Agrace announces landmark investment in its workforce
Initiative includes new minimum pay rate, gratitude bonus and subsidized health insurance premiums
MADISON, Wis. – When people turn to Agrace for support through the challenges of aging, serious illness, dying or grieving, a compassionate team of professionals is there to provide exceptional care. In a move to sustain its most important resource—its employees—Agrace today announced a new initiative to reinvest in those who work hard every day to provide personalized care and support, where and when it’s needed, for those living in southern Wisconsin.
As one of the area’s largest employers, the Madison-based nonprofit health care organization employs a workforce of nearly 900 individuals including the caregivers, nursing assistants, nurses, social workers, spiritual & grief counselors, nurse practitioners and physicians who care for more than 1,500 Wisconsin residents each day. Most of the agency’s personal care, supportive care and hospice care services are provided in people’s homes.
Agrace’s workforce investment includes three main components:
- A new $17 per hour minimum pay rate for all employees
Effective immediately, all Agrace positions pay a minimum of $17 per hour, regardless of the position’s location within Agrace’s 19-county service area or the employee’s full-time-equivalent (FTE) status. - A medical coverage premium break for lower wage earners
Beginning January 1, 2023, Agrace is implementing a self-insured health insurance program. Employees who make less than $26 per hour will pay lower monthly premiums for their health care coverage. - A year-end gratitude bonus
To mitigate the impact of runaway inflation on its workforce, Agrace employees will receive a year-end bonus designed to considerably reduce the burden they’ve experienced from higher prices.
“Health care workers are absolutely critical to providing high-quality care for the aging population. Knowing how much we are all struggling to manage the rapid increase in prices for everyday household items, we felt it was crucial to support our employees through this challenging time,” said Lynne Sexten, Agrace president and CEO. “Agrace employs the best people, and we are grateful to those who choose to be a part of our 45-year tradition of caring for this community.”
Agrace was named by the Wisconsin State Journal as the #6 Top Workplace among large companies in Dane, Sauk, Columbia and Rock counties in 2022. In October Agrace received a national Culture of Excellence award from Top Workplaces as a women-led organization.
“Agrace’s strong, positive culture has been recognized again and again by our employees who feel tied to our mission, our communities and the talented colleagues they collaborate with as we carry out our important work,” said Sexten. “An investment in the wellbeing of those who care for the aging, ill and dying in our communities is an investment in all of our future.”
For more information about Agrace, call (608) 276-4660 or visit agrace.org.
Founded in 1978, Agrace is a nonprofit, community-supported health care organization dedicated to providing high-quality care and support to people who are aging, ill, dying or grieving. With offices in Madison, Janesville, Baraboo, Dodgeville and Oconomowoc, Agrace serves nearly 1,500 patients and clients across southern Wisconsin every day.
