San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind

Winning Years: 2011, 2009
Industry: Textiles
Location: San Antonio
Website: www.salighthouse.org

San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind (SALB) has 260 legally blind employees and makes accommodations for each employee on an individual basis. Examples of accommodations include magnifying glasses, special foot pedals for employees in wheelchairs, lighting modifications and magnified computer software. A notable fifty percent of SALB employees are age 50 and over.

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

Additional Policies and Practices:

Recruiting: Mature workers are targeted via senior placement agencies.
 
Workplace Culture / Continued Opportunities: All employees are offered the following learning and development programs: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, online training and certification classes.

Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, awards and monetary gifts based on years of service.

In light of the results of employee opinion meetings, the following improvements have been made: added more products to Low Vision store, implemented employee hardship loan program, provided financial education by meeting with professionals on an individual basis to explain social security benefits, made Good Friday a paid holiday, and started an annual company picnic.

Employees have opportunities to gain new experiences by working on temporary assignments in other departments, on team projects and also have access to formal job rotation programs.
 
Benefits/Health: Employees working 30 or more hours per 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 as well as long-term disability. SALB assists employees with out-of-pocket health care costs by reimbursing a significant portion of their in-network deductible.

Next: Financial benefits and alternative work arrangements. >>