Free bus passes for UWHC employees make it more affordable for them to commute to work or go on family outings during the weekend.

No matter how much planning you do as a parent, there are always those moments when everything falls apart—which is why hourly worker moms love the new backup-care program offered by this 471-bed academic medical center and its 80 outpatient clinics. Although they have long enjoyed the convenience of a nearby day-care center that serves kids ages 6 weeks to 3 years, parents rave about the service, which sends babysitters to their homes on short notice for just $4 per hour; if they’d rather drop children at a child-care center, they can do that, too—at an hourly cost of just $2 per child. Anyone working 20 hours per week is eligible, and employees can use the service to care for kids, adults or elders, none of whom have to be legal dependents. In another strong show of support for families, the organization allows new mothers to spend 26 partially paid weeks at home after the birth of a baby without worrying about hourly work requirements or putting their jobs in jeopardy. Time off is good, too: Hourly employees who work 40 hours a week receive a whopping 35 paid days each year, which can top out at 51 days annually over the course of their entire career. Part-timers receive prorated paid vacation and benefit from the organization’s widespread support for flexible schedules. All hourly workers regularly use flextime, while a surprisingly large number compress their workweeks, job-share, telecommute and even reduce their hours. (To save on commuting costs, for example, the Medical Records team now works four ten-hour days.) Taking the pressure off is the knowledge that family health coverage, which now covers dependents until the age of 27, is available to anyone working just 12 hours a week.

Hourly Workers 74%

President & CEO Donna Katen-Bahensky

Senior VP, HR Janice Bultema

Hourly workers that are female 79%

Work hours required for family health insurance 12

Job skills training for hourly employees Yes

Average paid sick leave taken by hourly workers 7 days

Average paid vacation leave taken by hourly workers 16 days

Job-guaranteed maternity leave for hourly workers 26 weeks

Paid maternity leave for hourly workers 12 days at full pay