AARP SmartBrief
Best Employers Program Honorees
Saint Barnabas Health Care Organization
Winning years: 2007, 2006, 2005
Industry: Hospitals/Healthcare
Location: West Orange, NJ
URL: www.sbhcs.com
Highlights of 2007 Winning Strategies
Saint Barnabas Health Care Organization's Per Diem nurse work options have successfully met many of the staffing needs with 1,457 Per Diem employees (320 age 50+) participating. The Per Diem objectives are to offer various flexible scheduling options with a premium rate of pay for the nurses in lieu of benefits.
Additional Policies and Practices:
- Recruiting: The Volunteer Nurse Liaison Program is designed for retired nurses to assist staff nurses. Saint Barnabas advertises for these opportunities through various channels such as local papers, Newswire, and local churches and through fliers.
- Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: Saint Barnabas offers these learning and development programs to its full- and part-time employees: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, on-line training, and certification classes. Employees are required to work a minimum of 20 hours per week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program while certification classes require a minimum of 10 hours per week. In the past 12 months, 90% of Saint Barnabas employees participated in at least one of these training opportunities with an average of 47 hours spent in training. Some of the ways Saint Barnabas has responded to issues indicated on the employee satisfaction survey include: on site convenience services made available (shoe repair, video rental, photo services, take-home meals, postal services, and banking); creation of the Employee Assistance Fund to financially assist those in personal or financial hardship; addition of wellness programs such as on site stress management, exercise, smoking cessation, and conflict management programs; and enhancement of retirement plan benefits. Experienced nurses may participate in the Professional Practice Council, which focuses on recruitment and retention, aging work force issues, patient satisfaction, and other leadership issues. Employees may gain new skills by working in temporary assignments in other departments, working on team projects, and doing a job rotation program.
- Benefits/Health: Full- and part-time employees (working 20+ hrs/week) receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision insurance, individual and family long-term care insurance, and short-term disability. Employees working at least 38+ hrs/week receive individual and family dental benefits while those working at least 30+ hours a week receive long-term disability. Saint Barnabas offers employees an FSA account to assist with out-of-pocket health care costs.
- Benefits/Financial: Saint Barnabas offers a defined benefit plan, a 401(k) plan (with company match), and a cash-balance plan to its full- and part-time employees. Employees age 50+ can make catch-up contributions to the 401(k) plan. Financial planning information is offered from the financial services firm that administers the 401(k) and from external experts not associated with the 401(k). Saint Barnabas offers short-term time off without pay as well as long-term leaves of absence without pay to allow for caregiving. 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, and stress management training. Thirty percent of Saint Barnabas employees have utilized at least one of these wellness benefits in the past 12 months. Saint Barnabas offers on site childcare and referral services to assist with childcare and eldercare to its full- and part-time employees.
- Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: Saint Barnabas offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full- and part-time employees: flex-time, compressed work schedules, and job sharing. Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis.
- Opportunities for Retirees: Saint Barnabas currently has 2,400 retirees and has an individual directly responsible for retiree relations. The organization stays connected with its retirees by formally acknowledging retirees when they retire. Retirees take advantage of temporary work assignments and part-time work.
- Age of Workforce: Thirty-three percent of Saint Barnabas employees are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 13.8 years.
Saint Barnabas Health Care Organization offers a ‘Per Diem’ opportunity for nurses which allows for great flexibility in scheduling. According to Saint Barnabas, the objectives of its Per Diem work options in the nursing specialty are: a) to offer various Scheduling Options to meet the nurse's lifestyle, b) to offer a premium rate of pay in lieu of benefits, c) to retain nurses, d) to offer patients a continuum of care from a stable nursing staff, and e) to reduce the need to hire outside agency staff at premium pay rates. 22% of the hospital’s ‘Per Diem’ nurses are over age 50, while thirty-two percent of the hospital’s employees are age 50+.
Other Benefits:
- Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: The hospital offers the following learning and development programs to its full and part-time employees: tuition reimbursement (25% used in past 12 months), in-house classroom training (90% used in past 12 months), on-line training (80% used in past 12 months), and certification classes (20% used in past 12 months). Employees must work at least 20 hrs/week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program and 10 hrs/week to be eligible for the certification classes. Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, awards, and some of the affiliate sites offer a longevity bonus. At the hospital experienced nurses can participate in the Professional Practice Council which addresses recruitment and retention, aging workforce issues, patient satisfaction and other leadership issues.
- Benefits/Health: Full and part-time employees (working at least 20 hrs/week) receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision insurance, individual and family ling-term care insurance as well as short term disability. Full-time employees also receive dental insurance and employees working 30 hrs/week receive long-term disability. 27% of employees are enrolled in the individual medical, prescription drug coverage and vision plan, 50% are enrolled in the employee and family medical insurance and vision plans, while 62% are enrolled in the employee and family drug plan. 29% of employees are enrolled in the individual dental plan while 59% of employees are enrolled in the employee and family dental plan. 100% of employees are enrolled in short-term disability while 87% are enrolled in long-term disability. The hospital offers a health flexible spending account.
- Benefits/Financial: The hospital offers a defined benefit, a 401(k), and a cash-balance plan to its full and part-time employees. The hospital matches 0.25 cents on every dollar saved on the first 4% saved. Employees age 50+ can make ‘catch-up’ contributions to the 401(k) plan. The hospital offers on-site child care, and referral services to assist with child and elder care. Currently, 30% of the hospital’s employees use the on-site child care center and referral services to assist with child care while 25% of employees use the referral services to assist with elder care. 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. 31% of employees have used at least one of the above wellness benefits in the past 12 months.
- Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: The hospital offers the following alternative work arrangements to its full and part-time employees: flex time (10% participation), compressed work schedules (25% participation), and job sharing (3% participation). Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent and temporary basis.
- Opportunities for Retirees: The hospital currently has 2,400 retirees. There is an individual who has a direct responsibility for retiree relations. The hospital stays connected with its retirees by formally acknowledging them on the occasion of their retirement. Retirees are offered the following work arrangements: temporary work assignments and part-time work.
- Age of Workforce: Thirty-two percent of the hospital’s employees are 50+. Fourteen percent of the hospital’s past twelve month new hires are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 13.8 years.
The Saint Barnabas Health Care System retains and recruits nurses by offering them flexible schedules at a premium rate of pay. Twenty-two percent of nurses in that program are over 50.
As a result of employee feedback, the company created an employee assistance fund to financially assist employees who have experienced personal or financial hardship. Also because of employee feedback, the organization added on-site convenience services at most locations; and added wellness programs such as smoking cessation and conflict management.
Saint Barnabas offers tuition assistance to full- and part-time employees and offers on-site undergraduate and graduate programs in affiliation with several New Jersey universities.
Benefits
- The Health Care System pays 98 percent of the health care costs. Full-time employees pay 2 percent of individual and family health insurance and prescription drug premium, and part-time employees (minimum 20 hours/week) pay 27 percent. The company covers short-term disability benefits at 100 percent for all employees. Full- and part-time employees (minimum 30 hours/week) pay 49 percent of the long-term disability premium.
- Saint Barnabas offers a defined benefit, defined contribution, and cash balance plan to its full- and part-time employees.
Thirty percent of the health system’s employees are 50+. Thirteen percent of the new hires over the past year are 50+.
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