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ACUITY

Winning years: 2007, 2006
Industry: Insurance
Location: Sheboygan, WI
URL: www.acuity.com

Highlights of 2007 Winning Strategies

ACUITY offers extensive employee benefits including flexible work arrangements (flex-time, job sharing, compressed workweeks, and work-at-home) and many wellness benefits. A quarter of ACUITY employees work from their "Virtual Offices," which allows additional freedom in setting schedules, and, together with other flexible working options, has helped employees care for elderly parents and/or children at home.

Additional Policies and Practices:

• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: To its full- and part-time employees who work at least 16 hours per week, ACUITY offers tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, on-line training, certification classes, and lunch-and-learns/ workshops/executive education. In the past 12 months, 85% of ACUITY employees participated in at least one of the training opportunities with an average of 75 hours spent in training. ACUITY provides proper chairs and work stations and training on how to use them correctly. Accommodations for hearing-impaired employees are also made during special events or meetings with sign language interpreters
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• Benefits/Health: Full-time employees receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, and individual and family vision and dental insurance. All employees receive short- and long-term disability insurance. ACUITY has had no premium increases for six consecutive years. The firm offers an FSA to assist employees with out-of-pocket health care costs.
• Benefits/Financial: ACUITY offers a 401(k) plan (with company match) to its full- and part-time employees. All new hires may automatically enroll in the plan, employees may invest in lifecycle funds, and employees 50+ can make catch-up contributions. Employees receive financial planning information from staff members, the firm that administers their 401(k), and from external experts not associated with the 401(k). A web-based "Retirement Service Center" assists with enrollment, allocation, and rebalancing. ACUITY offers paid time off, short-term time off without pay, and long-term leaves of absence without pay for caregiving. ACUITY offers unlimited sick leave for those unable to work due to injury or illness. The following wellness programs are offered to full- and part-time employees: flu shots, health screenings, health risk appraisals, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, physical activity/exercise programs, weight loss programs, stress management training, massage therapy, and the "Mall Walking" program. ACUITY offers employees access to an on site exercise facility, free fitness classes, and two wellness rooms at the corporate headquarters. Seventy-five percent of ACUITY employees have utilized at least one of these wellness benefits in the past 12 months. ACUITY offers discounts on regional childcare providers and referral services to assist with childcare/care for grandchildren/eldercare to its full- and part-time employees.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: Flex-time, compressed work schedules, job sharing, and telecommuting are among the alternative work arrangements offered to full- and part-time employees. Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis.
• Opportunities for Retirees: ACUITY currently has 75 retirees and an individual directly responsible for retiree relations. ACUITY stays connected with its retirees by communicating regularly, inviting retirees to organization events/celebrations, providing retirement planning workshops/information, and formally acknowledging retirees when they retire. Retirees are offered temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, telecommuting, and full- and part-time work. They also assist with special events, employee activities, and special work projects, and serve as a source for new employee referrals.
• Age of Workforce: Twenty-five percent of ACUITY employees are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 14.3 years.

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Winning Strategies 2006

ACUITY has not raised its health care premium costs in the past five years. The company contributes 8% of salary to every employee’s 401(k) account, including those employees who contribute nothing. Retirees are given a bonus of $100 per year of service at their retirement.

Other Benefits:

• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: The company offers the following learning and development programs to its full and part-time employees (working 16 hrs/week): tuition reimbursement (40% used in past 12 months), in-house classroom training (80% used in past 12 months), on-line training (5% used in past 12 months), certification classes (15% used in past 12 months), and leadership and management training (40% used in past 12 months). The company’s employees average more than 60 hours of training per year. Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, awards, cash bonuses as well as gifts. ACUITY added the following benefits within the past three years due to employee requests: enhanced the retirement program/investment education efforts, free financial planning with registered financial advisor, did not raise health premium for five years, added on-site exercise facility, and enhanced disability insurance.
• Benefits/Health: Full-time employees receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, and individual and family vision and dental insurance, as well as short and long-term disability. 87% of employees are enrolled in the individual and family medical and prescription drug and dental plans, 27% of employees are enrolled in the individual and family vision plan and 100% in the short and long-term disability plans. The company offers a health flexible spending account, and a health reimbursement account.
• Benefits/Financial: The company offers a 401(k) retirement savings plan to its full and part-time employees. The company contributes 8% to the employees 401(k) account each pay period. All new hires are automatically enrolled in the 401(k) plan, employees may invest in lifecycle funds, and employees age 50+ can make ‘catch-up’ contributions. The company offers referral services to assist with child care (10% used in past 12 months) and elder care (1% used in past 12 months). The referral services to assist with child care are offered to employees to use for their grandchildren. The following wellness programs are offered to full and part-time employees: flu shots, health screenings, health risk appraisals, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, exercise programs, weight loss programs, and stress management training programs. 12% of employees have utilized at least one of the above benefits in the past 12 months.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: The company offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full and part-time employees: flex time (100% participation), compressed work schedules (25% participation), job sharing, and telecommuting (25% participation). Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis. The company offers paid time off that is specifically designated for care giving.
• Opportunities for Retirees: The company currently has 75 retirees. The company has an individual who has a direct responsibility for retiree relations. The company stays connected with its retirees by communicating on a regular basis with the retiree, inviting retirees to organization events/celebrations, providing retirees with ongoing access to retirement planning workshops, and formally acknowledging retirees on the occasion of their retirement. Retirees are offered temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, telecommuting as well as full and part-time work.
• Age of Workforce: Twenty-three percent of the company’s employees are 50+. Eight percent of the company’s past twelve month new hires are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 14.1 years.