By Joe Garvey
For the second year in a row, 瓜神网 has been recognized as one of Virginia鈥檚 healthiest employers.
The University placed fifth among employers with 500 to 4,999 employees in the awards program, which honors higher education institutions and corporate businesses that emphasize the well-being of their employees. For 2022, 瓜神网 was listed sixth among employers in the commonwealth that have 1,500 to 4,999 workers.
For 2023, 瓜神网 was particularly recognized for its tuition assistance program, which 鈥渄emonstrates a commitment to the employee development, encourages personal growth and contributes to employee retention,鈥 according to the .
鈥淪upporting our employees through this program not only benefits 瓜神网 but the surrounding community,鈥 said September Sanderlin, 瓜神网鈥檚 vice president for human resources, diversity, equity and inclusion. 鈥淭his amazing program is one of few in higher education that include an eligible employee鈥檚 dependents. 瓜神网鈥檚 tuition assistance program is a wonderful resource to aid in attracting and retaining top talent, while enhancing employee engagement and loyalty.鈥
In its submission, 瓜神网 also stressed its many efforts to address employees鈥 mental health and well-being, to include the following resources and benefits:
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Employee resource groups
- Training and professional development
- CommonHealth
- Paid parental leave
- Mobile mammography screenings
- Campus walking trails
鈥淗aving mental health resources in place can help reduce absenteeism and turnover rates,鈥 Kim Butler, benefits specialist in 瓜神网鈥檚 Department of Human Resources, wrote in the University鈥檚 submission. 鈥淧romoting mental health can create a positive work culture that values employee well-being and can improve overall job satisfaction.鈥
The only other higher education institution on the list is the University of Virginia, which ranked third among employers with more than 10,000 employees.
Award applicants were evaluated across six categories: Culture and Leadership, Foundational Components, Strategic Planning, Communication and Marketing, Programming and Interventions, and Reporting and Analytics. Completed assessments were ranked with the proprietary Healthiest Employers庐 Index, a 1-100 rubric for wellness programming. The survey is scored and powered by鈥.鈥犅犅
Since 2009, Springbuk has administered the Healthiest Employers庐 Awards Program across the country to honor employers who strive to improve their worksite health and wellness programs.