September 28, 2009 — The City of Houston’s Flexible Workplace Initiative Program once again honored Vinson & Elkins with the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. As demands on both organizations and employees increase, and traffic congestion and pollution are on the rise, workplace flexibility has become imperative to respond to the many growing needs of businesses, individuals, and cities. The Sloan Awards recognize organizations of all sizes and types across the country that use workplace flexibility to address these needs as a strategy to increase effectiveness and yield positive business results.

V&E is one of only 24 employers in Houston to receive the prestigious award, and as a recipient, ranks in the top 20 percent nationally in terms of flexible work programs, policies, and culture. “We are thrilled to recognize these exemplary employers in our community,” said Shirley Crews Taylor, Director, Flexible Workplace Initiative, City of Houston - Planning and Development Department. “Their bold embrace of progressive workplaces is all the more impressive during these challenging economic times.”

The workplace practices that propelled V&E to win the Sloan Award include flex-time for employees, part-time options for staff and lawyers, and a post maternity phase-in program which allows attorneys to return to work on a reduced schedule.

Now in its fifth year, the prestigious awards program expanded its application base to organizations nationwide for the first time, and any organization in the U.S. was eligible for the award. Applicants were evaluated in a rigorous two-step process, first comparing the employer’s application to nationally representative data from Families and Work Institute’s National Study of Employers, and then corroborating the employer responses through a survey of employees.

For more information about the Alfred P. Sloan Awards, please contact Tyler Wigton at 212. 465.2044 or twigton@familiesandwork.org. You may also contact V&E's Director of Communications , Mark Curriden, at 214.220.7879 or mcurriden@velaw.com, or V&E’s Human Resource Director, Sue Fahey, at 713.758.2669 or sfahey@velaw.com.