Employees of Life’s WORC have more to smile about than just the holiday season, since Crain’s New York has named them one of the best places to work in 2009.
“I think that it confirms the hard work that the folks in this organization put in everyday to support folks with developmental disabilities,” said Peter Smergut, the Executive Director of Life’s WORC. “It’s nice to be recognized for that.”
A not-for-profit organization, Life’s WORC was founded in 1971 and “provides comprehensive support to people with developmental disabilities, including mental retardation and autism,” according to its web site. It services Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
It was number 35 on Crain’s list of 40 best places to work. Crain’s and its partner for the list, Best Companies Group, surveyed 13,991 employees at more than 150 companies.
The Crain’s article explained that “to be eligible, businesses had to have 25 or more employees in New York City. Scores from employees…were combined with scores from a survey of employers, which included questions about benefits and policies. Results from the employee surveys made up 75 percent of the total score; results from the employer surveys made up 25 percent.”
Smergut said that one of the keys to Life’s WORC’s success is the sense of family among its employees. He said that the employees are talented and that “there’s a real commitment to the mission.”
In its write-up, Crain’s also specifically noted that Life’s WORC enables employees to evaluate management. Smergut said that this is a practice they have been using for the last five years so that the management team can “be more rooted in terms of what their staff’s perception is.” He said that it assists with development of leaders, adding that the leadership team has become stronger since they began using this tool.
“It’s a happy group and I think people are very proud of the fact that they work in a place that has received that kind of acknowledgement,” Smergut said.
Smergut also noted that Life’s WORC received recognition at the state level. This year, the Society for Human Resource Management ranked the company number nine in New York State for best large company.
For more information on Life’s WORC, visit www.lifesworc.org.
