Even with 6,949 full- and part-time employees, CoxHealth prides themselves on a sense of family. Offering a benefits package that includes a 401(b) plan and paying a portion of employee and dependent premiums, CoxHealth adds to their family-friendly promise by offering more than six weeks of maternity and paternity leave for employees, adoption assistance and access to subsidized on-site child care. Tuition reimbursement for work-related classes and mentoring programs also are offered.
Editor’s Note: Answers were provided by spokesman John Hursh.What do you find makes your business a desirable place to work?“CoxHealth is a mission-driven organization. Our employees work with people at life’s beginning and at life’s end. We are there with people when they are brought to our ER battered and bleeding; take their first steps in rehab; and ring the bell to celebrate the conclusion of their cancer treatment.
“When our employees go home at the end of the day, they can truly say their work makes a difference in the lives of others.”
What tools does the company use to recruit and retain staff?“We make a real effort to link our work to purpose and meaning. Throughout the year and annually at our awards dinner, we seek ways to celebrate the wonderful things our employees do for our patients, their families and for their co-workers.
“We also work to connect employees to our organization through shared governance councils, our communications council, the senior cabinet and Cox Young Professionals. The things we do to keep employees connected and involved are the same things that help when it comes time to recruit.”
What is the average length of employment among staff, and what fosters such loyalty?“During the past five years, while our workforce has grown by 8 percent, the number of employees with 10 or more years has grown by more than 26 percent to 2,953 with 632 employees who have worked here 25 years or longer. Our longer service staff will tell you it’s their commitment to our patients and sense of family working together that fosters loyalty.”
What is the most celebrated benefit among your staff?“The most valuable perks we provide are benefits that make tomorrow better and protect us if the unforeseen strikes today. We have an exhaustive list that protects employees’ health, income, ability to enjoy time away and ultimately retirement. My personal favorite is earned time off, which includes sick days built into the accrual schedule that with perfect attendance become additional vacation time.”
What methods does your company have in place to solicit employee input?“Employees have the opportunity to obtain information, share ideas and offer their input through our Employee Communications Council, a more than 100-member team from departments throughout CoxHealth that meets quarterly.
“CoxHealth also provides a forum for long-service employees to share ideas with our CEO through the senior cabinet, comprising employees with 35 or more years of service. General and “hot topic” employee forums are held frequently.
“In addition, a robust internal website enables employees to be well informed about hospital happenings and important information, and also allows comment. An extremely popular feature is Ask Andy, a blog on health care benefits that allows employees to ask questions and get a quick response from the health system’s benefits manager.”
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