In July, April Manning, director of Total Rewards and part of Human Resources leadership at BlueCross, was featured in American Healthcare Leader, an online publication that highlights experts within the health care industry. In the article, April shared how BlueCross strives to be an environment where employees can bring their authentic selves to work.
Here are four takeaways on how April and her team have cultivated this environment by understanding employee needs and focusing on how they can be successful.
1. Paid caregiver leave
BlueCross employees can take up to five days paid leave to care for their families. Gen X comprises roughly 40% of our workforce, meaning many employees use this benefit to spend time with aging loved ones. BlueCross acknowledges this need and wants to help those who need to be with family.
“It’s been in place since January 1 of this year, and we’ve had [close to 50] employees use it,” April said in the article. “They all have loved it and appreciate the peace of mind it provides. Knowing they have that time to take care of someone they love has been huge.”
2. A focus on holistic well-being
April and her team have implemented resources for employees ranging from physical to financial to emotional help. One example is walking challenges to encourage our largely remote workforce to stay active and spend time outdoors.
“We’re focusing on holistic well-being, especially in our current work environment,” April said. “Working remotely has created a need for more connection and engagement. We want to continue providing those opportunities for employees.”
3. Social connectedness
After studying programming, April wanted a career that was more customer-facing. She received her business degree from Columbus State University and throughout her career has gained human resources, corporate and compensation experience — all of which led her to BlueCross. She recognizes the importance of maintaining relationships and connections among employees.
“We have been intentional about how we encourage our leaders and teams to check in with their team members, stay connected and get involved in team activities,” April said.
4. Showcasing employee stories
Providing opportunities for employees to share their stories allows them to connect with one another and create relationships within the workplace.
“We’ve worked hard to build a strong workplace culture, so people feel comfortable showing that they care about each other,” April said. “Oftentimes, we showcase employees telling their story, and it’s a good feeling to know that everyone has the space to do that in our company.”
April and her team continue to give back with the goal of creating a strong workplace culture where employees feel they can be their authentic selves at work every day.
“Work is such a big part of your life,” she said, “so if you’re going to do it, do something you love.”
Marie is a senior Public Relations and Advertising major at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn. She joined the BlueCross corporate communications team as an intern in July 2024.