Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP Promotes Work-Life Balance With Annual Award

Wendy Angel
Public Relations Coordinator
Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP
404-230-6724 Office
wangel@constangy.com

ATLANTA – As October is National Work and Family month, businesses everywhere are being encouraged to make their workplaces more family-friendly and flexible. For some companies, though, work-life balance isn’t focused on only once a year; it’s an everyday occurrence.

National labor and employment law firm Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP is awarding its annual Human Resource Work-Life Balance Initiative Award to Advanced Electronic Services of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The fourth year for the Work-Life Balance Awards, the program aims to recognize companies that actively initiate and create work environments conducive to work-life balance.

An independent panel of judges selected Advanced Electronic Services as this year’s winner because of their impressive array of programs, including their flexible schedules policies. The policy gives employees a great deal of flexibility in their schedules, even from week to week, allowing them to take time for family activities, doctor’s appointments, care of family members and personal appointments. The judges said that this “shows a refreshing recognition that what's paramount is fostering work that demonstrates a commitment to quality and service, not detailing the hours spent in an office cubicle.”

In addition, Advanced Electronic Services innovatively uses employee surveys and focus groups to target their work-life strategies and gauge what was is important to employees. The company has a variety of other programs and initiatives that foster a positive working environment, including creatively themed employee social gatherings and a voluntary “Friendship Fund” that allows employees to give to fellow coworkers in times of need.

“These programs show that Advanced Electronic Services is committed to work-life balance, making them a great example for other companies,” says Neil Wasser, firm chairman. “While flexible schedule policies are not feasible for every work environment, that’s only one example of what companies can do to promote work-life balance, and is only one part of AES’s overall program. Being National Work and Family Month, it is a great time to recognize the many achievements that Advanced Electronic Services has made to the well-being and care of its employees. As we have learned at Constangy from companies like AES, when an employer creates a positive work environment that is sensitive to issues of work-life balance, the organization is rewarded with low turnover, great morale, and even greater productivity.  It's a win for everyone."

In addition to the award, Advanced Electronic Services is also the recipient of a $1,000 sum to donate to the non-profit organization of its choice. The company has chosen Carla B. Farlow Foundation for Children of Surry County, which provides financial assistance and support to families with serious physical and mental challenges to help pay for treatments.  Advanced Electronic Services is making a matching contribution.

"We are honored to accept this award in recognition of AES’s commitment to provide a balance between life, family and work responsibilities," says Angie Cagle, human resources director for Advanced Electronic Services.  "Since Leslie and Steve Cooke started the company 17 years ago, they have always expressed the importance of putting family first – do what you need to do, so that you can be successful on your job. AES sets a high expectation for customer service, and the flexible schedule allows us to accomplish this objective without creating a hardship for employees or their families. The flexibility of our work hours allows us to meet individual employees needs and because of this they are more willing to put forward extra time when customer demands exceed existing capacity."

As part of Constangy’s Work-Life Balance program, Shands Jacksonville Medical Center in Jacksonville, Fla., was awarded Honorable Mention for its superior employee wellness program.

Judges for this year’s Work-Life Balance Awards program were Steve Miller, Manager/Editor for Compensation & Benefits, HR News - SHRM  Online; Sandy Burud, Chief Strategy Officer, FlexPaths; Kathleen Hall, Founder & CEO, The Stress Institute; Cynthia Calvert, Co-Director, Project for Attorney Retention; and Ellen Ostrow, Founder, Lawyers Life Coach.

For more information about work-life balance, visit www.constangy.com/WorkLife.html.

About Advanced Electronic Services:
AES, Inc. was founded by Leslie and Steve Cooke in 1992. The company began by specializing in industrial electronic repair and has since expanded to provide domestic and international electronic, electromechanical, hydraulic and motor repair services. AES is very proud of the distinctive quality and unrivaled customer service we provide in all aspects of our business. The success of AES is determined by our ability to operate as a unified team. We have to earn the trust and respect of our customers every day to ensure that they choose to repeatedly use our services for their industrial repair needs.  For more information, please visit www.aesintl.com

About Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP:
Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP has counseled employers on labor and employment law matters, exclusively, since 1946. A “Go To” Law Firm in Corporate Counsel and Fortune Magazine, it represents Fortune 500 corporations and small companies across the country.  Its attorneys are consistently rated as top lawyers in their practice areas by publications such as Chambers USA, Super Lawyers, and Top One Hundred Labor Attorneys in the United States.  More than 100 lawyers partner with clients to provide cost-effective legal services and sound preventive advice to enhance the employer-employee relationship.  Offices are located in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Texas, California and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.constangy.com.