For the third year in a row, University of New Mexico Hospitals (UNMH) has been named one of the best companies for hourly workers, according to “Working Mother,” a national magazine dedicated to mothers who work.
Juana Maria Velasco, mother of four, is an hourly worker from the UNMH housekeeping department. She has worked at UNMH for almost three years and said being a UNMH employee has given her more free time to do things she really enjoys.
“Having a system of flexible working hours is very important for me and my family,” Velasco said. “My job schedule lets me stay more time in my home and spend more time with my kids.”
The award is the only national initiative that identifies companies who provide family-friendly benefits, such as continuing education, medical services and flexible work schedules.
In order to be eligible for this recognition, companies must employ a minimum of 500 employees, and half must be hourly workers. UNMH internal communications manager Lyn Kehoe said companies are rated on flexibility of hours, medical service availability and other benefits. At UNMH, 90 percent of the hourly employees work 40 hours per week and 84 percent of UNMH’s nearly 6,000 employees are hourly workers, Kehoe said.
“Working Mother” only recognizes 12 companies across the country with this award. Other companies acknowledged by the magazine for exceptional flexibility and benefits for parents earlier this month included Best Buy, Marriott and Target.
Kehoe said other benefits for UNMH hourly employees include financial services, life and health insurances, annual paid leaves, parents’ guidance, retirement plans, internal training courses and educational reimbursement for college credits.
“Toward employees’ education, UNMH pays employees what UNM charges even if you don’t want to go to UNM,” she said. “If you want to be a foreign culture major and it has nothing to do with your job here, it still will be paid because you can get any degree that you want.”
Kehoe said that UNMH hourly workers deserve all these benefits because the jobs they do help the Albuquerque community at large.
“These people (UNMH hourly workers) are helping our community every single day with their regular job,” Kehoe said. “That is why UNMH does a good job on making opportunities available for the employees.”
Although the award was given by “Working Mother,” Kehoe said the benefits UNMH offers apply to both female and male workers.
“We do not make any distinction,” Kehoe said. “A father, for example, can take a family leave when a child is born.”
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While most companies require employees to work 40 hours a week to receive benefits, Kehoe said UNMH hourly workers are only required to work 20.
Kehoe said UNMH has created an environment that compensates employees well through benefits packages regardless of the hours they work.
“There are so many hourly workers at UNMH, so it is really sort of the culture to make sure that everybody is getting benefits,” she said.
