- Key insight: Find out how Sun Life structures its paid family leave and hybrid office expectations.
- Expert quote: "High achievers are the ones we have the [highest risk of] losing if we don't get this right." — Tammi Wortham, Sun Life
- Forward look: Expect high achievers to drive the integration of new workplace tools.
Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review
Keeping high performers happy takes work, but the payoff is huge. At financial services company Sun Life, a combination of thoughtful benefits,
These elements are crucial for building a purpose-driven culture and making employees feel like their whole selves are represented, said Tammi Wortham, Sun Life's SVP of HR, which "keeps individuals anchored to us," she added. The proof is evident in Sun Life's
When the whole person is represented, it "arguably creates the conditions for everyone … to do their best work," Wortham said. "But high achievers are the ones that we have the [highest risk of] losing if we don't get this right. So if we do these things, everyone is doing well, but if we put a lens on it, we would say if we really do these things right, our best people will feel like this is an environment where they can learn and grow."
Read more:
Leave policies that build loyalty
Sun Life's paid family medical leave policies were designed to support employees' and their family's needs at various life stages. As PFML is something the company offers as a service to clients, it was especially important to get right for its own workforce, said Wortham.
Workers get 16 weeks of family leave to spend time with loved ones, for needs such as bonding with a new child, including adopted and foster children; caring for ill family members or a family member injured on active duty; addressing issues related to domestic violence or sexual assault; and becoming a bone marrow or organ donor. Birth parents get an additional eight weeks off for childbirth recovery. Employees also have access to 24 or more weeks' leave for their own illness or injury, with the first four months at full pay. Leadership's mindset when designing these policies was that they should reflect the benefits provided to their customers, said Wortham, and "[they are] the best example for us in how we … show up differently for our employees."
"We didn't come into this space saying, 'How much is this going to cost us? How much are we going to lose in terms of our employees' productivity and capability?' We said, 'If we are going to go into this PFML space, how do we set ourselves apart so that we are actually living what we're saying?' she said. "When we say to our clients, 'We want to help [people] achieve lifetime security and live healthier lives,' we're actually saying that about our employees."
The company also offers employees a sabbatical — up to six weeks off — for every five years of service. Participants can combine paid leave for this plus accrued vacation days, and manage the leave within a company-provided app.
Read more:
Flexible in-person arrangements
Rather than mandate in-office time, Sun Life asks employees living within a certain distance of their office to be in person two days per week, though a specific schedule is not in place. Expectations are higher for managers, but again, they have a certain level of autonomy when it comes to designing their hybrid schedule.
"Employees are hybrid, but that hybrid looks different depending on your situation," Wortham said.
Training and growth opportunities
Wortham emphasizes that for high performers, staying relevant is imperative, and this means having the chance to learn and grow. The company's management takes an active role in this process, and AI training is an important factor as well, Wortham noted.
"We do a thing called career connections, where we allow employees to come in and [talk] with managers about where they want to go, get better networking, etc.," she said. "Managers are also at those meetings pointing out what's great about the company and their [own] opportunities and career."
Also important to employee growth is the company's outlook on evolving technology, Wortham said.
"We can't ignore the fact that change is happening at an accelerated pace, and one facilitator of that change is … AI," she said. "In order for [employees] to be ready for what is coming and utilize these tools in the best way, [they] need to be in an environment where [they] feel safe to learn and thrive, and where [they] feel [they're] going to have experiences that will help prepare [them] for the future."
The right approach to using this technology in the workplace is for leaders to establish a clear picture of what they want their organization to be, and bring in AI to help achieve that, said Wortham.
"We need to say we know who we are, and these tools can help us achieve those outcomes," she said. "But we have to activate and create an employee environment that brings that out in individuals. High achievers are going to be the ones that are using judgment, critical thinking, and deeply understanding the work. They are going to be the ones that are driving this force."
Read more:
By offering benefits that take care of employees personally and professionally, Sun Life establishes trust, conveys long-term career options, and fosters high performance — which in turn motivates its workforce to embrace evolving technology and propel the business forward, Wortham said.
"By creating that solid foundation of amazing benefits programs, recognizing the needs of the workplace, and really doubling down on a purpose-driven culture, we are in an accelerated place to be able to take advantage of these amazing tools that are coming."
This is the second article in a series about retaining high performers. Read
