Johannesburg, 16 Feb 2011
SAS, the leader in business analytics software and services, has joined a growing list of multinational companies who believe so strongly in promoting employee health that they have committed to create a global standard for workplace wellness. Gale Adcock, SAS Director of Corporate Health Services, will represent SAS on the World Economic Forum Workplace Wellness Alliance.
"It's logical, timely and appropriate for SAS, as a global company, to be involved in wellness discussions," said Adcock, a family nurse practitioner who oversees SAS' on-site healthcare centres in Cary, North Carolina and Austin, Texas. "SAS has long understood the business benefits of healthy, engaged employees. We're glad to share what we've learned and are eager to learn from others."
The Workplace Wellness Alliance grew out of WEF's annual meeting in 2008, when 13 corporations called on business leaders to take action in this area. Leading companies expanded their commitment to health and well-being at work through a WEF community of thought leadership. During the financial downturn, the group focused on understanding the return on investment of health and well-being programmes.
The alliance will standardise a set of common metrics and launch an online knowledge-sharing platform. The work of the alliance will be featured at WEF meetings, culminating in a global standard for workplace wellness.
"The alliance is a consortium of global CEOs dedicated to measuring the link between employee wellness, engagement and productivity," said Michael B McCallister, Champion of the Workplace Wellness Alliance and Chairman of the Board and CEO of Humana. "By applying metrics and best practices, the alliance will enable employees to achieve their full potential while making optimum contributions to their enterprises' growth and success."
SAS is a long-standing WEF partner, and SAS CEO Jim Goodnight an active contributor to WEF debates. He attends the annual meeting in Davos and has co-chaired many WEF regional forums, most recently WEF Latin America in Rio in 2009.
SAS has won numerous awards for its innovative workplace practices, most recently achieving the number one spot on FORTUNE magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the second consecutive year. SAS in 2007 earned CEO Cancer Gold Standard Accreditation for its efforts to promote a healthy workplace.
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