Living in a post-COVID, multigenerational world in which “life is full of life,” a growing number of Northeast Wisconsin businesses are modifying their time-off policies.
Chief People Officer Kris Hackbarth-Horn says Fox Communities Credit Union (FCCU) has created an intentional culture for its 465 team members.
“Part of our total rewards philosophy is being life-friendly. We recognize that team members are at different life stages and have varying circumstances, and it’s sometimes the hardest moments that they need us most,” Hackbarth-Horn says. “A great example of that is our caregiver program.”
The program was introduced in 2022 and expanded in 2024 to include parents-in-law and grandparents. It offers two weeks of regular base pay to full-time team members (and an adjusted amount for part-time team members) for birth, adoption placement, foster care placement, day care closures and care for a broad spectrum of family members.
“Last year we added in-laws and grandparents, and that has taken some of the burden off team members needing to take all their PTO in these scenarios,” says Terri Green, vice president of human resources at FCCU.
The organization also has broadened its bereavement leave to encompass all loved ones, and it asks team members to work with their leaders on the time needed.
A respect for work/life balance and associated feedback prompted Wipfli LLP to modify its paid time off to create flexible time off (FTO).
“COVID thrust us years ahead in decision-making and made everyone reflect on what’s important,” says Maureen Pistone, partner and chief human resources officer at Wipfli. “We wanted to create more choice and workforce flexibility and support associates in their time-off needs while rewarding decision-making. Associates with a supportive work environment tend to be more productive and focused on clients — a win for all.”
In addition to FTO, Wipfli offers its 3,300 associates well-being days, anchored around Thanksgiving and the 4th of July, and added Juneteenth and Veterans Day as paid holidays in 2024.
“We added all of those in the spirit of work/life fusion as well as inclusion and belonging,” Pistone says.
The Green Bay chapter of the Society of Human Resources Management has observed growing mindfulness of work/life balance among its 200 employer members.
“Employers are busting out of traditional ‘vacation’ and ‘sick time’ limits with creative plans and incentives toward well-being,” says Jill Lemke, director of communications for the Green Bay SHRM chapter and senior benefits analyst at Associated Bank. “Many employers have transitioned to an ‘unlimited’ or flexible PTO model to focus on the overall total well-being of employees and their families. The recent pandemic pushed outdated offerings over a cliff with pressures of flexibility and more work/life balance.”
To that end, FCCU began recognizing all federal holidays as paid holidays for team members starting in 2022, and it uses its observance of Juneteenth as a Pay it Forward day.
“No matter what, team members are paid that day, but if they’re willing to give all or part of the day to volunteer, we welcome that,” Hackbarth-Horn says.
And, when FCCU team members use any of their additional eight hours of paid volunteer time annually, they are paid for those eight hours above and beyond the hours they worked that week.
“That way, if an associate works at the football concession stand on a Friday night, they’ll be paid for those additional hours on top of their 40 hours,” Green says.
While she isn’t seeing unlimited PTO across the client businesses she supports nationwide, Julie Van Vonderen, director of human resources consulting at McClone Insurance, is seeing a shift to PTO versus separate vacation, sick and wellness days.
“That’s a huge evolution that can encompass a lot of needs and desires and provides the flexibility people need,” she says. “I think one of the biggest transitions to PTO is the result of generational changes.”
In evolving to PTO, the companies Van Vonderen supports are combining sick days and vacation and padding it to bolster the pool of PTO.
“I’m seeing a lot more flexibility with this pool rather than line items for things like pet bereavement,” she says. “Having a bucket allows for broader application and satisfies all employees.”
