Kirkland, Quebec – May 27, 2009 – Pfizer Canada Inc. recently obtained the Healthy Enterprise – Elite certification from the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ). The BNQ develops Quebec, Canadian and international standards and is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). The BNQ certifies that the pro-health organizational practices implemented by the company comply with this level of certification. Pfizer Canada is one of the first companies to be certified under this standard. The certification applies to the entire company and covers its personnel both at the Head Office in Quebec and throughout Canada.

"We are very proud that we have obtained this certification, as it is a true reflection of our corporate values and our philosophy that it takes more than medication to be truly healthy," says Paul Lévesque, President of Pfizer Canada Inc. "Through our health and wellness program, we do our utmost to promote a healthy living and working environment. It is a major asset for Pfizer and a program that is a natural fit for a company that devotes itself to improving the health and quality of life of Canadians."

A world first

The BNQ created the Healthy Enterprise certification program in collaboration with the Group for Prevention and Promotion Strategies (GP²S), which initiated this project with support from the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon when it started up in 2005. The standard was officially launched in February 2008, and the implementation of the certification program followed. This occupational health standard is the first in the world of its kind, and it is part of the Quebec government's Action Plan to Promote Healthy Life Habits and Prevent Weight-Related Problems, 2006-2012.

The standard offers two levels of certification: Healthy Enterprise and Healthy Enterprise – Elite. In addition to demonstrating their commitment in a structured fashion and getting their managers involved in promoting workplace wellness, Elite-level certified companies are required to take action in all four areas of activity known to have a significant impact on employee health:  lifestyle habits, work-life balance, work environment and management practices.

A well-structured program

It is thanks largely to its health and wellness program that Pfizer Canada just obtained Healthy Enterprise – Elite certification. Pfizer Canada's employee health and well-being program, VIVA, which was launched in May 2007, is an integrated program centred on disease prevention, awareness of healthy living and employee support. The program promotes healthy lifestyle habits in various areas, such as nutrition, physical activity, work-life balance, and stress management. The VIVA program is aimed at inspiring employees to look after themselves and at helping them achieve their wellness objectives, whatever they might be.

"This initiative is making a positive contribution to our employees’ high level of engagement, and the results are clear. More than three-quarters of the employees surveyed in December 2008 said that the VIVA program adds value to their jobs,” says Luc St-Pierre, Pfizer Canada's Vice President of Human Resources. “It’s important to us that we provide all of our employees with a stimulating, respectful and safe work environment that is supportive of healthy lifestyle habits."

A productive social commitment

"I am very glad to see the interest of a large pharmaceutical company like Pfizer in the Healthy Enterprise standard,” emphasizes BNQ director Jacques Girard, P.Eng. “Taking its employees' health into consideration using this reference constitutes a gesture of social commitment. Not only is the company investing in its employees' health, but one of the stated objectives of this standard is that the good habits developed by employees be passed on directly to their families and helps relieve the pressure on health services in the medium and long term."

Quebec presently devotes 45% of its budget to health, an increase of 6% since 2003. Mental health problems cost Canadian companies $33 billion in direct and indirect costs. Recent studies identified by the Group for Prevention and Promotion Strategies (GP²S) show that each dollar invested in such programs yields between $1.50 and $3 in productivity gains within five years of their implementation. Companies benefit from integrating healthy values for people in their environment.