12th Telework Promotion Award Winners Announced, Microsoft Japan Wins Chairman's Award

The Japan Telework Association announced the companies, organizations, and one individual chosen as winners of its 12th annual Telework Promotion Awards on February 29, 2012, and held an award ceremony on March 8. The Chairman's Award was presented to one company, Microsoft Japan, while an Award of Excellence went to eight companies and organizations, and honorable mention to eight others. Every year since 2000, the Association has invited entries of practices of introducing and making use of telework (also known as telecommuting), or promoting and supporting telework, and given awards for the practices.

Microsoft Japan Co. received the Chairman's Award in recognition of its initiative to include working at home in its mobile work system, which has enabled all employees, whenever and wherever they work, to remain as productive as they are when working in the office. For about one week following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, 85% of its employees worked at home.

AIU Insurance Co., one of the winners of the Award of Excellence, officially introduced a teleworking system on December 1, 2011, in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake. AIU was recognized for its efforts to ensure business continuity with teleworking, which included conducting two pilot tests and surveys, encouraging a change in the mindsets of its employees, and confirming the effects of the change.

Posted: 2012/07/31 06:00:15 AM