PETALUMA -- In the post-acute healthcare industry, the average turnover rate is 30 percent. At Golden Living Center Petaluma, the rate is 8 percent. “Turnover is extremely low here because this really is a great place to work,” said Dorothy McReynolds, admissions and marketing director.
Employees at Golden Living typically care for individuals who are transitioning out of a hospital, whether it be from an accident, illness or other medical emergency.
“It's very emotional, very intense kind of work,” Ms. McReynolds said. “People always ask me how it's possible that we work in such an emotionally draining field and yet, year after year, the employees vote us as one of the best places to work. I tell them it's because we're always there for each other. We have plenty of of real-life drama to deal with on a daily basis. So we make sure that our work environment is extremely stable, supportive and nurturing. In order to take care of our clients, we have to take care of each other.”
McReynolds added that one of the keys to fostering such a nurturing atmosphere is that every single employee is treated with respect and fairness. “All people are created equal and we live by that truth here. Whatever your nationality, sexual orientation, physical ability, whatever it is, it's all welcome and respected. There is absolutely no bullying here, no gossip, nothing like that. It's just a part of our culture.”
It's not just about what the work culture does not allow, it's also about what that culture fosters. “We're all about compassion and gratitude for each other,” Ms. McReynolds said. For example, the company recently set up a web page, much like a Facebook page, in which co-workers can post words of acknowledgment and gratitude to each other. “You can write , 'I saw the care you took in helping your client get up to his feet today,'" Ms. McReynoldes said. “It just helps you get into that frame of mind to stop and look around and see all the good in the people around you. Once you're in that frame of mind, you just see more and more goodness.
"In these financial times, it's difficult to give employees raises and bonuses and those kinds of incentives," she said. "But what we can do is make sure that everyone is heard and acknowledged and treated with compassion, fairness and respect. Those are free, yet they are worth so much.”
