No. 2, 101–300 employees: Metropolitan National Bank

Dependent coverage, she said, is subsidized by the bank, but employees do pay for part of it.

That’s just one of the reasons Metropolitan Bank ranked No. 2 among companies with 101 to 300 employees.

The insurance coverage is available only to full-time employees, Cummings said, but not all benefits are limited to them.

Metropolitan National Bank’s employee stock ownership and 401(k) plans are available to any employees who reach 1,000 work hours and have been with the company for one year.

“We are 30 percent ESOP-owned,” Cummings said. “As the bank does well, they (get) allocations each year based on company performance and things like that.”

Metropolitan offers full-time employees the opportunity to earn one personal day per quarter, provided that they take no sick days, a benefit to encourage employees to take care of themselves.

“We’re a bank that’s really trying to focus on wellness and preventative maintenance,” Cummings said. “We want to allow them paid time off if they need it … (but) we also want them to come to work when possible and reward those employees who maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid becoming ill.”

In 2005, Metropolitan rolled out a fitness and nutrition reimbursement program to help enc-ourage employees to improve their health. In 2007, that plan will expand to cover more options, such as smoking cessation and health-risk assessments.

“Employees are our biggest asset, and we just want them to take care of themselves,” Cummings said, adding that Metropolitan has allotted about $250 per employee per year for the wellness reimbursement program.

After 90 days of employment, employees can receive 10 days of vacation, Cummings said, but the amount is prorated depending on their start date.

Beyond that, Metropolitan offers tuition reimbursement for work-related continuing education, and according to survey responses, spends $300 to $500 a year on each employee for training.

The company also conducts internal employee satisfaction surveys and reviews, and shares financial details and strategies with staff members.

“As an ESOP company, what our employees have to say matters,” Cummings said.