Warner Norcross Receives Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Excellence, Flexibility

GRAND RAPIDS, MI October 28, 2010 (Press-News.org) Grand Rapids, Michigan, October 26, 2010 - The law firm was recognized with an Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility, which places Warner Norcross in the top 20 percent of employers nationally in terms of programs, policies and culture. The award is named for the former CEO of General Motors Corp., whose foundation focuses on promoting research and science education, workplace issues, economics and related areas.

The Sloan Awards honor organizations of all sizes and types that are "using workplace flexibility as a strategy to increase workplace effectiveness and yield positive business results." The awards, now in their seventh year, reviewed workplace policies, practices and benefits to assess workplace flexibility on a national basis.

Warner Norcross offers numerous programs and benefits designed to promote workplace flexibility and assist attorneys and staff to achieve work-life balance. These include:
• Total contribution focus that credits attorneys for the non-billable work they do on behalf of the firm, such as client development and community outreach
• Flexible career paths and reduced hour tracks that provide greater practice flexibility when life circumstances change
• An enhanced career development program that provides classes and seminars for attorneys from the time they join the firm through - and beyond - promotion to partner
• Mentoring programs designed to ensure that all attorneys and staff have an experienced person within the firm that they can turn to for professional development and guidance
• Job sharing and telecommuting, including providing lap tops and remote access to all attorneys and paralegals
• Paid time off, which allows employees to use their time off as they wish, rather than designating it for vacation, illness, etc.

The award program is part of the When Work Works project, an ongoing initiative of Families and Work Institute, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce and the Twiga Foundation. The Families and Work Institute conducts the National Study of Employers, an annual study funded in part by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation that takes a comprehensive look at the policies and benefits provided by U.S. employers to address the changing needs of today's workers and their workplaces.

The organizations have found that employees in effective and flexible workplaces are more likely to have:
• Greater engagement in their jobs
• Higher levels of job satisfaction
• Stronger intentions to remain with their employers
• Less negative spillover between home and work
• Better mental health

About Warner Norcross & Judd
Warner Norcross & Judd is a corporate law firm with 220 attorneys practicing in six offices throughout Michigan: Grand Rapids, Holland, Lansing, Muskegon, Southfield and Sterling Heights. The firm has more than 75 practice groups that work in virtually all areas of business and civil law. By providing sound legal advice and alternative billing options, Warner Norcross & Judd forges a better partnership with its clients. To learn more, visit http://www.wnj.com.

Sabo Public Relations is a full-service public relations company specializing in media relations, litigation communications and crisis management.