2008 Choice Employers, 101-300 Employees, No. 4: Empire Bank

Linda Case says there are many reasons why Empire Bank is a great employer, but one stands out are: staff longevity.

Thirty-four employees in the "25 Year Club," bringing a combined 1,067 years of experience to their jobs.

"What does that tell you (about) how great it is to work here?" says Case, senior vice president of human resources and a 14-year employee.

Sandy Jensen is among the members of the club. Jensen joined the bank 31 years ago on the data processing side and now manages commercial banking services.

"You aren't compartmentalized," she says. "If you want to learn, they're willing to teach you so you can get promotions and learn about other things."

And Jensen was willing to learn. With help from Empire's tuition-reimbursement program, she earned her bachelor's degree in business administration through night classes at Drury University. It took 10 years, but Jensen says she could not have achieved that goal without Empire.

The bank, led by President and CEO Russ Marquart, wants employees to better themselves, she says.

"You don't find that at a lot of places," Jensen adds. "They encourage you to go to school. ... They've made sure I've stayed up in (technology), which is important."

For full-time employees taking business-related classes at the undergraduate or graduate level, Empire pays 90 percent for "A" grades; 70 percent for "B" grades; and 50 percent for "C" grades, Case says. The bank foots the entire bill for professional seminars.

In-house training includes Web seminars and classroom sessions on security, code of conduct, harassment and safety.

There is a 60-day waiting period to participate in the 401(k) plan, and employees are vested at a rate of 20 percent each year until they're fully vested at five years. Empire contributes 50 cents on the dollar of employee contributions up to 6 percent of the employee's salary, Case says.

Full-time nonexempt employees receive 12 vacation days and seven sick days, which are prorated for part-time workers. Full-time exempt employees have 15 vacation days and seven sick days.

Forty vacation hours may be carried over into the next calendar year, Case says. There is a 60-day waiting period to take vacation.

"Good-year bonuses" of up to 1 percent of an annual salary are given at the end of the year. Banking center managers are in a bonus pool, and other employees are given incentives for performance.

As a community bank, Empire encourages charitable involvement, Case says. Casual days raise money for local nonprofits.

New this year is an adoption-assistance program that pays up to 15 consecutive days for new adoptive parents who have been with Empire three years and haven't adopted in the previous year.

"One of the things that draws me to Empire is the stability ... and the strength of the company that makes you proud to work there," Case says. "There's no question people are proud to say, 'I work at Empire Bank.'"