DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Principal Financial Group has received recertification status as a Platinum Well Workplace by the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA) through the Wellness Council of Iowa (WCI). The Principal has been recognized each of the more than 15 years the WCI has administered the Well Workplace certification for the national council. Platinum is the highest level a company can be certified by WELCOA.

"In a competitive industry and a high-performance environment, The Principal needs the best and the brightest employees performing at their peak. The health and wellness of our employees is a critical factor in the current and future success of The Principal," said Larry Zimpleman, chairman, president and CEO of the Principal Financial Group. "We are proud to be recertified as a Platinum Well Workplace. We have built a solid foundation our employees appreciate, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them."

The Well Workplace award recognizes companies which have implemented and demonstrated measurable success in employee wellness programming. Areas of focus include smoking cessation, nutrition, physical fitness, self-care and stress management. Awards are designated in bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels.

The Platinum Well Workplace Award is the highest level achievable and represents the pinnacle of worksite wellness programming. The award is presented to organizations that have previously won the Gold Well Workplace Award and are linking health promotion objectives to business outcomes.

"As a health improvement company - providing employers both health insurance and employee wellness programs - we're aware of the very real bottom line impact wellness programs have on an organization," said Zimpleman. "Over the past three decades, we've demonstrated the important role wellness programs play in employees' health, productivity and job satisfaction. Through survey results, program evaluations and aggregate health screening results, we're able to quantify the impact our programs have and target our programs toward further improving the health of our workforce

The Principal will be presented with the Platinum Well Workplace award during a recognition banquet on Oct. 1, 2009. For more information about WCI, visit www.wellnessiowa.org. For more information about WELCOA, visit www.welcoa.org.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group(The Principal )¹ is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $257.7 billion in assets under management² and serves some 18.8 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

¹ "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

² As of June 30, 2009



The Principal Financial Group

Rhonda Clark, 515-247-6634

clark.rhonda@principal.com

Source: The Principal Financial Group