Putting Employees First: What it Means to Be Recognized as a Top Workplace

Madison, WI – Jan. 28, 2021 – On the heels of a year unlike any other, a year that challenged our employees both personally and professionally, we're thrilled to be recognized with a 2021 Top Workplaces USA award and Culture Excellence awards for Top Leaders and Communication. 

Through an engagement survey issued by Energage, employees described UW Credit Union as an employer that operates efficiently and by strong values. Employees also reported feeling informed, to believing that the UW Credit team is headed in the right direction. LaDaisha Washington, one of our collections specialists and a co-founder of our Black Excellence Employee Resource Group, put that in perspective, sharing, "UW Credit Union is a place where I can be myself. I don't leave any pieces at the door. The open, welcoming culture gives me an energy and a freedom that extends to every member interaction I have. It's refreshing working for a company that promotes empathy and understanding and it's something I serve right back to members."

This feedback represents so much more than an award logo on our website or a sign at our branches. Helping people thrive is at the heart of everything we do. Employees that feel valued, engaged, and informed are unstoppable. This past year is a testament to that.

We went into 2020 with some tall orders. A primary goal was to create a culture of inclusion. To make every employee feel valued. To do a lot more listening and leaning in. We made a commitment to elevating employees' voices, ensuring for their representation and a seat at the table. And while that table quickly merged into a keyboard, and many of our necessary conversations happened virtually versus face-to-face, we are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of progress that occurred. 

On a high level, our employees developed and implemented an online loan payment extension application in just two days. In a month, we funded more than $2 million in emergency personal loans to nearly 1,000 members. Our employees also helped raise nearly half a million dollars through our annual giving campaign with United Way. They enabled us to divert approximately 50 percent of waste from landfills through expanded composting and recycling efforts. More importantly, they had fun. From encouraging our fellow residents to "Jump Around" in recognition of essential workers to hosting a virtual masked singer contest, our employees are proof that opportunity often emerges from crisis.

Our mission, "Here for Every You," is a commitment to providing all members with unparalleled financial service and support. That mission also means stepping up for our employees and providing them with every opportunity to succeed.

As we embark on a new year already marked by so much change, one constant remains our investment in our employees' futures. We will continue to offer a competitive foundation wage as well as paid parental and caregiver leave. We will continue to support a healthy work-life balance. And we will continue to provide employees with guidance on how to manage their career development.  

The Top Workplaces USA distinction propels us even further on that journey. It also prompts a sincere thank you to UW Credit Union Employees for reminding us what really matters. People. Or rather, people helping people. It doesn’t get much better than that.