Support and Convenience

Family. Children. Community. Volunteerism. Spirituality. Work with purpose. These are some of the things that make life so meaningful. At the same time, balancing the many parts of our lives can be challenging in today’s 24/7 world. Here are some of the ways we helped our team members find their personal balance during 2015.

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Paid time off gives our team members a way to create flexibility in their lives. Our benefited team members begin accruing PTO on their first day of work, earning up to 27 days in their first year. Over time, they can earn up to 43 days of PTO per year. Every year, team members have the option of cashing out future PTO accruals into cash in their paychecks. They can also cash out existing PTO annually at 50 percent of its value. If they don’t use their PTO, it rolls into their Sick Time Bank. They can also donate it to colleagues in times of need through the Leave Share Program.

Leave Share Program

Our Leave Share Program allows team members to donate their PTO to team members who have exhausted their own leave time after an illness or injury. In 2015, 38 team members received donated time off to care for themselves and their families.

Sick Time Bank (STB)

To help our parents prepare for the arrival of a child, we offer a combination of STB and PTO. After using 24 hours of PTO, team members may use up to six weeks of STB. Team members who adopt or accept foster care children may use the same level of paid leave benefits as new birth parents.

Self-Scheduling

We offer self-scheduling in many of our areas. Our team members tell us when they are available to work and we do our best to accommodate their requests, providing that patient needs are met. Our team members are never required to work overtime, an uncommon policy in the health care industry.

Travel Services

Few things help us relax and recharge the way travel does. In 2015, we provided team members with access to first-class tours at bargain prices through our partner, Travel Counselors. Our travel packages include trips to destinations worldwide and special offers on air travel, hotels and more.

It's so fun to see the kids in the hallways. You can tell they're working hard to get stronger so it's a highlight of my day to encourage them to keep going.

For 15 years, Barry Smart, maintenance supervisor, Children's Hospital/Brook Road, has supported the infrastructure at the 87-year-old Brook Road facility. And for the past few years he's played a supporting role in the annual holiday celebration that features the "Totally Cool Yuletide Carolers." He loves to see the patients enjoying this annual event and he derives great happiness in seeing them get better each day.