No. 2 Large | Promega benefits recognize employees as whole people

“Health insurance and retirement and a paycheck are important,” said Diana Clark, Promega’s benefits manager. “But the culture we’ve created recognizes employees as whole people.”

Promega recognizes that its employees can’t leave their problems at the door and focus solely on work if you’re a caregiver, parent or undergoing financial strain. Clark said the company listened to employee feedback to update its benefits package.

The firm, which has 1,328 employees in the Madison area, increased paid caregiver leave from three to six weeks to care for aging parents, ill spouses or domestic partners, children with medical needs or new family members through birth, adoption or foster care.

It also added a new $10,000 “family-forming” benefit to assist with fertility healthcare, adoption and surrogacy. Promega also expanded the definition of “medically necessary” in its medical plan to help provide gender-affirming services to transgender individuals.

And it provided greater inclusion in the medical plan for those requiring therapy for an autism spectrum diagnosis and/or developmental delays.

To help relieve the burden of student loan debt, the company provided a Student Debt Repayment Accelerator Program that gives employees $100 a month to pay down their obligations.

When one employee found out about the debt repayment benefit, he called Clark to thank her.

“He said, ‘I got goosebumps and tears.’ They were looking at whether they could afford a mortgage, whether they could afford to start a family and student debt was one of those things holding them back,” she said.

“The biggest stamp of approval that we need is employees saying, ‘You’re partnering with me to make sure that I bring my best to work, and you give your best back to me,” Clark said. “We’re really looking at honoring the entire spectrum of people’s lives.”