Work-life key to college retention

Brown University and the University of Rhode Island lead their peers in the Ocean State by offering work-life programming and human resources benefits that earned them the 2016 Work-Life Seal of Distinction Award.

The awards, announced in January, are given out annually by Scottsdale, Ariz.-based WorldatWork, a nonprofit human resources association that is focused, its website says, on compensation, benefits and work-life effectiveness – “strategies to attract, motivate and retain an engaged and productive workforce.”

While specific results such as reduced absenteeism and increased recruitment and retention are not tracked by WorldatWork or at either school, officials at both Brown and URI say the policies, programs and practices put in place over the years have the potential to yield such benefits, as well as promote an engaged and satisfied workforce.

“People ask that all the time: What’s your return on investment?” said Drew Murphy, director of benefits in Brown’s Office of Human Resources. “But it’s hard to put metrics to it. You just have to believe in it. We have seen our trend in health insurance premium increases [stay below] 4 percent. You hope it’s attributable to the wellness program.”

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Brown has earned the distinction for three consecutive years, while the latest award marks URI’s second time getting the honor.

Alison Avalos, a senior manager in research and certification at WorldatWork, could not address specific ways in which Brown and URI met the award criteria, but noted that 116 of the 142 organizations that applied for 2016 won. Those that repeatedly win the honor “are definitely demonstrating a certain level of excellence,” she said.

Applicants are evaluated on such issues as caring for dependents, flexibility, paid and unpaid time off, workforce experience and engagement, health and wellness, financial support and education, and community involvement, Avalos said.

Besides taking an inventory of programs, practices and methods, WorldatWork also asks questions about “buy-in from leadership” and “how embedded the concepts” are in the organization’s mission, she said.

Brown, which has about 4,000 benefits-eligible faculty and staff, offers a wellness program, dependent care, employee education, tuition aid, flexible spending accounts and a child care subsidy, Murphy said.

One of the programs is emergency backup care for children and elders. Bright Horizons has helped about 861 active care recipients. The expense to the employee for providing care is $4 or less in copay, he said.

Engagement is also key because it attracts employees and keeps them from leaving, and that gives Brown a competitive edge, Murphy said.

Kathleen Magiera, 51, of Cranston, works in Brown’s School of Professional Studies, as administrative manager for its Choices Program for high school students. One of the programs Brown supports with reimbursed registration fees is the CVS Downtown 5K. Magiera had to sit out the 5K last year but had done it for the three years before and plans on participating again in 2016.

“The health benefits, getting me up and moving [matter],” she said. “This is going to sound corny, but I feel like [the university] truly cares about our well-being, not just my physical well-being but my emotional well-being. It’s not just about sitting at the computer and getting that work done. That’s why I take advantage of so many of the offerings that they have.”

At URI, which has approximately 2,600 staff and faculty, Barbara Silver, assistant professor of psychology and research coordinator at URI’s Schmidt Labor Research Center, and Helen Mederer, professor of sociology, have co-chaired a Work Life Committee since 2003, Silver said.

The volunteer committee works to influence policy and hosts workshops and brown-bag lunches, focusing on workplace flexibility and leave and family care policies, while the wellness component comes out of human resources, Silver said.

URI Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald H. DeHayes said the award reflects how a commitment to these efforts, promoted by Silver and Mederer, has strengthened the university.

“We’ve learned to be flexible, supportive of one another, and to understand that the quality of life of our employees and students strongly enhances all aspects of our work and the academic core mission of the university,” he said.

One program that helps faculty is the Professional Family Travel Fund. The fund provides up to $500 each to mostly pre-tenured female faculty who need to travel to a professional conference but can’t afford it or have children to care for. In 2014-15, eight professors took advantage of it, while this academic year 11 have so far, Silver said. •

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