Ohio Psychological Association Three Organizations Win 2009 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award

Three Organizations Win 2009 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award

According to an American Psychological Association (APA) poll, 80 percent of people say the economy causes significant stress. Despite the economy, three Ohio organizations have made its employees’ lives less stressful through psychologically healthy workplace programs.

The Ohio Psychological Association (OPA) honored Don Joseph, Inc. (Kent), The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Powell) and The Boeing Company (Heath) as the recipients of its seventh annual Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award.

After an application was submitted to the OPA, a panel of OPA members conducted a site visit. The workplace was evaluated on five areas: employee involvement, employee growth and development, health and safety, employee recognition and work-life balance.

"Many employees report calling in sick because of workplace stress," said Craig Travis, Ph.D., OPA president. "We are proud to honor these organizations that demonstrate a psychologically healthy workplace through programs and activities that reduce distress and increase wellness and health in their employees. We hope other workplaces will follow by implementing educational programs to raise awareness and provide environmental support for their employees."

DON JOSEPH, INC.

One business you wouldn’t expect to be psychologically healthy in the current economic climate is a car dealership, but Toyota dealership Don Joseph, Inc., is. The company’s psychologically healthy attitude toward its employees is reflected in its turnover rate: 23 percent of employees have been at the company 30 years or more, while 40 percent have worked there 10 or more years. Customer satisfaction scores rank an impressive 98.8 out of 100.

To facilitate employee involvement, the company hosts departmental meetings each month, where employees can give feedback on how to improve efficiency and good work practices. Don Joseph’s Signature Program gives direction to each employee on how to perform his or her job. A focus group analyzes a core area and comes up with suggestions, then the employee of that area creates a document on how to do the job. Employee involvement is imperative with this process, and it encourages employees to be more efficient in their daily tasks. With the program, employees feel like they are part of the daily decision-making process.

Employees are rewarded with money, time off or a thank you from management when a job is well done. Don Joseph, Inc., also displays knowledge of the work-life balance by providing flex time.

“We pride ourselves on a family run business and we treat our employees like family,” said Jim Wise, general manager. “This makes a happy work environment.”

THE COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUM

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s work environment can be described in one word: family.

“During our site visit, we met with three various groups of employees—each one stressed that the Zoo is about family,” said Dr. Richard Rynearson, chair of the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award Committee. “We were impressed with the way the employees interacted and genuinely cared about each other and the work environment.”

The Zoo has many psychologically healthy workplace programs in place. In the area of employee involvement, a staff advisory committee works with human resources to develop staff events, such as a wiffle ball tournament and special nights when employees can bring their families to
enjoy the park. Employees also can submit ideas to a suggestion box, placed throughout the organization and online.

Each employee goes through basic safety training. A safety committee, comprised of different departments, meets monthly to look at incidents and how to better manage them. Employees are debriefed after an incident takes place.

In addition, many programs are in place to foster employee growth and development. Each employee is given a stipend for tuition reimbursement or conferences. The Zoo’s Passport program teaches employees about other departments in the Zoo. Frequent educational brown bag lunches are also held throughout the year.

The organization is also sensitive to the employees’ work/life balance. “No one stops you from taking time off,” one employee said. Employees have a generous vacation/sick time package and can also donate sick time to fellow employees who may need it.

Hard work does not go unrecognized at the Zoo. An annual Employee Recognition Dinner celebrates achievements and honors service milestones. “Caught in Action” cards reward associates for delivering great guest service, and the “Employee of the Quarter,” nominated by staff, receives a $50 gift card, parking space of their choice and a feature in the employee newsletter and membership newsletter.

"The Zoo family is thrilled to receive this award,” said Dale Schmidt, interim executive director. “It's a wonderful way to recognize the hard work we all do to make the Zoo a great place not only to visit but also to work!"

THE BOEING COMPANY

The Boeing Company, a military aerospace and defense contractor, managed to keep psychologically healthy principles in the workplace even when 8.9 percent of the workforce was laid off due to the economy.

Boeing’s employee assistance program held classes on stress management not only for laid off employees, but all workers. The human resource department critiqued and helped these employees with their resumes, conducted mock interviews and held classes on writing a good cover letter.

“Even though Boeing faced this crisis, its employees still deem it a great place to work based on our site visit,” said Rynearson. “Employees are proud of what they do and believe in their product.”

An impressive trait of this company is its tuition reimbursement, where employees receive $7,500 for undergraduate work and $15,000 toward a master’s degree. Upon completing their degrees, employees receive Boeing stock options.

Work-life balance is evidenced in Boeing’s 9/80 program, where employees can work an extra hour each day, eight hours on Friday and then take the next Friday off.

Employee involvement teams are another psychologically healthy feature of Boeing. Teams have the ability to improve all aspects of their job by being engaged and taking ownership. One group is now even allowed to supervise themselves, as they have received what’s called level four recognition.

Recognition is another part of Boeing’s psychologically healthy environment. The company has a wide array of recognition programs, including profit sharing, stock distribution, peer to peer recognition and an instant reward program.

Due to the nature of work at Boeing, health and safety are big issues. The company has many programs in place to teach employees about safety issues around the plant. In addition, the well being program offers health screenings and an annual flu shot. At lunch and learns, employees
learn about health issues such as portion control.

"We are honored The Boeing Company's Heath site has been chosen for this award," said Center Director Charles Dutch. "It reflects our commitment to the health and well-being of our employees which is tied to business performance and productivity."

ABOUT A PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACE
The benefits of a 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.

Failure to provide a psychologically healthy workplace can impact the bottom line. A poll conducted by the APA found that one in four employees has taken a “mental health” sick day. Job stress also costs U.S. industry $300 billion annually.

For more information about Ohio’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award, contact Heather Gilbert, director of communications and education, at (800) 783-1983.