City and County of Denver Receives The Standard's 2021 Workplace Possibilities Champions Award

City and County of Denver Is Recognized for Excellence in Disability Management

PORTLAND, Ore. — Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) announced the City and County of Denver as the recipient of the 2021 Workplace Possibilities^SM Champions award. The award honors employers that have achieved excellence with the Workplace Possibilities program, a proactive, whole-person approach to help manage absence and disability in the workplace. The City and County of Denver received the award for its outstanding return-to-work and stay-at-work programs that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The City and County of Denver employs thousands of individuals who support our city and residents by providing a multitude of services, and we are committed to offering them a diverse suite of benefits programs, such as Workplace Possibilities, that support their health, well-being and productivity,” said Marilyn Carroll, leave of absence manager at the City and County of Denver. “The Workplace Possibilities team brings an extra level of compassion and support, giving our employees access to essential resources they need to perform and feel successful in their jobs,” Carroll said.

“We are proud to partner with the City and County of Denver, which has shown tremendous commitment to implementing and growing their disability management program,” said Brian Kost, senior director of the Workplace Possibilities program at The Standard. “They have utilized the program to support employees while continually demonstrating genuine care and concern for their overall health and success,” Kost said.

In 2020 alone, the City and County of Denver referred more than 100 employees to The Standard’s Workplace Possibilities program, resulting in a net savings of $149,862 to the City and County of Denver and a disability duration reduction of over 1,100 days. In addition, the program’s reasonable accommodation expense benefit, which covers an employer's approved expenses up to $25,000 toward worksite modifications, enabled much-needed support that otherwise may not have been funded.

The Standard’s Workplace Possibilities program offers a proactive, whole-person approach to behavioral health and disability management through customized solutions that help employees stay at work and return to work sooner. Current success rates show 92% of employees who participated in the Workplace Possibilities program successfully stayed at work, thus helping employers avoid more than $15 million in direct claim costs and 125,000 lost workdays.¹

The Workplace Possibilities Champions award recognizes employers that are exceeding expectations for their implementation and ongoing partnership with the Workplace Possibilities program. Winning organizations are selected based on their ability to:

• Initiate employee referrals to the program
• Promote the program to managers, supervisors and other staff members
• Partner with The Standard to customize accommodations for employees
• Train managers, supervisors and team leaders about the program
• Excel in change management

About The Standard

The Standard is a family of companies dedicated to helping customers achieve financial well-being and peace of mind. In business since 1906, we are a leading provider of financial protection products and services for employers and individuals. Our products include group and individual disability insurance, group life, dental and vision insurance, voluntary (employee-paid) benefits, absence management services, and retirement plans and annuities for employers and individuals. For more information about The Standard, visit standard.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

The Standard is the marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries: Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, Inc., StanCorp Mortgage Investors, LLC, StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., StanCorp Real Estate, LLC, and StanCorp Equities, Inc.

About the City and County of Denver

The City and County of Denver spans more than 40 different departments/agencies, with over 14,000 employees. These departments/agencies include: the Mayor’s Office, the Denver Fire Department, the Denver Police Department, Denver International Airport, the Office of Human Resources, Denver Human Services, Community Planning & Development, Denver Arts & Venues, the Department of Housing Stability, The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, Denver Parks & Recreation and many more. The organization leverages the Workplace Possibilities^SM program to prevent future leaves by helping employees stay at work or return to work sooner when they need support for a physical or behavioral health condition.

1 Past successes of the program do not guarantee any type of future outcomes or savings.