How HR Professionals Help Companies Reach a Greener Bottom Line

ST. PAUL, Minn., July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Regardless of where a company's green initiative starts, the human resources department likely will play a role in implementing it.

In "Good for the environment, good for business," HR professionals can pick up quick tips from employers that launched programs to reduce waste and improve efficiency. The article is in the Minnesota Life Insurance Company group insurance newsletter, "AWARE."

Todd Allen, the human resources administrator for Howard County government in Maryland, started his department's green initiative with self-administering employee benefits. When employees go online to name their group life beneficiaries and provide other information, they not only reduce paper waste, they improve accuracy.

"We used to get enrollment forms that were either incomplete or unreadable," says Allen. Now, when the government's 2,700 employees enroll they need to do little more than press a button to make their elections.

Berkeley, California-based Clif Bar & Co. makes energy bars from all natural and organic ingredients. The company's mission is to reduce its ecological footprint in everything it does. It encourages employees to do likewise by rewarding them for making their homes more efficient with Energy Star appliances, added insulation, and efficient windows. Kate Torgersen, Clif Bar spokeswoman, says the company's green policies help with recruiting.

"Employees want to work for companies that share their values," Torgersen said, "They want to feel good about where they work, and they want to feel good at work."

To learn more about how HR departments can encourage green behavior in the work place, visit Minnesota Life's group insurance site, LifeBenefits.com and click on the AWARE icon at the upper right. After subscribing, go to "Good for the environment, good for business." A free subscription to the monthly newsletter for employers and benefits brokers provides access to the AWARE archive, which is full of articles about the issues HR professionals face and well-researched suggestions for dealing with them.

Minnesota Life is among the top five group life insurers in the country. In 2009, in the midst of the Great Recession, Minnesota Life group life sales rose 15 percent.

Since 1880, Securian Financial Group and its affiliates have provided financial security for individuals and businesses in the form of insurance, investments and retirement plans. Now one of the nation's largest financial services providers, it is the holding company parent of a group of companies that include Minnesota Life Insurance Company.

SOURCE Securian Financial Group, Inc.

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