Step Up Sponsors Second Annual Workplace Innovator Award


Step Up Savannah, Inc. will recognize businesses that have adopted creative workplace practices for their lowwage employees with the 2010 Workplace Innovator Award, to be presented at the organization’s annual meeting on Oct. 14.

The selected business or organization understands the need and value in assisting lower wage workers, and recognizes the benefits to the company

Nominations for the Step Up Workplace Innovator Award are due September 1.

The Workforce Innovator Award, now in its second year, is a distinction conferred by Step Up Savannah to showcase innovative and meaningful employer practices that benefit that employer’s low-wage workers. Recipients are presented the award at the Step Up Annual Meeting at a breakfast on October 14.

In 2009, IKEA Distribution Center was recognized for its horizontal management style, flexible scheduling, on-site educational opportunities, on-site tax preparation for low-wage workers and the integration of public benefits eligibility screening into the hiring process.

Broadly speaking, the award seeks to recognize employers that are implementing a wide array of creative processes or programs to develop their low-wage workforce as workers and as individuals, ultimately providing tools to increase their income. These practices must add value to the employer and the employee.

To be considered for the 2010 Workplace Innovator Award, an organization must fill in a two-page nomination form; organizations are encouraged to self-nominate. Nomination forms are due by September 1 and will be evaluated by a team of judges from the City of Savannah, Step Up Savannah, the Savannah Economic Development Authority and last year’s winner, IKEA.

The top two applications will be selected for a site visit from the team of judges during the week of September 20th, and the 2010 recipient will be announced at Step Up Savannah’s Annual Meeting on the morning of October 14, at Savannah Technical College.

The annual meeting will also feature Michelle Mapp, program director of the Lowcountry Housing Trust, based in Charleston, S.C. Ms. Mapp will talk about the economic development impacts of affordable housing, and creative financing to build and rehab housing.

Nominations for the Workplace Innovator Award may be submitted online at: stepupsavannah.org/w orkplaceinnovator or call or e-mail Shawnte Tyler, or Garrison Marr, at (912) 232- 6747, styler@stepupsavannah. org, to request a copy of the nomination form.

For more information about Step Up Savannah, please visit its website at stepupsavannah.org.

To find out more about the awards or Step Up’s annual meeting, please call Suzanne Donovan at (912) 232-6747.


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