• Recruitment
• Workforce Trends

• Retention Strategies
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• Best Employers Program

St. John Health

Winning Year: 2007
Industry: Hospitals/Healthcare
Location: Warren, MI
URL: www.stjohn.org

Highlights of 20007 Winning Strategies

St. John Health is committed to retaining experienced, mature employees. Employees are provided clinical hours to take nurse refresher courses, a "No Nurse Left Behind" program which identifies job duties and employment positions appropriate for mature registered nurses, and an active mentoring program with senior/seasoned mentors.

Additional Policies and Practices:

• Recruiting: In 2006, St. John Health (SJH) implemented "FlexChoice," a new recruitment program designed to improve the professional nursing experience by providing flexibility and work options for nurses. Nurses who left the hospital in the past three years were invited to rejoin the SJH community and were offered eight different flexible employment options. Twenty-nine percent of the 1,100 nurses participating in this program are age 50+.
• Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: SJH offers full- and part-time employees these learning and development programs: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, on-line training, and certification classes. Part-time employees must work at least 20 hrs/week to be eligible for the tuition reimbursement program. Through the SJH Learning Institute, employees may fulfill training requirements and pursue special interests on-line and in classrooms. In the past 12 months, 100% of SJH employees participated in at least one of these training opportunities with an average of 2 hours spent in training. SJH offers new employees an educational loan forgiveness program and an "On-board Program" at Michigan State University and Madonna College. As a result of the employee opinion survey, numerous employees benefits have increased, including eliminating the 35-year maximum service accrual limit for its defined-benefit pension plan, expanding health care benefits, support for eldercare, allowing early retirees to return to part-time employment, and offering the option to cash out accrued pension benefits. In SJH's Transitional Work Program, which allows employees to return to work after an injury or illness, employees are given meaningful, rehabilitative assignments by department supervisors with the assistance of the Occupational Health Department. SJH purchases equipment to assist with lifting patients.
• 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 and dental insurance, individual and family long-term care insurance, and long-term disability. Short-term disability is offered exclusively to full-time employees working at least 40 hours a week. SJH offers employees an FSA account to assist with out-of-pocket health care costs and pays the program administration fee for each retiree enrolled in the retiree prescription drug discount program.
• Benefits/Financial: SJH offers a 403(b) plan and a defined-benefit plan to its full- and part-time employees. SJH encourages employees to invest in lifecycle funds, and employees 50+ can make catch-up contributions to their 403(b) plans. On site certified retirement representatives assist employees with 403(b) enrollment and offer counseling with general retirement planning. SJH offers short-term time off without pay as well as long-term leaves of absence without pay for caregiving. Full- and part-time employees are offered these wellness programs: flu shots, health screenings, health risk appraisals, smoking cessation programs, health club discounts, weight loss programs, lunch-and-learns featuring health topics, walking groups, and health fairs. Forty-eight percent of SJH employees have utilized at least one of these wellness benefits in the past 12 months. SJH offers on site grand/childcare and referral services to assist with childcare/care for grandchildren/eldercare to its full- and part-time employees. SJH offers two formal programs to assist with childcare and eldercare issues: the "Associate Assistance Program (AAP)" and the "Real Convenience" concierge program. The AAP, available to all employees and their family members, provides assistance on childcare and eldercare issues, work performance improvement, and other personal issues. The concierge program provides employees with one-on-one assistance for a variety of needs from postal services to selecting eldercare services.
• Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: SJH offers these alternative work arrangements to its full- and part-time employees: flex-time, compressed work schedules, job sharing, telecommuting, and a formal phased retirement program. Part-time employees must work at least 20 hours/week to be eligible for 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. The phased retirement program allows employees to move into a reduced-hour position as they approach planned retirement. Employees who retire from SJH and return to work can receive full pension benefits.
• Opportunities for Retirees: SJH currently has 2,500 retirees and an individual directly responsible for retiree relations. SJH stays connected with its retirees by inviting retirees to organization events/celebrations, and retiree clubs' events are held. All SJH retirees, as well as retirees in the communities served by SJH, can join CareLink, a free program designed to link the "55 or Better" population to health services, education, and benefits. Retirees are offered temporary work assignments, consulting/ contract work, full-time work, and part-time work. SJH offers many volunteer opportunities to retirees.
• Age of Workforce: Thirty-one percent of SJH employees are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 15.6 years.