Liberty P.R. receives workplace award from American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) recently awarded Liberty Puerto Rico with its 2019 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award, the provider announced.
One of eight employers from across the United States and Canada received the distinction this year and Liberty won in the medium for-profit category, due to its efforts to “create a healthy, high-performing work environment,” it added.
The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award recognizes employers who implement workplace practices, backed by psychological science, that advance employee health and well-being while increasing performance and productivity.
“It is an honor for us to receive this award and to join past recipients that are long admired and respected,” said Jazmín Castro, human resources director at Liberty Puerto Rico. “The journey to promote employee health and well-being while supporting organizational performance, has not been an easy one.”
“The key to our success has been our commitment to our people, caring about what they have to say and acting on it. We strongly believe that our employee experience impacts our customer experience and without a doubt our company’s growth is proof of that,” she said.
Liberty implemented programs to foster employee involvement, health and safety, employee growth and development, work-life balance and employee recognition. These programs include Wise & Well with Liberty, a comprehensive wellness program dedicated to nutrition, health screenings, smoking cessation, fitness, mental health and community involvement.
Liberty’s psychologically healthy workplace practices have reaped rewards for both the organization and its employees. The retention rate for new hires is 85 percent after one year, turnover is less than 10 percent and employee referrals jumped 20 percent, as staff encourage other high-performing individuals to join the company, it confirmed.
“Employees notice when an organization legitimately cares about their well-being and are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization and motivated to do their best,” says David W. Ballard, head of APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplaces program and its Office of Applied Psychology, which hosts the annual awards.
“Organizations like Liberty Puerto Rico recognize the importance of creating a work environment where employees and the organization can thrive,” he said.
Liberty received the APA Psychologically Healthy Workplace Honors in the fall of 2018, qualifying it for APA award consideration. The telecom company was among 23 companies, nonprofits and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada that implement workplace practices that encourage good organizational outcomes and employees’ own well-being.
Out of that pool of 23 finalists, eight companies received the award. Liberty Puerto Rico was the only company in Puerto Rico recognized with this distinction, it added.
Liberty Puerto Rico received the same distinction locally through the Puerto Rico Psychological Association, which was awarded during the organization’s annual convention held in November 2018. Liberty was also the only local company to receive this honor last year.
The APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Honors is an annual award program for employers in the United States and Canada.
Participating employers are evaluated on their efforts in employee involvement, work-life balance, employee growth and development, health and safety and employee recognition.###
