PROVIDENCE – Groov-Pin Corp., South County Health, AAA Northeast and CVS Health Corp. were the top companies recognized Thursday in Providence Business News’ 11th annual Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island Awards program.
The four organizations were among the 18 companies and nonprofits recognized during a lunchtime ceremony at Providence Marriott Downtown. The organizations were judged based on their responses to several questions regarding their programs for physical, financial and mental well-being, as well as on what makes their programs stand out. The ceremony also formally announced the company rankings in each of the four categories.
Groov-Pin, a Smithfield-based manufacturer, was the top winner in the 15-499 employees category. South County Health in South Kingstown, which operates South County Hospital, was the winner in the 500-1,499 employees category. AAA Northeast, the automotive and tourism benefits organization based in Providence, earned the top honor in the 1,500-4,999 employees category. CVS, the Woonsocket-based pharmacy retail giant, was the top company in the 5,000-plus employees category.
Groov-Pin, South County Health and AAA Northeast are repeat winners in the program.
Haley Elmore, Healthiest Employers program coordinator for Indianapolis-based data analytics firm Springbuk, delivered the event’s keynote address to approximately 130 attendees Thursday. Elmore’s speech centered around data on culture and work-life balance for companies and employees, introducing program components to expand beyond individual employees, and showing socioeconomic and workplace impacts on employees’ health care.
The work-from-home model has become a “huge discussion” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elmore said, and her data shows 60% of employees with seven or more years of tenure work on a hybrid schedule, while only 1 in 4 work fully onsite at their companies. Elmore, who admits she works from home, noted that working from home has both pros and cons for employees.
“Some days it’s fantastic; I’m in Nike sweatpants all day,” Elmore said. “And there are some days where I’m like ‘wow, I miss people. So, people want to be at work, but flexible scheduling is still important. I love that flexibility.”
Elmore also said companies having career development opportunities is critical to maintaining a strong workforce. Her data shows 84% of companies offer employees tuition reimbursement and two-thirds have a formal mentoring program in place. If employees feel they have plateaued in their career, they will not give their employers their best efforts, she said.
Elmore also showed data of how employees’ health care is impacted. She said 50% of the impacts are from socioeconomic factors, such as education, job status, family social support and community safety, and physical environments. In other words, half of the impacts can be traced back to the employees’ home, she said.
An example Elmore described was an employee, a single mother, who worked for the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The employee, Elmore said, told Springbuk that she lived in an “unsafe neighborhood” with a strong gang presence, and worries about her children who have to walk every day to school.
In response, Baylor gave employees living in those hard-hit zip codes free security systems and Ring doorbell camera systems, Elmore said.
“That speaks volumes… about what your employees’ home lives are like,” Elmore said. “You may have an idea and be able to assume. But we can have very small impacts on that will make a huge difference. That mom said she felt better once she got that Ring notification that her kids got through the door.”
The full rankings that were announced Thursday are:
15-499 employees
- Groov-Pin Corp.
- Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc.
- Coastal1 Credit Union
- Children’s Friend and Service
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island
500-1,499 employees
- South County Health
- Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
- The Washington Trust Co.
- Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
- Providence Community Health Centers Inc.
1,500-4,999 employees
- AAA Northeast
- Gilbane Inc.
- Brightview Senior Living
- Ocean State Job Lob
- Point32Health Services Inc.
5,000-plus employees
- CVS Health Corp.
- U-Haul International Inc.
- Lifespan Corp.
Profiles of all companies and organizations honored in this year’s program are included in a special section that will publish Friday as part of the Aug. 5-18 print edition of PBN.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
