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Alexandra Health, Toyal America and Royal Dutch Shell Named Winners in Search for Healthiest Workplaces

CI | April 12, 2013

Alexandra Health, Toyal America and Royal Dutch Shell today were named winners in the inaugural Global Healthy Workplace Awards and Summit held in London. These companies’ programs lead as examples of how the workplace can play an important role in improving health and wellness in regions around the world. The search for the healthiest workplaces in the world was sponsored by the Cigna Foundation and hosted by the Global Knowledge Exchange Network (GKEN) together with International Health Consulting and i-genius, whose common goal is to promote awareness of emerging better practices in health promotion and wellness in the workplace.

Identifying these winning healthy workplaces so that other employers worldwide can learn from them is especially timely, as a new global study out this month by Global Corporate Challenge found that 86 percent of employees worldwide don’t participate in their company’s wellness programs.

Companies of all sizes from 28 countries submitted workplace programs for award consideration. The submissions were reviewed by an international panel of public health experts from five continents who judged the workplace programs – for the first time – through the lens of the World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Workplace Model for Action, which includes the physical work environment, psychosocial work environment, personal heath resources and enterprise-community involvement. Six finalists who exemplified leadership in these areas were chosen to present their programs in London, where they were evaluated a final time before the three winners were chosen.

Congratulating the winners and commenting on the awards, Maggie FitzPatrick, Cigna's chief communication officer and president of the Cigna Foundation, said, "At a time when chronic disease is rising globally, the private sector is playing a critically important role advocating for health and wellness. The healthiest workplaces in the world are increasing wellness and productivity and reducing costs. Their workplace programs are improving health and wellness one employee at a time."

The Summit attracted more than 100 employers of all sizes, health system leaders, universities, policy leaders, NGOs, and world-renowned award judges and speakers amid a two-day Summit agenda packed with information on emerging and better practices for promoting workplace health – from addressing the aging employee population to protecting workers’ mental health and fighting chronic disease the world over.

Next, GKEN, i-genius and International Health Consulting with the Cigna Foundation will launch a global communication campaign, helping employers worldwide learn how to replicate these winning workplace practices and improve the health and wellness of their workforce.

For more information, go to www.globalhealthyworkplace.com.

About the Cigna Foundation

The Cigna Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna employees live and work.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, and other related products including group disability, life, and accident coverage. Cigna has sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, with approximately 75 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.