Molly King is not content with the status quo, and that's reflected in the progress she's made in her role as employee benefits director for the City of Milwaukee.
"I am always looking for a better way to do things," she explained. "I am naturally innovative and solution-oriented, and I do not believe in sticking with something just because 'that's the way we've always done it.' I enjoy thinking creatively, challenging the status quo, and finding fresh approaches that better serve employees and the organization."
One example of accomplishing the latter was King leading the transition of the city's Medicare retiree population from one plan to another, "a significant and long-overdue change that had not previously been pursued at the city because no one had the appetite to take it on," she explained. "I stepped into that challenge, led the effort, and delivered a result that generated more than $2 million in overall savings for the City while also reducing costs for Medicare retirees by more than $2,700 annually."
For King, the satisfaction went beyond cost savings for the city.
"I am proud that this initiative not only drove substantial fiscal value, but also directly improved affordability for the people who rely on these benefits," she said.
King also expressed pride in her work to advance the city's mental and behavioral health strategies.
"Rather than treating mental health as a narrow or standalone issue, I pushed for a broader, more intentional approach to supporting employees and their families," she shared. "That included strengthening peer support resources, leveraging our well-being champions, further empowering our onsite EAP coordinator, and creating a survivorship program that allows surviving family members to continue coverage for an additional 90 days. I also led a campaign to expand our EAP and mental and behavioral health programming by doubling what had previously been approved."
For someone that rejects complacency, it's no surprise King is always planning ahead. To help employees and their families better understand the full benefits available to them, she "is currently evaluating the more than 30 benefits we offer and developing what I call a drip campaign and marketing strategy. Each month, I highlight a specific benefit that aligns with the time of year or employee needs through our 'Wellwaukee' newsletter, employee notifications, or virtual webinars."
"Ultimately, she added, "I want to build a stronger, more proactive benefits strategy that improves understanding, increases engagement, and better supports our workforce throughout their career life cycle."
Molly will be honored at EBN's Benefits at Work conference in September, which you can
