Minnesota Champions Awards Honor Professional, Personal Balance

Published Friday, September 21, 2007on MidwestBusiness.com.

MINNEAPOLIS – Certainly and absolutely the main thing that surfaces when one looks past the stereotypical “it’s cold up there!” reaction to the word “Minnesota” is quality of life.

Though it never occurred to me when attending college in St. Paul, Minn., two statistics captured my attention upon returning to Minnesota five years later.

First, Minnesotans have the longest life expectancy of any state in the union. Second, they also have the greatest number of medical, health care facilities and insurance companies per capita to back it up. These statistics add up.

Looking beyond these factors, however, are the quality-of-everyday-life elements that never surface elsewhere.

As the soul of advanced humanism (my code word for “liberalism”) in public- and private-sector policy, Minnesota corporations have generally tended to be early adopters of such advanced practices as on-site day-care centers, flexible workweeks, telecommuting and the widest imaginable range of community relations or corporate social responsibility programs.

Take, for example, the Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards. These recognize the need for balance between work life and real life. For the past two years, they have recognized and honored employers who help employees achieve a balance between work and family.

The Minnesota High-Tech Association (MHTA) is a partner in this effort along with nine chambers of commerce, a handful of regional initiatives and more than a dozen other family and childcare service providers throughout the state. The full list of partners can be viewed here.

This year’s applications are due by Oct. 31 and can be viewed and filled in here.

While many awards competitions are money-making schemes, there is no fee attached to applying for these awards. Winners of the 2008 Minnesota Work-Life Champions Awards will be announced at a special luncheon on Jan. 30, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree in St. Louis Park, Minn.

The awards program was initiated by a grant from the McKnight Foundation. The McKnight family started 3M, which is arguably the oldest technology employer and the largest in the state. Historically, 3M has funded countless types of Gopher State do-gooder projects ranging from urban redevelopment to the arts.

The program is managed and organized by the Center for Ethical Business Cultures (CEBC) in conjunction with WFC Resources (originally known as Work & Family Connection).

The awards honor Minnesota employers who implement practices that create a supportive workplace to help employees meet family and personal responsibilities as well as business needs. For 2008, the awards are organized into five categories based on a company’s total number of employees. Companies compete only within their own size category.

Judges will identify and honor up to 10 employers in each category and one will be honored as the champion for the category. Additionally, a special award will be presented this year to one or more employers who have implemented the most innovative work-life initiative. Completing for this particular award is optional.

Other employers who have demonstrated their commitment and efforts to implement work-life policies and practices but have not yet achieved the champion level will be recognized with work-life advocate awards.

© Copyright 2007 Midwest Business, Inc. All rights reserved.