Kapalua Land Company

2006 Award Winner -- Large Business Category

"It is not a destination to be a healthy workplace, it is a process." "The person as a whole comes to work...you cannot separate the person from the rest of their life, and you cannot have the same kind of contributions if the person (as a whole) is not healthy."

"The Kapalua Nui Covenant...is a promise by the employees...to care for Kapalua Nui and to translate this promise into actions everyday for themselves, their co-workers and visitors....to carry the torch of the island values to every facet of work and pass the torch to our successors."

"This (re-orientation) Program...strengthens the employees understanding of their value in the Company that has been entrusted with valuable assets to protect and nurture - both the land and its people."

You hear comments like these as you interview the Kapalua Land Company. KLC clearly has emphasized the physical safety and well-being of their employees, demonstrating the presence of a comprehensive safety program, and accountability of managers for the physical well-being of their employees. As a resort location responsible for the safety of guests, KLC also implements a program for associate safety. The Safety Committee has employee members from all levels within the company; they facilitate communication about safety issues and research and recommend solutions. Not only is their an internal emphasis on safety, but KLC is a member of the Maui Safety Association, providing an opportunity to partner with other employers on Maui to share information and best practices.

The psychological well-being of the KLC employees is a major component of this company's employee focus. A keystone of KLC's psychologically healthy workplace is the employee chartered Kapalua Wellness Committee, which promotes balanced lives. This extremely active and much valued Committee has two signature events each year: Wellness Week (with a broad range of wellness-oriented activities) and the Financial Fair (recognizing that finances are often a major stress).

However, throughout the year there are constant activities occurring every week - whether it the "walk-story" with the CEO at noon once a month, the free golf and tennis clinics, the lunch-time presentations on anything from gaining control of your life and stress management to good nutrition, or the major events such as LifeFest Kapalua - and the emphasis is always on what the employees see as of value for their health and well-being.

The CEO has created the non-management employee council - Aha Limahana (Employees Working Together) to be the voice of and for the employees. There is an EAP, available to employees and their families. Not only are employees informed about the services available at initial orientation and annual re-orientation, but representatives of the EAP do periodic walk-arounds, handing out business cards and letting employees get to know them as individuals.

Career development is another area of significant emphasis for this company. There is a succession planning process through the Key Talent Program, which identifies employees who are "excellent" performers and provides them with opportunities for additional professional development, education, and personal coaching to promote their development and growth.

There is the Kapalua Training Center offering ways for employees to gain new job skills or improve existing ones. The Training Center offers programs in leadership and communication, as well as cultural development and sustainability. The Key Talent Program offers a 360-Feedback program as an additional tool for employee career development.

KLC is directly involved in a number of charity events. The Company supports employees in their participation in charity events, whether it is to pay the entry fee for events such as the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life or the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, or to give them release time during work hours to raise funds for special events. As can be seen by just this small sampling of the KLC activities, this is a company that values creating a healthy workplace in every aspect and we are proud to recognize them as the last winner this year.

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Visit the website of  Kapalua Land Company  
                             [http://www.mauiland.com/kapalua_land_co.shtml]
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