morris County, NJ; Providence, RI; Richmond, VA; Salt Lake City, UT; Savannah, GA; Seattle, WA; Spokane, WA; Tampa, FL; Washington, DC; and Winona, MN.

For more information about When Work Works or the Alfred P. Sloan Awards, please contact Elizabeth Miller at (212) 465-8421 or at emiller@familiesandwork.org.

ABOUT

Arizona Spine and Joint Hospital is a hospital that specializes in disease of the spine and joints providing surgical and non-surgical intervention. For more information, visit www.azspineandjoint.com or call our physician referral line at 480-824-1262.

ABOUT WHEN WORK WORKS

When Work Works is a nationwide initiative to highlight the importance of workforce effectiveness and workplace flexibility as strategies to enhance businesses' competitive advantage in the global economy and yield positive business results. When Work Works is a project of Families and Work Institute sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in partnership with The Center for Workforce Preparation, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Twiga Foundation. For more information, visit www.whenworkworks.org.