Working Mother recently revealed its second annual Best Companies for Dads list, celebrating organizations that lead in the areas of paternity and gender-neutral parental leave, flexible schedules, phase-back programs for dads, and more. WellStar Health System was one of the 50 companies recognized on this year’s list, and the only Georgia-based organization to receive this recognition. 

“We created the Best Dads list to applaud trendsetting companies that are listening to their employees and leading the way for other top employers,” says Subha V. Barry, president of Working Mother Media. 

WellStar is committed to developing programs to attract and retain talent with innovative offerings for working parents that value both men’s and women’s roles, at work and at home. Central to this, WellStar not only offers four weeks of paid parental leave for both new moms and new dads, but actively encourages it. 

“Moms and dads with careers want employers who support them at work and at home,” says Meredith Bodgas, editor-in-chief of Working Mother. 

A March 2018 national survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that only 16 percent of workers in the United States have access to some paid family leave through private-sector employers, and new dads are often reluctant to take paid parental leave when it’s offered for fear of being stigmatized. 

“My family is everything,” says Timothy Bass, a registered nurse at WellStar Kennestone Hospital (3-North ICU), and father of five who utilized paternity leave for his daughter and youngest son’s birth. “I’m proud to work for a health system that not only trusts me to be there for patients and families when they need it most, but also makes it easier for me to be there for my family when they need me most as well.” 

Happier, healthier healthcare professionals deliver more compassionate care. That’s why WellStar is proud to prioritize dads and families, and works tirelessly to ensure its staff feels supported. WellStar’s Wellbeing 365 program, which has four pillars (Health, Finances, Career, and Work-Life), was designed to focus on employees’ total well-being, making it easier for them to be their best at work and at home. 

“At WellStar it’s important that we never lose sight of the hardworking parents who commit their time and attention to our patients. That’s why we have programs and policies in place to make it easier for our people to be as engaged in their parenting as they are in their work,” explains David Jones, executive vice president of human resources at WellStar Health System.

In addition to paid parental leave, some of the many ways WellStar’s Wellbeing 365 program supports working parents are: 

·       Providing adoption assistance 

·       Offering an extended illness bank 

·       Onsite wellness programs, fitness centers and health coaching 

·       Providing a concierge service that enhances work/life balance by running errands for employees, such as grocery-shopping, picking up dry cleaning, and getting oil changes  

·       Alleviating caregiving needs, by providing care—and back-up care—options for children (including those with special needs) and adults/elders, both on-site and in-home

“From the paid leave and programs WellStar offers, to the support from my co-workers and administration, I know WellStar doesn’t just value me as a nurse; my colleagues value me as a dad,” explains Bass. “That makes all the difference.”