Water Environment Federation Selected As One Of The Best In The Nation For Benefits
Judges name Alexandria organization as one of "The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security"
The Water Environment Federation, based in Alexandria, Va., is one of only 10 growing companies earning national acclaim for maintaining its commitment to offer employees extraordinary benefits, despite a chaotic economy.
An independent judging panel of employee benefits experts named the Water Environment Federation as one of the 2011 winners of The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security, citing outstanding retirement, health and wellness programs.
"The Water Environment Federation faces the same challenges as other businesses. What makes them extraordinary is the priority they place on employee financial security," said Luke Vandermillen, vice president at The Principal. "The Water Environment Federation understands the direct connection between strong benefits, a strong workforce and a strong bottom line — in the best and worst of times."
The Principal Financial Group sponsors the national program, which is now in its tenth year. It honors growing companies for their commitment to their employees' financial security.
"The Water Environment Federation stood out because it provides an outstanding 401(k) match as well as a non-matching contribution. They also have health and wellness programs that allow the employees the option to pick between a couple of different health plans. They are truly committed to their employees financial and physical security," said Pamela Peterson, SPHR, 10 best judge and director of human resources, Davidson Technologies, Inc., winner The Principal 10 Best Companies—2010.
The Water Environment Federation is a not-for-profit association that provides technical education and training for thousands of water quality professionals who clean water and return it safely to the environment.
"It's a terrific honor to be selected as one of The Principal 10 Best Companies," said Jeff Eger, executive director of the Water Environment Federation. "We believe our benefits program is one of the hallmarks of the organization, especially in these difficult times. We recognize that our people are our greatest asset. Our benefits are critical to our mission of retaining current talent and attracting new talent."
As part of the recognition, The Principal awards a donation to a charity selected by each winning company. The Water Environment Federation chose Water For People www.waterforpeople.org to receive the $2500 donation.
The Water Environment Federation consults with Paul Love, Foster Soltoff and Love, LTD on their retirement plan and Laurie Siegal, Keller Benefit Services on non-retirement employee benefits programs.
A summary of best practices from the Water Environment Federation and other winners will be published and available in January 2012 at www.principal.com/10best.
The Water Environment Federation joins the following organizations in being named one of The Principal 10 Best—2011:
- Associates for International Research, (AIRINC), Cambridge, Mass.
- Consolidated Federal Credit Union, Portland, Ore.
- Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Greeley and Hansen, Chicago, Ill.
- Home Builders Institute, Washington, DC
- Postal Credit Union, Woodbury, Minn.
- RED F Marketing, Charlotte, N.C.
- Veridian Credit Union, Waterloo, Iowa
- Western National Mutual Insurance Company, Edina, Minn.
About the Water Environment Federation (WEF)
Formed in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit association that provides technical education and training for thousands of water quality professionals who clean water and return it safely to the environment. WEF represents water quality professionals around the world and has 36,000 individual members and 75 affiliated member associations. With 97 employees, WEF and its member associations proudly work to achieve their mission of preserving and enhancing the global water environment. For more information, visit www.wef.org
Benefit highlights:
- 87 – 89 percent employer-paid medical insurance premiums for employees and dependents
- 401(k) plan with 100 percent employer match, up to seven percent of pay, plus a three percent non-matching contribution; average employee deferral of 11 percent
- 100 percent employer-paid premiums for short- and long-term disability insurance
- 100 percent employer-paid premiums for long-term care insurance for basic coverage
About The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security The Principal 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security is a national program that recognizes small– and medium– size companies that excel at giving their employees a financial edge. For more information, visit www.principal.com/10best.
About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group (The Principal) is a retirement and global asset management leader. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, investment services and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the FORTUNE 500, the Principal Financial Group has $335.8B in assets under management and serves some 16.5 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
SOURCE: Water Environment Federation (WEF) - WEFTEC