INTRODUCING THE 2022 HEALTHIEST 100 WORKPLACES IN AMERICA
OneAZ Credit Union
Dec. 21, 2022
Ranking: #4
Headquarters: Phoenix, Arizona
Full-Time Employee Count: 508
About: OneAZ Credit Union is an Arizona-based financial institution committed to a mission of "truly improving the lives of our members, our associates, and the communities we serve." To fulfill that mission, OneAZ believes in being a Premier Employer that serves the diverse needs of the more than 500 associates who call OneAZ home. OneAZ provides associates with robust health and wellness options, ample vacation benefits, retirement benefits, and so much more.
Q: What is the most unique benefit offering currently in place? If you were to talk about your program with someone who does not work there, what would you share about your program that would make them want to join your team?
A: What makes our organization unique is that we offer benefits supporting all areas of our associates' lives - focused on the whole person's wellness. Each year we continue to add more unique benefits such as dependent care match options, increased personal time, volunteer time, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, and above-market compensation. We are truly dedicated to positively impacting lives. We offer a great array of medical, dental, and vision benefits to support health, free counseling services to support mental health, free consultations and guidance for financial and retirement health, reward healthy behaviors and activity to support wellness, and constantly strive to improve.
Q: How are you addressing the mental health crisis in the United States as COVID-19 continues to pose a threat?
A: OneAZ has taken a variety of approaches throughout the pandemic – all with the well-being of our associates in mind. To ensure we're reaching all our associates, we started with the big picture. We have published information on our internal intranet page regarding breaking down the stigma related to mental health. We have continued to initiate wellness campaigns focused on mental health and sprinkled with tips and tricks to maintain engagement and whole-person focus. Some of our campaigns have been focused on self-care, resilience, change management. We ensure the campaigns encompass exercise, nutrition, financial wellness, emotional and mental health into campaigns and engaging wellness challenges. To personalize our initiatives and ensure our associates feel valued and appreciated, we provide a tailored approach to associates who have concerns or fears of returning to work on-site, dropping mask mandates, and exposure notices. These conversations are compassionate and fact-based, and we provide resources and support to each individual associate. Finally, we work with individual associates who have stronger needs on a case-by-case situation to navigate their life challenges and find solutions to support them as a whole-person focus.
Q: What statistic best captures the success of your program’s effectiveness in the past 12 months?
A: Our biggest success statistic is our continuous low claim experience, even during a pandemic. In 2014 our average cost was $3252.47 PMPM (per member, per month) and in 2021 the cost continues to hold neutral at $3281.80. Our anticipated cost in 2022 is projected to be over $300,000.00 lower! We directly contribute this to our overall approach to wellness and our organizational mission to improve the lives of our members, associates, and the communities we serve. Our executive and leadership team embodies the concept of our mission in everyday practices. The compassion and whole-person focus can be felt throughout our organization. Together is better!
In addition, our COVID-19 claims analysis was one of the lowest in the BCBS (Blue Cross Blue Shield) book of business. When reviewing our associates’ cases, we continue to reflect lower numbers than benchmarked state numbers. Our educational and mitigation efforts are top of mind. With wellness we believe it takes a village working together to make it happen, and that's how we approach every situation.
Q: Provide a testimony from one of your employees.
A: Each year OneAZ has highly encouraged biometric screenings. The incentive of a free day off with pay, gift cards, and swag and the ease of completing this onsite, offsets the dread of a finger prick and weigh in. Personally, in 2017, my biometrics were a little different. The dreaded finger prick showed elevated numbers and the nurse noticed signs of jaundice. I had not been feeling well but had brushed it off as I was only 31 years old. I was sure I would feel better soon, after all, it must be normal fatigue due having a newborn in the house. The nurse, brought onsite by OneAZ, encouraged an immediate visit to the doctor. I scheduled an appointment for the following week, and the doctor ordered more bloodwork. Just over a week later after my appointment, on Thanksgiving Day, the doctor called to let me know an ambulance was on the way to pick me up. He explained how lucky I was to come in when I did. One of my kidneys was in complete failure and the other was barely functioning. I was able to receive a kidney transplant thanks to a family member and I am doing very well today. My doctor informed me had I waited another week for my appointment I may not be here to tell my story or watch my son grow up.
“OneAZ focuses on a holistic approach with members, communities, and especially with associates. We consider the integration of all components of benefits, compensation, and wellness programs to address physical, mental, and financial stability. The knowledge that the results of our wellness activities have literally saved lives and made an overall difference with our associates is truly heartwarming. We strive for continuous improvement, new offerings, and higher engagement to find ways to touch all of our associates in a meaningful way. As a result of devoting time, energy, and resources to our extensive wellness programs, we are excited to continuously offer low-cost health insurance, reduced turnover, enrich talent acquisition, and, most importantly, improve associate morale.”
– Michael Emanuelli, Chief Administrative Officer
