November 20, 2009

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Best Places To Work 2007

We tallied the scores for 55 different 417-land companies and found 12 that earned points heads and tails above the rest. They are the Best Places to Work in 417-land, and what they have to offer might surprise you.

(page 6 of 14)

Photo Edward Biamonte At a game-heavy staff party, colorful money-filled socks line the windows.

OMS

Second place, 26 to 100 employees
290 points

Party Docs

Kids with OMS parents are probably pretty satisfied with their lot. Kids with OMS parents don’t have to worry about Mom missing out on their school plays or not being able to leave work to take them to the doctor when they are sick. Kids with OMS parents get to be the focus of company-wide parties at least twice a year. At Easter, the kids hunt for eggs and win nice prizes—like bikes. And at the Christmas party, Santa pays those kids a visit and has a present for every single one of them.

This focus on family is one thing that the people at OMS (an oral and maxillofacial surgery practice that sees more than 10,000 patients annually) can’t stop talking about. Administrator Susan Rust is quick to point out that a company with an entirely female staff (besides the six doctors) has to be aware of what moms and students need both on and off the job. In some cases the need is flexible scheduling. “I have four women who work out front, and they are all retired school teachers,” Rust says. “I never know who I’ll see at the desk when I go out there. They work it out among themselves. We give them freedom to come and go, and they make sure the shifts are covered. And it gives the administrators more freedom to not have to worry about it.”

In other cases, the need is financial. The doctors who own the company (Dr. Rex Witherspoon, who founded the practice in 1952; Dr. Thomas Collins, Sr.; Dr. Steven Quinn; Dr. Thomas Collins, Jr.; Dr. David Gipson and Dr. George Arquitt) give special monetary bonuses from time to time based on need. For example, after the ice storm in January, they gave cash to all employees to help with emergency expenses. They are also the people who pay for those Christmas presents for all the employees’ children. “The family focus has always been present,” says Dr. Quinn, who has been with the practice for 18 years. “But as the company grew, we realized that the families are really just an extension of the company. We want the entire family unit to be happy and comfortable with our environment. That really reflects through the employees in the way they care for patients.”

If what the employees need is a laid-back in-office celebration or a home-cooked meal, OMS makes that happen, too. Like most of the companies on our Best Places to Work in 417-land list, these folks love office parties. There are pot lucks on birthdays and sporadic barbecues when the weather is nice. “We have tons of baby showers,” Dr. Quinn says with a laugh. “It seems like almost a weekly event around here.”

This mommy-friendly office also has a lactation room for nursing moms, and there always seem to be nursing moms in the office. “How many women do I have pregnant right now?” Rust jokes. “I usually keep five pregnant. I think we’re down now. We’ve got two pregnant and a bunch trying.” She says that after employees have a child, they are offered a generous four months off with the option of coming back to a shortened schedule as needed, working their way back up to full-time gradually.

“The biggest benefit here is to be able to feel like if you are needed somewhere else, and you can’t be at work, you aren’t made to feel guilty,” Rust says. “I think that flexibility makes happy employees.” But the parties can’t hurt either, right?

Click here to return to the Best Places to Work index.

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