VCC Magazine Summer 2018

Human Resources Initiatives By Keyanna Conner Today’s job market is highly

competitive, and it is crucial for us to strengthen the Commonwealth’s ability to recruit and retain talented employees. To address that, our Administration has introduced several initiatives to support state employees at work and at home. Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Orders in June to provide paid parental leave to employees in the Executive Branch, and to establish the Advisory Commission on Quality Child

Care to study the feasibility of providing evidence-based early care and learning programs for young children of state employees. The child care study reflects the priorities of First Lady Pamela Northam, who has launched a new initiative to improve the quality of and access to early childhood education. While its focus initially will be on the feasibility of setting up early child care and learning programs on and around Capitol Square, the Advisory Commission also will explore the creation of similar programs for state workers in other parts of the Commonwealth. It will evaluate benefits offered related to supporting the early care and learning of employees’ children and will offer recommendations on policies to help the Commonwealth attract and retain talented employees with young children. The new parental leave benefit provides up to eight weeks of paid parental leave to enable employees to care for and bond with a newborn, or a child under the age of 18 newly placed for adoption, foster, or custodial care. The paid leave may be used in combination with other leave benefits and is available to both parents if both are eligible state employees. It is simply the right thing to do, and recognizes the diversity of today’s families. Another part of our strategy has been to implement a new compensation tool to provide student loan repayment assistance to state employees in difficult-to-fill positions. The average debt carried by an individual student while pursuing an education approximates $37,000, representing a 60 percent increase since 2007. To assist employees, the Commonwealth will offer a one- time bonus of up to $10,000 for new hires or re-hires to accept employment or for current employees to continue employment. Positions must be identified as critical and difficult to fill or retain. While these measures address financial and quality-of-life challenges faced by our state workforce, another initiative is focused on employees’ everyday health and engagement. On May 1, we launched the OnTheSquareVA employee engagement program to promote healthy and fun activities that get employees moving and connecting with their coworkers. We are fortunate to have dedicated employees all across Virginia, and we want to encourage them to step away from their desks during their lunch or break and do something that is fun, helps them build relationships with their coworkers and, when possible, improves their health. We tasked the Department of Human Resource Management and the Department of General Services to lead the program, and during the first month, we held over 50 activities, including everything from weekly food trucks and an early morning run with the Governor, to exercise classes, dog events and yoga at the Executive Mansion. In June, we added a weekly farmers’ market and many other events, including a geology tour around Capitol Square and an opportunity to meet and ask questions of Supreme Court of Virginia Chief Justice Donald Lemons. The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are working to See Human Resources Initiatives , continued on page 12

hen it comes to events no one throws a party like David Napier.

Known throughout Central Virginia for his wonderful food and hospitality, David is delighted to have opened his catering facility in the heart of Shockoe Bottom. No event is too small or large. Delicious Box Lunches delivered. O ne of Richmond’s most elegant dining rooms is now exclusively available for your private parties and special events. Our award winning chefs produce an array of dishes from steaks and seafood to vegetarian and international masterpieces that will satisfy the most discriminating palate. The Old City Bar is the perfect place to celebrate.

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V irginia C apitol C onnections , S ummer 2018

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