Dow Corning recognized for commitment to employee well-being

Dow Corning has been awarded the gold Corporate Health Standard Award for its work to improve the health and well-being of its employees at the company’s Barry site.

One of a small number of private sector companies to achieve the Gold Standard on the first assessment, Dow Corning was recognized for its commitment to staff well-being, involving employees in setting the health agenda, openness of communications, catering provisions on-site (including free daily fruit) and the work of its occupational health team.

Johanne Stacey-Davies, occupational health team leader at the Barry site, and leader of the Corporate Health Standard certification team said: “The award is valuable external recognition of the importance that Dow Corning places on employee health and well-being. It also confirms how effective the company is in delivering programmes that meet both company and employee needs to the very highest standard.

“Getting a gold standard straight off is a significant achievement as most organizations have to work their way through the various award levels to eventually get to the top category. We now have to hold the gold standard for a year before being eligible to apply for the top platinum award.”

The Corporate Health Standard* is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, delivered by Public Health Wales and supported by the Health and Safety Executive. Colin Hammacott, chair of the assessment team for the programme, said: “The assessors gleaned a sense of an organization that was at ease with itself and has confidence in the frankness and openness of its dealing with its employees and this was borne out in discussions with staff during the ‘walk and talk’, who confirmed that they felt valued and that Dow Corning was a good employer.

“The Occupational Health Team is pivotal to much of the Corporate Health Standard process and their involvement in health screening and surveillance, annual medicals and provision of on-site physiotherapy ensures that the health of Dow Corning staff is well cared for and effectively monitored.”

*The Corporate Health Standard (operated by the Welsh Assembly Government) is the national mark of quality for health and well-being in the workplace, for businesses and organizations employing more than 50 people. It is complemented by the Small Workplace Health Award for smaller workplaces. It has four levels of award (bronze, silver, gold and platinum) to recognize each development stage achieved. Free support and advice is available for businesses and organizations of all sizes to develop health and well-being initiatives in the workplace.

About Dow Corning

Dow Corning provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company’s Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® brands. Dow Corning is a joint venture equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning’s annual sales are outside the United States.