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The University of Wisconsin-Superior has been certified as a Gold Distinguished Employer by Family Friendly Workplace, the organization’s highest level of recognition.
“Being recognized as a Family Friendly Workplace is a meaningful honor and a strong affirmation of UW-Superior’s commitment to the well-being of our faculty, staff and students,” Chancellor Renée Wachter said. “Our people are at the heart of what makes UW-Superior exceptional, and we remain dedicated to fostering a supportive, inclusive environment that allows them to thrive – both professionally and personally.”
The Gold Distinguished Employer designation recognizes organizations that demonstrate a high standard of family-friendly employment practices. To earn this level of certification, employers must meet minimum benefit requirements, offer a broad range of family-friendly policies and commit financial support to family-serving nonprofits in their communities.
At UW-Superior, these efforts are led in part by the Office of Human Resources, which focuses on creating a supportive and engaging workplace. The office collaborates across campus on well-being initiatives, offers participation incentives and ensures employees are informed about resources and benefits that support work-life balance.
“We’ve long talked about the value of our benefits – things like the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), health insurance and paid leave time,” said Cory Kempf, senior human resources officer at UW-Superior. “This recognition validates those conversations by highlighting how important those benefits are to creating a truly employee-friendly workplace. It reinforces that UW-Superior is not only a great place to work, but a place that genuinely supports work-life balance. From my perspective, this recognition speaks to what we offer not just our employees, but their families as well.”
For Sarah Libbon, director of marketing and communications at UW-Superior, the university’s family-focused culture has made a meaningful difference.
“Being part of an institution that values employee well-being has meant so much to me,” she said. “I’ve benefited from that commitment firsthand as I’ve navigated caring for aging parents and other family obligations while working full-time in a professional role.”
Beyond traditional benefits, UW-Superior offers a range of on-campus resources that support the well-being of employees and their families. These resources provide multiple pathways to wellness and reflect the university’s holistic approach to employee support.
The Marcovich Wellness Center complements these efforts with a state-of-the-art recreation and wellness facility serving students, faculty, staff and community members. The center offers comprehensive fitness options, low-cost gym memberships, wellness programming and access to recreational equipment to support lifelong well-being and personal vitality.
Similarly, the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being advances the science and practice of mindfulness through resources, expertise and programming offered through events, classes and workshops across campus and throughout the community.
“This year feels especially significant because so many efforts are coming together – with new HR initiatives offering incentives to employees, collaboration across campus and LiveWell becoming an initiative of the Pruitt Center,” said Wanda Grew-Jasken, human resources manager at UW-Superior. “We now have a truly unique set of internal benefits. In addition to the Universities of Wisconsin’s outstanding benefits, such as generous time off and low-cost insurance, we also offer on-campus resources that directly support well-being. Going through the family-friendly assessment highlighted how distinctive our offerings are – from affordable gym memberships to free LiveWell programming.”
“New hires share that they are genuinely impressed by the benefits at UW‑Superior and often note how valuable they are as part of the total compensation package,” said Heidi Forester, recruitment specialist II at UW-Superior. “Combined with a welcoming culture and a supportive onboarding experience, employees say they feel confident they made the right choice in joining the UW‑Superior community.”