Best Companies Increase Focus on Wellness

All winners of the 2012 The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security offer some type of wellness program, with many enhancing their strategy to include incentives, health screenings or assessments. One company delivers formal wellness results by having employees meet with a physician and a psychiatrist to discuss health concerns.   

As companies put a greater emphasis on wellness, they recognize healthier employees spend less on health care, which allows them to contribute more to their retirement savings. Many winning companies offer health reimbursement arrangements or health savings accounts to engage employees in their own health care.    

The Principal 10 Best Companies share significantly in the costs of health care insurance and offer medical insurance. Nine of the companies pay at least 80% of an employee’s medical insurance, while two pay 100%. Eight companies pay 80% or more of dependents’ premium.   

The winners of The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security are: 

• American National Bank of Texas, Terrell, Texas (bank);
• Arizona State Credit Union, Phoenix, Arizona (credit union);
• Cypress Creek Emergency Medical Services, Spring, Texas (health care);
• Dunmore Corporation, Bristol, Pennsylvania (manufacturing); 
• Flow Science Inc., Santa Fe, New Mexico (software development);
• M3 Insurance, Madison, Wisconsin (insurance); 
• nLogic LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (information technology/software);
• The United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Rockville, Maryland (nonprofit);
• Vantage West Credit Union, Tucson, Arizona (credit union); and 
• WHR Architects Inc., Houston, Texas (architecture). 

All 10 of the winning companies offer retirement plans. Among the defined contribution retirement plans offered, the average employee participation rate is 93% and the average deferral rate is 7.2%. All 10 companies provide a match or another type of contribution to employee savings.    

Eight companies offer retirement benefits to part-time employees. Five companies offer profit-sharing plans. One company offers a defined benefit pension plan.    

The 10 companies place a top priority on education and communication, and employ multiple methods of reaching employees.All provide one-on-one meetings with financial planners or benefit specialists paid by the employer.Six of the companies have established employee benefits committees that include non-management members.  

One size does not fit all for employees at winning companies. Winners actively design programs to engage workers and meet specific needs. Companies report offering younger workers “investing 101” and debt management classes, while another offers a retirement readiness program for employees older than 55.