Cisco Makes The Green 30 Based On Eco-Friendly Programs and Practices

Employees Identify "The Green 30" Organizations Based On Eco-Friendly Programs and Practices

Hewitt Associates' Green Index Measures Workplace Perceptions of Employers' Environmental Initiatives

TORONTO, April 22 /CNW/ - The list of Canada's "Green 30" - organizations whose employees are most positive about their record on environmental stewardship - was released today, Earth Day, by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing company. The list (attached) was compiled from employee feedback using Hewitt's Employee Green Index, which focuses on employers' strategies, activities and efforts to minimize the environmental impact of their operations, products and services.

As part of the 2010 Best Employers in Canada and Best Small & Medium Employers in Canada studies, Hewitt surveyed over 100,000 employees at 230 organizations regarding their employers' commitment to environmental stewardship. At the Green 30 organizations, an average of 86 per cent of employees have a positive perception of their employers' eco-friendly efforts. At the 30 organizations with the least positive reviews, that figure is 58 per cent.

"Our findings show that employees really see the difference when their employer is focused on developing and implementing environmentally-conscious policies and practices," said Neil Crawford, Hewitt's leader of the Best Employers in Canada study. "Effective green programs and practices may persuade certain employees to join or stay with an organization."

However, more employers are gradually adopting environmentally-friendly programs. While all of this year's Green 30 encourage recycling, waste reduction and/or reduced paper usage, so do 86 per cent of the 30 organizations with the lowest rankings on the Employee Green Index. "The gap is higher with respect to other initiatives," stated Crawford. "The Green 30 are twice as likely as the 30 lowest ranked organizations to subsidize carbon offsets for business travel, sponsor programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from business operations, host events to facilitate participation in Earth Day or Earth Hour, and subsidize the costs of bike storage and/or showers for employees who cycle to work. While there are significant variations in the use of some of these practices amongst the Green 30, they all demonstrate real passion and commitment to reducing the impact of their business on the environment in the eyes of their employees."

The Green 30 list appears in the May 3 edition of Maclean's, as well as in the May 10 issue of Canadian Business. Both magazines are available on newsstands today, Earth Day.

Organizations that participate in the Best Small & Medium Employers in Canada (50-399 employees) or the Best Employers in Canada (400 or more employees) studies are automatically eligible for The Green 30 list. The deadline to register for each study - and therefore be considered for the 2011 Green 30 list - is May 31, 2010. For more information and to register online, please visit www.hewitt.com/bestemployerscanada.

About Hewitt Associates

Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW - News) provides leading organizations around the world with expert human resources consulting and outsourcing solutions to help them anticipate and solve their most complex benefits, talent, and related financial challenges. Hewitt consults with companies to design and implement a wide range of human resources, retirement, investment management, health management, compensation, and talent management strategies. As a leading outsourcing provider, Hewitt administers health care, retirement, payroll, and other HR programs to millions of employees, their families, and retirees. With a history of exceptional client service since 1940, Hewitt has offices in 33 countries, including Canadian offices in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Regina, and employs approximately 23,000 associates who are helping make the world a better place to work. For more information, please visit www.hewitt.com/canada.

                      Organization                            Headquarters
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    Aecon Group Inc.                                       Toronto  ON
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    BC Biomedical Laboratories Ltd.                        Surrey  BC
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    Bentall LP                                             Toronto  ON
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    BLJC                                                   Markham  ON
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    Cascades Inc.                                          Kingsey Falls  QC
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    Cisco Canada                                           Toronto  ON
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    Co-operators Life Insurance Company                    Regina  SK
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    Delta Hotels                                           Toronto ON
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    EllisDon Corporation                                   London  ON
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    Envision Financial                                     Langley  BC
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    G&K Services Canada Inc.                               Mississauga  ON
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    Greater Edmonton Foundation: Housing for Seniors       Edmonton  AB
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    ISL Engineering and Land Services                      Edmonton  AB
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    Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc.                                 Montreal  QC
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    LoyaltyOne Inc.                                        Toronto  ON
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    Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics                          Vancouver  BC
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    Marriott Hotels of Canada Ltd.                         Mississauga  ON
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    McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited               Toronto  ON
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    Mountain Equipment Co-op                               Vancouver  BC
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    National Leasing                                       Winnipeg  MB
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    Nexen Inc.                                             Calgary  AB
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    PCL Constructors Inc.                                  Edmonton  AB
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    Public Outreach Fundraising Consultancy Inc.           Toronto  ON
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    Ricoh Canada Inc.                                      Mississauga  ON
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    Scotiabank Group                                       Toronto  ON
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    Stewart Weir & Co. Ltd.                                Sherwood Park  AB
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    Stikeman Elliott LLP                                   Toronto  ON
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    TD Bank Financial Group                                Toronto  ON
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    The Co-operators                                       Guelph  ON
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    Vancity Credit Union                                   Vancouver  BC
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