KeatsConnelly Receives the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Making Work “Work”

Nov. 10, 2011 - PRLog -- Phoenix, AZ – November 10, 2011  --  KeatsConnelly, the largest cross-border wealth management firm in North America that specializes in helping Canadians and Americans realize their dreams of a cross-border lifestyle, has been awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility for the fourth consecutive year.  The firm received this recognition, which distinguishes best practices in workplace flexibility across the nation in 2008, 2009, 2010 and again in 2011.

The Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility is part of the When Work Works project, an ongoing initiative of the Families and Work Institute, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Twiga Foundation.  The Sloan Award is research-based and offers employers the opportunity to see how their business practices compare to those of other leading organizations and highlights how effective and flexible workplaces can yield positive business results.  Employees of each nominated firm must complete a survey and answer questions about their experiences with flexibility and other aspects of an effective workplace.  To be a recipient of a Sloan Award, the employer is required to demonstrate the ways in which they handle the changing workplace dynamics, increase the engagement and commitment of employees, retain their talent, improve the mental well-being and productivity of employees and continue to achieve goals and objectives set by the organization.

Effective workplaces are those that both satisfy and advance employees.  Research has shown that employees in effective workplaces have better health and well-being outcomes than those of low overall effectiveness.  Statistically speaking, eighty-nine percent of employees in effective workplaces report job satisfaction compared to only twelve percent in workplaces of low overall efficiency.  Both aspects of effective workplaces are evaluated for consideration for an Alfred P. Sloan Award.  KeatsConnelly was honored for several of its employee benefits including flexible work hours, telecommuting, job sharing, paid time off, continuing education, retirement plans and more.

“Receiving this recognition is truly an honor and a reflection of our philosophy that happy employees are the main key to great client service,” said Dale Walters, CPA, PFS, CFP®, Chief Executive Officer of KeatsConnelly.  “To receive this recognition for the fourth year in a row is a positive reinforcement that we continually strive to create a workplace that attracts and retains the best employees."

Winners of this award rank in the top 20% of U.S. employers in terms of their programs and practices for creating effective and flexible workplaces, based on nationally representative data from Families and Work Institute.  To ensure integrity of the program, two thirds of the overall score is derived from a confidential employee survey, which allows all team members the opportunity to express how the programs impact their day-to-day life.  All applicants receive a customized benchmarking report comparing workplace practices to a nationally representative sample of U.S. employers and to Award winners.

Promising practices and innovative ideas for creating effective and flexible workplaces are culled from winners of the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility and published annually in the Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work.

The 2011 Awards Ceremony took place at the San Marcos Resort in Chandler Arizona on Wednesday, November 2nd.

About KeatsConnelly:

KeatsConnelly is the largest and most experienced Canada-U.S. cross border wealth management firm in the United States.  We simplify the lives of high net worth Canadians living and working in Canada and the United States by providing complete and customized cross-border tax, financial planning and investment management services that protect their assets and families.  With offices in Arizona and Florida, we have the ability to do it all with unmatched cross-border expertise for both business and personal support.  For more information, please visit http://www.keatsconnelly.com.