TORONTO, Ont. — A new accolade, one in which winners are determined by an organization’s own employees in recognition of companies that are successful in fostering the total health of their workers, was introduced on June 21 by Morneau Sheppell and The Globe and Mail.  “Providing a safe, healthy and positive work environment is key to maintaining good health in employees,” Alan Torrie, president and chief executive officer of Morneau Shepell, said in a statement. “Through the Employee Recommended Workplace Award, we are excited to honour and recognize employers that have been successful in making a positive difference in the health of their employees.” As the name of the award suggests, the Employee Recommended Workplace Award is the first of its kind in which employees are the judges. Employees of participating organizations fill out a 10-minute online survey in which they are asked to rate themselves on the four key pillars of total health: physical, mental, work and life. Employees who have completed the survey will receive a personal report and score, and winning organizations are chosen based on the numeric score of all employees. Extending beyond a basic employee-engagement survey or health-risk assessment, the survey also identifies areas that are challenging to employees and provides individuals with access to resources to help manage their work and personal lives. Employees who have completed the survey will get new insights into their own personal health risks, in addition to coping strategies to balance work and life demands. This, in turn, helps to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and improve engagement, the statement noted. “Workplace stress is found to have a higher impact on engagement than personal stress, causing a growing concern for many companies,” said Phillip Crawley, publisher of The Globe and Mail. “While organizations have a vested interest in helping to minimize their workers’ stress and promoting their mental and physical well-being, we are finding that few employers are tackling this challenge successfully. We hope that through the introduction of the Employee Recommended Workplace Award, more employers will begin implementing programs to foster the total health of employees.” An editorial segment published by The Globe and Mail will recognize the winning organizations. Winners will also receive an Employee Recommended Workplace Award badge for their respective websites and honoured in an awards ceremony profiled by The Globe and Mail in February 2017.