Paychex Recognized as an American Heart Association "Start! Fit-Friendly Company"

Paychex also honored with Workplace Innovations Award for its Active Health employee wellness program

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Paychex, Inc. a leading provider of payroll and human resource services, has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association's "Start!" movement for helping employees eat better and move more.

In addition, Paychex was one of only five companies in the American Heart Association's northeast region to win a prestigious Workplace Innovations Award, for its Active Health program, a comprehensive initiative that supports and rewards employees for making health and wellness a priority.

"Our focus on employee wellness is a top priority at Paychex, and we're honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our efforts in this area," said Will Kuchta, Paychex vice president of organizational development. "We're proud that we've created an atmosphere where employees have access to information and tools to help them take charge of their health, and that our employees have enthusiastically embraced this culture of wellness."

Employers that achieve the platinum-level honor:

    --  promote a wellness culture in the workplace
    --  increase healthy eating options at the workplace
    --  offer employees physical activity options in the workplace
    --  implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart
        Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition, and culture
    --  demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness

The Paychex Active Health program includes onsite health screenings, online health risk assessments, a tobacco cessation program, comprehensive stress management programs including the availability of a personal assistant, a team-based physical activity and nutrition program, healthy cooking classes, an employee assistance program, family resource kits to help employees caring for young children or seniors, unlimited access to health coaching, medical plans that provide full coverage of routine preventive medical care to employees and their dependents, and cash rewards for points earned by completing wellness and prevention activities.

About the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program and the American Heart Association

The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping companies make their employees' health and wellness a priority. American employers face increasing health care expenses and health-related losses in productivity that cost an estimated $225.8 billion a year. With many American adults spending most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs, the lack of physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Start! helps change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.

About Paychex

Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) is a leading provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits outsourcing solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses. The company offers comprehensive payroll services, including payroll processing, payroll tax administration, and employee pay services, including direct deposit, check signing, and Readychex^(R). Human resource services include 401(k) plan recordkeeping, health insurance, workers' compensation administration, section 125 plans, a professional employer organization, time and attendance solutions, and other administrative services for business. Paychex was founded in 1971. With headquarters in Rochester, New York, the company has more than 100 offices serving approximately 554,000 payroll clients nationwide as of May 31, 2009. For more information about Paychex and our products, visit www.paychex.com.

About the American Heart Association

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat, and defeat these diseases - America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers - the organization funds cutting-edge research, conducts lifesaving public and professional education programs, and advocates to protect public health. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.americanheart.org.

    Source: Paychex, Inc.

Released November 12, 2009