Morneau Shepell and The Globe and Mail partner to present the Employee Recommended Workplace Award

New award recognizes companies that are successful in fostering the total health of their employees

TORONTO, June 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Morneau Shepell (TSX: MSI) and The Globe and Mail announced today a partnership to introduce the Employee Recommended Workplace Award – a new accolade recognizing Canadian organizations that have been successful in fostering the total health of their employees.

In a fast-paced world where employees are busy on the job and outside the office, organizations have begun identifying an increase in presenteeism (employees attending work but unengaged) and absenteeism (employees failing to report to work) in the workplace. In the Your Life at Work survey, conducted by Morneau Shepell's Dr. Bill Howatt and The Globe and Mail, Canadian employees indicated that they put in less than 70 per cent of their best effort at work on a daily basis. This has become a major concern to employers. According to Morneau Shepell's Survey of Trends in Human Resources last year, 66 per cent of employers said that improving the health and engagement of their employees was a top priority for 2016 – up from 53 per cent for 2015.

"Workplace stress is found to have a higher impact on engagement than personal stress, causing a growing concern for many companies," said Phillip Crawley, Publisher, The Globe and Mail.  "While organizations have a vested interest in helping to minimize their workers' stress and promoting their mental and physical well-being, we're finding that few employers are tackling this challenge successfully. We hope that through the introduction of the Employee Recommended Workplace Award, more employers will begin implementing programs to foster the total health of employees."

"Providing a safe, healthy and positive work environment is key to maintaining good health in employees," said Alan Torrie, President and CEO, Morneau Shepell. "Through the Employee Recommended Workplace Award, we are excited to honour and recognize employers that have been successful in making a positive difference in the health of their employees."

The Employee Recommended Workplace Award is the first of its kind to have winners determined by an organization's own employees. Employees of participating organizations fill out an online survey where they are asked to rate themselves on the four key pillars of total health: physical, mental, work and life. Employees receive a personal report and score, and winning organizations are chosen based on the numeric score of all employees.

Extending beyond a basic employee engagement survey or health risk assessment, the survey identifies areas that are challenging to employees and provides individuals with access to resources to help manage their work and personal lives. Employees completing the survey will receive new insights into their own personal health risks in addition to strategies to cope and balance work and life demands. In turn, this helps to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and improve engagement.

The Employee Recommended Workplace Award allows organizations to send a message to employees that they are dedicated to helping improve their health. Regular participation in the Award and survey enables organizations to gauge the impact of Human Resource programs by reviewing where employees have progressed and areas in need of improvement. Taken together, this data allows organizations to analyze the impact of employees' total health on their long-term sustainability and overall success.

For more information, or to register your organization, visit http://www.employeerecommended.com/. Employers are encouraged to register early to allow enough time for their employees to complete the survey before it closes November 15, 2016. Winners will be announced in February 2017 at an awards ceremony in Toronto.

About the Employee Recommended Workplace Award

Employees of registered organizations complete a 10-minute, confidential Employee Recommended Workplace Survey, rating themselves on the four key pillars of health: physical, mental, work and life. Upon completion, employees receive an Employee Snapshot Report with their score and an explanation of what the score indicates, access to a downloadable Globe and Mail e-book, and a three-month offer for Globe Unlimited.

Employers receive an Employee Recommended Workplace Snapshot Report, providing an overall score and a high-level, evidence-based view of the risks of their current holistic employee and organizational health. Winning organizations will be recognized in an editorial segment published by The Globe and Mail, receive an Employee Recommended Workplace Award badge for their website, and will be recognized in an awards ceremony profiled by The Globe and Mail in February 2017.

Cost to register is $299 for small organizations (40 to 99 employees), $599 for medium organizations (100 to 499 employees) and $999 for large organizations (500 employees and more).

About Morneau Shepell Inc.

Morneau Shepell is the only human resources consulting and technology company that takes an integrative approach to employee assistance, health, benefits and retirement needs. The Company is the leading provider of employee and family assistance programs, as well as the largest administrator of retirement and benefits plans and the largest provider of integrated absence management solutions in Canada. Through health and productivity, administrative, and retirement solutions, Morneau Shepell helps clients reduce costs, increase employee productivity and improve their competitive position. Established in 1966, Morneau Shepell serves approximately 20,000 clients, ranging from small businesses to some of the largest corporations and associations in North America. With almost 4,000 employees in offices across North America, Morneau Shepell provides services to organizations across Canada, in the United States, and around the globe. Morneau Shepell is a publicly-traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MSI). For more information, visit morneaushepell.com.

SOURCE Morneau Shepell Inc.

Heather MacDonald, Kaiser Lachance Communications, 647.725.2520 x207, [email protected]; Cathren Ronberg, Morneau Shepell, 416-355-5632, [email protected]