In a time when most companies
are cutting back on healthcare for employees, The Holland, Inc. parent company
of Burgerville and Noodlin’, is taking a step in the other direction.
The company announced today that effective January 1, 2006, it is introducing
a new healthcare package for hourly employees and their families. This
package is unique in that The Holland will contribute more than 90 percent of
the cost of both its employees’ and their dependents’ healthcare plan,
following through on its commitment to ensure that the company’s employees are
healthy and well.
“Everyday we put our faith in our employees,” said Tom Mears, President of
The Holland, Inc. “We have always believed that investing in our employees
makes good business sense. We want this healthcare package to take that
investment to the next level, and we see this as a way to enable our employees
to thrive and achieve success both at work and in their personal lives.”
The Holland is getting immediate feedback from its employees about how
their individual success is being impacted: “I use knee braces to walk, which
have been broken for over three months. Now I can get new ones, thank you,”
said, Demion Darkangel, (Burgerville — NE Cornell Rd, Hillsboro, Oregon).
“You have no idea how much relief you just provided to me and my family. We’re
so thankful,” said, Sarah Escalante (Burgerville — Hawthorne, Portland,
Oregon).
With the rollout of the new benefits package hourly employees with six
months of service and working 20 hours a week are eligible for coverage at a
cost of only $15 a month. The Holland pays 95 percent of the premium for
individual employees as well as 90 percent of the cost for their dependents.
“We are not aware of another restaurant company ever providing this level
of healthcare benefits to its employees,” stated Jack Graves, chief cultural
officer for The Holland. In fact, according to PayScale, Inc., a leading
provider of online compensation information with access to accurate data for
both employees and employers, 60 percent of those working in the quick service
restaurant (QSR) field do not have any form of medical insurance.
“First, they listened to what the employees needed; second they identified
the return on investment possible with regard to employee retention and last
they made the financial investment,” said Nina Stratton, Founder of The
Stratton Company, an insurance broker, who assisted The Holland in creating
the benefits packages. “This is a company that stands behind what they say
they value in their community.”
The healthcare benefit plan made available to employees is provided by
Kaiser Permanente, ODS Health Plans and Willamette Dental. ODS is an
independent Oregon corporation that provides a full range of medical and
dental plans for employers and individuals. Willamette Dental offers
full-service dentistry with more than 50 locations throughout the Northwest.
Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading integrated healthcare organization.
More than 470,000 people in Oregon and Southwest Washington receive their
healthcare from Kaiser Permanente.
“We’re honored to become partners in health with The Holland. Like them,
we also have deep roots in the Pacific Northwest, so we understand and share
their commitment to ensuring the health not only of their own workers but the
communities in which they operate,” says Kaiser Permanente Northwest Regional
President Cynthia Finter.
