Greensboro’s People & Culture Department Advances Employee Care with AI and New Benefits
The City of Greensboro’s People & Culture Department has published its 2024-2025 Impact Report, highlighting a year of initiatives focused on making city employment more responsive and employee-centered. The report details how technology upgrades, wellness programs, and policy changes aim to improve the day-to-day experience of city employees.
Personal Observance Leave: Flexibility in Time Off
Starting July 2024, Greensboro introduced a new Personal Observance Leave benefit. This offers employees up to eight hours of paid leave annually to observe personal, cultural, or spiritual events that may not fall on standard holidays. The policy is designed to recognize diverse traditions and beliefs without complicating existing leave systems.
Key points about this leave include:
- Leave must be used within the calendar year and does not roll over.
- It cannot be donated, cashed out upon separation, or combined with Family and Medical Leave Act time.
- Requests are managed through the city’s standard timekeeping system.
Wellness Premium Encourages Preventive Health
In January 2025, Greensboro launched a Wellness Premium program that offers discounted health insurance premiums to employees who complete specific preventive health activities. These include annual physicals, biometric screenings like blood pressure or A1C checks, and an online health survey.
Employees track their progress throughout the year, and meeting the program’s benchmarks results in premium discounts for the next plan year. This approach nudges employees toward healthier habits, aiming to reduce long-term health risks and costs.
Acute Care Clinic Reopens for On-Site Healthcare
The reopening of the city’s Acute Care Clinic provides employees with convenient access to medical care for routine issues without leaving the workplace. This reduces time away from work and supports early treatment, helping to prevent minor health problems from escalating.
Technology Upgrades Streamline HR Processes
The department has implemented artificial intelligence tools and restructured performance reviews to improve speed and reduce friction for employees. The goal is to simplify routine HR tasks by cutting down redundant forms and minimizing back-and-forth communication.
These AI-powered tools focus on delivering faster, clearer answers and making HR processes more accessible. This shift from a gatekeeper approach to a helper approach in HR can significantly boost employee morale by smoothing out onboarding and performance evaluations.
Professional Development Gets a Boost with REACH
The city introduced a new professional development day called REACH — Realizing Empowerment by Achieving Challenging Heights. This event allows employees to build skills, network across departments, and explore advancement opportunities.
Programs like REACH help local governments retain experienced staff by making career paths and skill development visible, which is crucial when salary increases may be limited.
Volunteering Strengthens Community and Teamwork
Employee volunteer efforts throughout the year have served dual purposes: supporting community needs and fostering team-building. These activities connect city staff with residents beyond routine service interactions, reinforcing values such as transparency, respect, and accountability.
Focus on Employee Retention Through Practical Benefits
Greensboro’s initiatives clearly target employee retention, addressing challenges faced by many local governments competing for talent in fields like IT and public safety. Benefits that respect employees’ time, health, and cultural diversity complement salary considerations.
By offering flexible leave options, health incentives, accessible medical care, streamlined HR processes, and career development opportunities, the city aims to create a more supportive workplace environment.
City employees and Greensboro residents can explore the full 2024-2025 Impact Report and learn more about these efforts online.
For HR professionals interested in leveraging artificial intelligence and improving employee experience, exploring AI training resources can offer valuable insights. Consider checking out Complete AI Training for relevant courses and tools.
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