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Oakwood Healthcare, Inc.

Winning years:  2006, 2005
Industry:  Hospitals/Healthcare
Location:  Dearborn, MI
URL:  www.oakwood.org

Winning Strategies 2006

OHS has made the following improvements to its employee benefits due to results of an employee opinion survey administered within the past 3 years; an enhanced vision care package, expanded flexible work arrangements, access to legal counsel at a reduced rate and an enhanced disability policy with a shorter waiting period.  The ‘Helping Hands’ program assists employees with medical costs by providing financial aid to those in need.  The program is funded by fellow employees and outside contributors.

Other Benefits:

• Recruiting: Oakwood Healthcare System (OHS) uses Senior Placement agencies to target mature workers or retirees.  OHS also targets mature workers by posting vacancies on web sites such as Operation Able, Military Retiree web sites, and Alumni Associations.
• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: OHS offers the following learning and development programs to its full and part-time employees; tuition reimbursement (2% used in past 12 months), in-house classroom training (0.06% used in past 12 months), on-line training (100% used in past 12 months), certification classes (100% used in past 12 months).  Part-time employees must work 20 hrs/week to be eligible for all of the above programs excluding certification classes, which only requires one hour per week.  Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, awards, and gifts.
• Benefits/Health: Full and part-time employees (working 8 hrs/week), receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision insurance, individual and family dental insurance as well as individual and family long-term care insurance.  Short-term disability is offered to employees working at least 20 hours per week while long-term disability is offered to full-time employees working 40 hours per week.  49% of employees are enrolled in the individual medical and drug coverage plans while 46% of employees are enrolled in the employee and family medical and drug coverage plans.  50% of employees are enrolled in the individual vision plan, 47% in the employee and family vision plan, 48% in the individual dental plan, 49% in the employee and family dental plan, 87% in the short-term disability plan, and 76% in the long-term disability plan.  Health benefits for retiree’s pre-65 and 65+ include individual as well as spouse medical and drug coverage and new hires are eligible for all of the above benefits upon retirement.  Retirees 65+ also receive individual as well as spouse long-term care insurance.  OHS offers a health flexible spending account.
• Benefits/Financial: OHS offers a 403(b) and a cash balance plan to its full and part-time employees.  Employer match for the 403(b) plan is $.50 on the dollar up to 4% of the employee’s contribution up to 80 hours per pay period with the maximum match being 2% of the employee’s total contribution.  Employees age 50+ can make ‘catch-up’ contributions.  OHS offers on-site child and elder care, referral services to assist with child and elder care, and back up care for child and elder care.  The on-site child care, referral services to assist with child care and back-up care for child care services are all offered to employees to use for their grandchildren.  Two percent of employees have used the on-site child care center in the past 12 months.  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.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: OHS offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full and part-time employees:  flex time (18% participation), compressed work schedules (18% participation), job sharing, and telecommuting.  Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis.  OHS offers paid time off that is specifically designated for care giving.
• Opportunities for Retirees: OHS currently has 1,842 retirees. There is an individual who has a direct responsibility for retiree relations.  OHS stays connected with its retirees by communicating on a regular basis with the retirees, 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 receive a cash bonus. Retirees are offered the following work arrangements:  temporary work assignments, consulting/contract work, part and full-time work, contingent work assignments, and volunteering.
• Age of Workforce: Thirty percent of OHS’s employees are 50+.  Twelve percent of OHS’s past twelve month new hires are 50+.  The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 16.1 years.

Winning Strategies 2005

Oakwood Healthcare, Inc. provides employees with opportunities for professional development through:

• Intracorporate transferability with no loss of benefits
• Tuition reimbursement and full scholarships
• Promotional opportunity across the system
• Full-and part-time status changes
• Benefits covered or non-benefited employed status
• Mobility within their same work units from shift to shift
• Skills building training and flexible work schedules---8hr, 10hr, 12hr, and 24 hours, and part-time arrangement from 1 hour to 8 hours in a day
• Employees can work at home and dial-in via electronic connections on a part-or full-time basis in jobs that permit this.
• EE’s may choose to work three-12 hour shifts on weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) and receive full-time benefits---work three days and off four days
• Retirees are eligible for a “contingent” status following their retirement that allows them to work as they are available and continue to receive their monthly pension benefit
• Oakwood Healthcare also uses senior placement agencies to target recruitment of mature applicants for available positions

As a result of feedback from its employee opinion survey, the health care system made improvements to its prescription drug program, including reducing office co-payments. Employee satisfaction with medical benefits rose 19 percent as a result.

Oakwood Healthcare work arrangements include a program that allows a modified schedule for employees who wish to continue to work and take their retirement benefit at age 65. Personal leave can be granted for one year.

Benefits

• Full-time employees pay less than 10 percent of the health insurance and prescription drug coverage premium. Part-time employees (scheduled to work anything less than 40 hours per week) pay 48 percent of the health insurance and prescription drug coverage premium. The health care system covers short-term disability at 100 percent for employees; part-time employees must work a minimum of 20 hours per week to be eligible for this benefit. Oakwood Healthcare covers long-term disability for full-time employees.
• Oakwood Healthcare offers a defined contribution and cash balance plan to its employees. It matches 50 cents on the dollar up to 4 percent of the employee’s contribution up to 80 hours per pay period for the 403(b) plan. The maximum match is 2 percent of the employee’s total contribution. The health system allows employees to contribute up to 100 percent of their income, and employees who are age 50+ and have 15 or more years of service are able to catch up on contributions. Employees are also permitted to take loans and hardship withdrawals against their total contributions while employed.

Twenty-nine percent of employees are 50+. Fourteen percent of the system’s past year new hires are 50+.