American College of Healthcare Sciences Recognized for Exemplary Workplace Practices
Receives prestigious When Work Works Award
CONTACT: Lauren Shapiro
TELEPHONE: 503.244.0726
EMAIL: laurenshapiro@achs.edu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, OR—May 26, 2016—American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has been honored with a 2016 When Work Works Award for its use of effective workplace strategies to increase business and employee success.
This prestigious award, part of the national When Work Works project administered by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), recognizes employers of all sizes and types in Oregon and across the country.
“We are thrilled to receive this award for 2016. We strongly value and want to support our working parents and all our staff who juggle busy lives and personal responsibilities with the work they love,” says Erika Yigzaw, chief strategy officer at ACHS.
“Given that we offer degree programs in holistic health and wellness, it is only right that we do our part to help employees live what we teach. We have offered flexibility and benefits even when we only had a few employees. In fact, my main goal in applying for this award is to show other small companies that having flexible policies can not only lead to happier, healthier staff, but can boost your bottom line. Yes, you can keep both HR and your CFO happy! Thanks to everyone at the Families and Work Institute, the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, and Family Forward Oregon for all that you do,” says Yigzaw.
The award is the result of a rigorous assessment. Worksites must first qualify by ranking in the top 20% of the country based on a nationally representative sample of employers. Two-thirds of the evaluation of applicants comes from an employee survey. Applicants are evaluated on six research-based ingredients of an effective workplace: opportunities for learning; a culture of trust; work/life fit; supervisor support for work success; autonomy; and satisfaction with earnings, benefits, and opportunities for advancement—all factors associated with employee health, well-being, and engagement.
“These employers have excelled at creating effective workplaces yielding tremendously positive results for business success, as well as for their employees’ well-being and productivity,” said Ellen Galinsky, president of FWI. “Effective workplaces recognize that employees are an organization’s greatest resource and make a critical difference in the organization’s ability to not only survive, but to thrive.”
“The 2016 When Work Works Award winners confirm that leading employers are continuing the movement toward effective workplace strategies that benefit both business and employees,” said Lisa Horn, director of SHRM’s workplace flexibility initiative. “These innovative strategies are what sets these organizations apart, allowing them to attract and retain top talent, giving them a competitive advantage.”
To learn more, check out this interactive map of winning organizations by state: http://www.whenworkworks.org/be-effective/2016-when-work-works-award-winners-state-listing.
ACHS will be recognized as a When Work Works recipient at a June 6, 2016 luncheon hosted by Family Forward Oregon and the Center for Parental Leave Leadership. For details, please visit http://www.familyforwardoregon.org/when-work-works-2016-oregon-winners/.
When Work Works is a national project that shares research results on what makes an effective and flexible workplace with the business community.
For more information about the When Work Worksinitiative and the When Work Works Award, visit www.whenworkworks.org.
Media: For questions about this press release or to schedule an interview with ACHS, contact Erika Yigzaw at 503.244.0726 and publicrelations@achs.edu or Barbara Norcia-Broms at 212.465.2094 and bnorcia-broms@familiesandwork.org.
About ACHS
American College of Healthcare Sciences has been educating industry leading holistic health professionals since 1978. View our Alumni in Action online at https://achs.edu/alumni/in-action. ACHS is an accredited member of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACHS is one of the only accredited holistic health colleges offering fully online graduate and undergraduate degrees, diplomas, career-training certificates, and continuing education courses in integrative medicine fields, such as aromatherapy, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, and wellness coaching. For more information about ACHS programs visit www.achs.edu.
About When Work Works
When Work Works is a national initiative, led by the partnership of the Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), to help businesses of all sizes and types become more successful by transforming the way they view and adopt effective and flexible workplaces. When Work Works is one of the foremost providers of resources, rigorous research and best practices on workplace effectiveness and flexibility in the nation. The initiative administers the prestigious annual When Work Works Award, which recognizes exemplary employers for creating effective workplaces to increase business and employee success. Visit www.whenworkworks.org and follow us on Twitter @WhenWorkWorks @FWINews and @SHRMPress, and join the workflex conversation on Facebook.com/FWINews.
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