The St. Paul Companies Targets Supervisor Training As Key Factor In Managing Workplace Safety and Health.

Business Editors

SAINT PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2003

The St. Paul Companies (NYSE:SPC) announced today a new CD-ROM and online training series - Striving for Excellence: Elements of Effective Supervision - for workplace managers and supervisors. The four-part series helps promote safe and healthy behaviors in the workplace. It is designed to aid supervisors in achieving excellence by:

-- promoting employee safety;

-- building productive, healthy teams;

-- valuing differences among employees; and

-- treating employees fairly and respectfully.

The training suite was developed in cooperation with PureSafety, a leading provider of online employee training and risk management solutions, and is available to St. Paul insurance customers, agents and brokers free of charge.

"As an insurance company, we're always looking for ways to promote safety and minimize risk in the workplace by fostering healthy working environments," said Dan Murphy, senior vice president of Risk Control. "Managers and line supervisors play a critical role in creating safe and healthy workplaces. In this economy, many supervisors are being asked to take on additional responsibilities but are not given the resources or training they need to do their jobs well. Elements of Effective Supervision gives businesses a cost-effective and time-saving way to create cultures of safety and achieve high-quality work from their teams and employees."

Teaching managers to be effective supervisors can have an impact on a company's bottom line. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers saw a 20.3 percent increase from the year 2000 in the number of days employees were absent from work due to anxiety, stress and neurotic disorders. In another study, CCH, Inc. found that employers pay an average of $789 per employee annually for unscheduled absenteeism. That study suggested that stress accounts for 12 percent of all unscheduled absenteeism, while another in 2000 by the American Psychological Association said that as many as 25 percent of employees have called in sick or taken a "mental health day" as a result of work stress.

The St. Paul's research agrees. "We've found through our internal research that bad managers are the No. 1 reason why employees report workplace stress and decide to leave their jobs," Murphy said. "To create a workplace culture of respect and safety, managers have to know how to be effective supervisors and how to communicate openly and fairly with their employees. These types of skills don't come automatically, and businesses have a responsibility to provide their managers with proper training and resources. Elements of Effective Supervision is a valuable tool for any business committed to providing a healthy working environment."

Elements of Effective Supervision is divided into four training modules: Healthy Teams; Safety & You; Supervisors: Make Your MARC (Motivation, Accountability, Recognition, and Communication); and Valuing Differences. Each training module runs 30-40 minutes and can be completed by supervisors individually at their desktops. Organizations can also choose to present these modules in group settings to allow for facilitated discussion among participants. The courses are available on CD-ROM or online for St. Paul policyholders from the secured customer Web site at www.stpaul.com/riskcontrol.

The St. Paul Companies provides commercial property-liability insurance and asset management services. The St. Paul reported 2002 revenue from continuing operations of $8.9 billion and total assets of $39.9 billion. It celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2003. For more information about The St. Paul and its products and services, visit the company's Web site, www.stpaul.com.