National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Winning Years: 2011, 2009, 2008
Industry: Not for Profit: Other
Location: Arlington, Va.
Website:  www.nreca.coop

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) provides a lifetime tax-free 'allowance' to retirees to help offset the cost of their benefit premiums. The allowance amount is based upon the employee's years of service, which can ultimately amount to no out of pocket expense for the retiree's medical, dental, vision and life insurance premiums.

See also: How the 2011 Best Employers winners were selected.

Additional Policies and Practices:

Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: Employees working 20 or more hours per week are offered the following learning and development programs: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, online training, certification classes, external professional training and the opportunity to attend conferences.

Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties, gifts and awards.

NRECA has implemented the following programs as a result of employee input: a Volunteer Paid Time-Off (PTO) policy to reward employees with PTO for doing volunteer work; plus an expanded alternative work arrangement to offer employees additional options such as flexible work schedules, compressed work schedules and telecommuting. They have also increased the commuter assistance monetary benefits.

Employees have the opportunity to gain new experiences by working on temporary assignments in other departments and also on team projects. NRECA provided work accommodations for one employee who became legally blind by allowing a seeing-eye dog onsite and purchasing special computer software. Certified physical therapists work one-on-one with employees to make proper workstation adjustments. Ergonomic assessments are also provided for employees.
 
Benefits/Health: Employees working 20 or more hours per week receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision and dental insurance, as well as short- and long-term disability.

Health benefits for retirees include individual and spouse medical and drug coverage, individual and spouse vision and dental coverage, as well as individual life insurance or other death benefit coverage. New hires are eligible for all of the above benefits upon retirement.

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) are available to assist in covering out-of-pocket health care costs.

Next: Retirement consulting, full-pension benefits and more.>>