Re-launched Workplace PossibilitiesSM Website Provides HR Professionals With Comprehensive Absence and Disability Management Resource

Standard Insurance Company ("The Standard”) is re-launching its Workplace Possibilities^SM website, workplacepossibilities.com, to provide a more comprehensive resource for human resources professionals to discover innovative ways to prevent and manage absence and disability in the workplace.

The newly-designed site expands on the early success of the Workplace Possibilities blog and features:

• New home page — Enables improved accessibility to site content, creating a more intuitive and engaging user experience
• Program section — Allows users to experience real-world accounts of how HR teams can work with on-site disability consultants to keep their employees safe and productive
• Resources section — Offers case studies, white papers and webinars from industry experts to keep users informed of relevant HR issues, as well as links to other helpful industry websites
• News section — Provides timely news releases and contributed articles from the Workplace Possibilities team of absence, disability and wellness experts
• Blog section — Offers valuable blog posts to help HR professionals understand how they can aid employees and covers such topics as absence and disability management, cost savings tools, ergonomic recommendations, employee success stories and productivity solutions

"Since we launched the Workplace Possibilities blog in February 2011, the subscriber base has been building steadily, and members have embraced the site as a learning resource,” said Alison Daily, second vice president of Medical and Return-to-Work Services. "Our team of experts is passionate about sharing tools and tips to help employers re-think the way they manage absence and disability.”

The expansion of the Workplace Possibilities website has paralleled the growth of The Standard’s Workplace Possibilities program, which uses on-site disability management consultants to identify opportunities to keep at-risk employees on the job or get them back to work sooner. In 2011, Workplace Possibilities saved employers participating in the program nearly $4.7 million by reducing short-term employee absences by an average of 39 days (The Standard internal data, 2011).

"The Workplace Possibilities program is about taking a proactive approach to safely keeping employees at work and productive,” said Daily. "By doing so, we can help reduce the burdens on HR teams, decrease companies’ absence- and disability-related costs, and increase employee satisfaction.”

About the Workplace Possibilities program

The Workplace Possibilities^SM program is a unique, proactive approach to helping employers prevent and manage employee absence and disability. A Workplace Possibilities consultant helps to connect employees with their health management programs and identifies opportunities to keep at-risk employees on the job or return to work faster. The program delivers rapid and measurable reductions in absence- and disability-related costs while also improving the efficiency of the HR team and increasing employee satisfaction. For tips and tools HR professionals can use to help re-imagine the way they manage absence and disability, visit www.workplacepossibilities.com.

About The Standard

The Standard is a leading provider of financial products and services, including group and individual disability insurance, group life, AD&D, dental and vision insurance, retirement plans products and services, individual annuities and investment advice. For more information about The Standard, visit www.standard.com.

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