Mountain America Credit Union Recognized for Exemplary Workplace Practices

WEST JORDAN, UT--(Marketwired - Aug 21, 2013) - Mountain America Credit Union has been honored with the 2013 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility. The award recognizes the use of flexibility and other effective practices as workplace strategies that increase business and employee success.

This prestigious award, part of the national When Work Works project administered by Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), recognizes employers of all sizes and types in Utah and across the country.

"This is a huge honor for us and speaks volumes about our workplace practices and employee participation," said Marshall Paepke, EVP and Chief Administrative Officer at Mountain America. "We work hard to provide flexible schedules for as many employees as possible, recognizing that it's not practical for every position. But where flexibility can be offered, we do, believing that an engaged and happy workforce helps drive member satisfaction and loyalty."

Lynn Stephens, senior vice president of Human Resources at Mountain America, also noted: "We've won work-life awards in the past, but this national recognition is a first for Mountain America. We're truly honored. And the fact that the award is based, in large part, on surveys submitted by employees, verifies that our employees feel that we value them and that we understand the importance of workplace flexibility throughout the organization."

Workplace flexibility -- such as flextime, part-time work and compressed workweeks -- has been demonstrated to help businesses remain competitive while also benefiting employees. Flexibility in combination with other aspects of an effective workplace -- such as learning opportunities and supervisor support for job success -- can have a powerful impact on employee engagement and motivation.

"Our research consistently finds that employees in effective and flexible workplaces have greater engagement on the job and greater desire to stay with their organization. In addition, they report lower stress levels and better overall health," said Ellen Galinsky, FWI president.

The Sloan Awards are unique for their rigorous, two-step selection process, which involves an evaluation of employers' flexibility programs and practices, and a confidential employee survey on the key ingredients of an effective and flexible workplace. All applicants are measured against national norms from the National Study of Employers.

"As a recipient of the 2013 Sloan Award, Mountain America ranks among the top 20 percent of employers nationally in terms of its programs, policies and culture for creating an effective and flexible workplace," Galinsky said. "In addition, what makes this honor so special is that their employees have corroborated this, affirming that it is indeed an effective and flexible workplace."

When Work Works is a national project to educate the business community on the value of workplace flexibility by sharing research and promising practices, and conducting the annual Sloan Awards. It is an ongoing initiative of FWI and SHRM.

For more information about the When Work Works initiative and the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility, visit www.whenworkworks.org.

Media: For more information, contact Gail Halladay of Mountain America at ghalladay@macu.com and 801-325-6511; Eve Tahmincioglu of FWI at eve@familiesandwork.org and 212-465-2044; or Kate Kennedy of SHRM at kate.kennedy@shrm.org and 703-535-6260.

About Mountain America Credit Union
Mountain America Credit Union has more than $3.5 billion in assets and serves more than 420,000 members, wherever they are, through online and mobile banking, 76 branches in five states, and provides access to more than 30,000 ATMs and 5,000 shared-branching locations nationwide. With Utah credit union roots dating back to the 1930s, Mountain America has become a tradition for many members, offering a variety of financial products and services for consumers and businesses, including savings accounts, auto loans, checking accounts, mortgage loans, business checking, SBA loans and retirement options. Visit www.macu.com for more information.

About When Work Works
When Work Works is a national initiative, led by the partnership of Families and Work Institute 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 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility annually, which recognize exemplary employers for using flexibility as part of an effective workplace strategy 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.