Employer All Star Awards

2009 Workplace Flexibility - Sloan Foundation

Shanny Peer, Ph.D. Senior Associate Families and Work InstitutePresenter:
Shanny Peer, Ph.D.,
Senior Associate Families and Work Institute

Dr. Shanny Peer joined Families and Work Institute as a Senior Associate in the fall of 2007, focusing primarily on the work life program area at FWI as Project Manager for When Work Works, a national initiative on workplace effectiveness and flexibility. In this capacity, she works with three national project partners and 30 local communities around the country to inform and engage employers and community leaders, share research, develop educational materials, and increase public awareness about new ways to “make work work” for today’s employers and employees, as well as for the families and communities that sustain them.

Prior to coming to FWI, Dr. Peer was Director of Policy Programs for the French-American Foundation where she directed comparative policy programs on U.S. and French approaches to early childhood education, work family policy, health care and anti-discrimination/affirmative action policies. Dr. Peer holds a Ph.D. from New York University’s interdisciplinary Institute of French Studies. She taught French Studies for ten years at the University of Vermont and at NYU, where she was awarded a Golden Dozen Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.  Dr. Peer lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Cliff, and their two children, Chance and Mira.

2009 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility

In the When Work Works initiative, the Sloan Foundation recognizes flexibility as a way to define how and when work gets done and how careers are organized. This prestigious award recognizes employers in select communities nationwide that are successfully using flexibility to meet both business and employee goals.

winner! = Award Winner

 

Bon Secours Richmond Health System winner!
Bon Secours – meaning “good help” in French – was founded in Paris after the French Revolution by Catholic nuns who defied tradition by caring for sick and dying compatriots in their own homes. The Sisters of Bon Secours came to the U.S. in 1881 and built a multi-state healthcare network that includes Bon Secours Richmond – a health system with four hospitals, more than 30 regional centers, schools of nursing and medical imaging, and community outreach health services. A current challenge is how to help employees weather work life issues during the current challenging economy while maintaining world class healthcare services.  A culture of flexibility has helped Bon Secours respond to the needs of its most valuable asset – its employees – in today’s changing landscape by prompting the health system to create programs that specifically target employees’ financial needs.  By taking steps to reduce personal stresses, employees can remain more engaged at work and continue offering highest quality class care to patients. In keeping with its mission of being a “good help” to those in need, Bon Secours is also co-sponsoring half-day Career Transition Seminars to assist those who have been downsized or are considering a career change.

VCU Health Systems
An acute shortage of nurses and other health care professionals is challenging medical centers nationwide, and Richmond’s Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) is no exception. VCUHS – which U.S. News and World Report ranked among America’s best hospitals – has taken a unique approach to dealing with this shortage. New employees receive more than five weeks vacation, and can earn up to 43 days vacation.  Employees may donate personal time offf to co-workers in times of need; more than 4,000 hours were donated in 2007 and 2008.  Employees in active military duty continue to receive full salary during their military service.  Employees with new adopted or foster care children have the same benefits and leave as birth parents.  The Virginia organization even offers date-night and holiday-shopping coverage for employees’ children. Employees may choose work hours with almost unlimited freedom, as long as patient care is completely covered, and nearly all can reduce the number of days they work each week. Additional staffing comes from part-time health professionals who do not have formal schedules at all; they just phone in their available work hours. Full health insurance benefits are provided to part-time people who work at least 20 hours per week and can make themselves available to work in a number of different roles.

Note: The VCU Health System did not recieve the minimum number of employee surveys to be eligible for this award.

Capital One Financial Corporation winner!
One of the ten largest banks in the U.S., Capital One operates on time-tested banking principles, with strong, stable bank ratings, capital levels well above regulatory requirements and consumer mortgage exposure less than 8% of total managed loans. Though conservative in its lending, the company has been unafraid to introduce bold new workplace initiatives, literally tearing down the walls of key premises several years ago to promote teamwork and dramatically reduce costs and response time.  A number of programs help managers supervise a mobile workforce. The company’s McLean campus has an award-winning auditorium with video conferencing and seating for up to 450 people, as well as space for many small groups. Capital One has reduced by almost one third the amount of time it takes to get information from peers, and cut by almost one quarter the time it takes to get information from managers. Employees overwhelmingly report satisfaction with the new workplace; 87% in a survey said they would not go back to the previous workplace. In addition, 74% say the new arrangement increased their productivity.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield winner!
Anthem’s mission is to improve the health of the people they serve.  The best health care coverage can actually help people stay healthy and Anthem provides quality, comprehensive health coverage at affordable rates to residents of Virginia.  By offering an array of work options, Anthem allows associates to find the right work-life fit. For example, technology allows many of them to work from home part or all of the time, including some who work in the call center -- a great tool for retaining employees, particularly the registered nurses who are so high in demand. Associates assigned to virtual teams can live and work in any state across the country, increasing their career opportunities and meeting family needs.  Anthem finds that giving employees choices and control over their work life increases their engagement and boosts their job performance, helping them provide better service to customers. 

Vaco Richmond, LLC winner!
Vaco Richmond is a recruiting and consulting firm that matches accounting, financial, IT and administrative professionals with clients – whether for short-term projects or for permanent positions.  In today’s tight economy, they have redoubled their efforts to help the growing number of unemployed, trying to help them land a position within Vaco’s broad client network and, if that can’t happen, spending the time to provide each job candidate with specific feedback and direction for their job search.  Vaco understands that having a flexible working environment is essential to its business – and that long gone are the days when a person had to be tied to a desk and chair in the office to get their work done.  Making smart use of mobile devices such as smart phones and providing remote access to email and office applications via the internet means employees can now take the office with them, wherever they need to be.

BDO Seidman, LLP winner!
BDO Seidman sees flexibility as a strategic business imperative according to a 2008 story featured on National Public Radio. A workplace with more options does involve upfront costs, says Marcee Harris Schwartz, Strategy Advisor for BDO Flex, but those expenses are far outweighed by long-term benefits, not the least of which is the ability to retain staff.  BDO is now in the final stages of implementing BDO Flex, a process for strategically managing how, when and where work gets done.  The goal is to help everyone in the firm achieve the optimal work+life fit that meets his or her own needs and those of the firm, using a combination of formal arrangements and use of informal day-to-day flexibility.  In addition, the BDO Women’s Initiative has begun giving women opportunities to network, build strategic relationships and grow their careers.  

Rink Management Services Corporation winner!
This Richmond company is North America’s largest and most successful manager of ice-skating rinks, with on-site managers overseeing facilities ranging from sports complexes to shopping malls coast to coast. Rink Management Services calls itself a company with great training, mentoring and scheduling options for each employee. “The training keeps employees up-to-date on the latest business and accounting principles,” says a company representative, and strong team interaction spurs staff to learn from each other, increasing efficiency and accountability within the group. Mentoring links new employees with more experienced people, helping ensure they have the tools and resources they need.  Rink Management Services Corporation also gives employees significant scheduling options, enabling parents, for example, to work largely from home, communicating through the phone and Internet and coming into the corporate office one day a week. “We value all team players not only for their skills and contribution to our company but also for their contribution to their families and community,” says the company’s representative.

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