Management really invests in employee development at this academic medical center. An astounding 97% of all tuition aid goes to hourly employees, and mentoring and speed networking benefit everyone from registration clerks to patient-care technicians. Free continuing education is available in nearly all job functions, and there are full scholarships for employees who work in speech therapy, radiology and nursing. Hourly staffers may be recommended for the Up & Comers program, through which they receive new manager/supervisor education.

CEO, UNM Hospitals; COO, UNM Health System: Stephen McKernan

Administrator HR: James Pendergast

Work hours required for family health insurance: 20

Formal advancement program offered for hourly employees? Yes

% of hourly employees promoted to manager positions: 1%

Job-skills training offered for hourly employees? Yes

Managers rewarded for helping hourly employees advance? No

Lactation program offered for nursing mother employees? Yes

Paid time off offered to employees? Yes

Employee mothers with one year of service offered extra time off (beyond the 12 weeks required by FMLA) following childbirth? Yes

Skipping your vacation to work is not an option at this academic medical center, which takes the health of its hourly employees seriously. Anyone who works 20 hours per week receives ten to 20 paid days off, plus 13 sick days and nine paid holidays annually. To encourage a “use it or lose it” mentality, the center automatically rescinds banked vacation once it surpasses 480 hours. As an incentive to stay well, workers may trade their unused sick days for cash or roll them over as vacation once a year. Should they need it, employees can access exemplary medical care on-site, as well as health coaching, nutrition counseling, weight-loss programs and vaccinations. Eight “service teams” strive to improve everyone’s physical and mental health by passing out walking maps, hosting farmers’ markets and organizing book clubs, museum tours and hiking and rafting trips. An annual employee wellness fair, held during work hoursoffers info on day-care providers, inexpensive gym programs, financial services, tuition aid and health, dental and vision plans. Parents rely on child-care resource and referral and corporate discounts at local providers. The employee assistance program offers emotional support and substance abuse counseling for teens and tweens; for parents, there are peer groups and guidance on finding elder care and services for children with special needs (everything from autism to ADHD).

Hourly workers 92%

CEO Stephen McKernan

HR Administrator James Pendergast

Female hourly workers 78%

Work hours required for family health insurance 20

Job skills training during work hours for hourly workers Yes

Encourage breaks so nursing moms can breast-pump Yes

Average annual paid time off taken by hourly workers 23 days

Minimum job-guaranteed maternity leave offered to hourly workers 24 weeks

Minimum paid maternity leave offered to hourly workers None