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VEGAS INC C OV E R STO RY Benefits beyond the job: Caesars offers incentives for green living BENEFITS, From page 1 "Our overall philosophy is that we know our employees are looking for more than just a paycheck," said Rosamari McNulty, senior director of human resources and volunteer services at Nathan Adelson Hospice. "We want to offer so much more to them for being great employees." In a small sampling of Las Vegas companies, some extraordinary benefits quickly become apparent. Those range from pet insurance, the ability to purchase major household appliances interest-free through mcnulty payroll deduction, Weight Watchers and smoking cessation programs, and even an on-site lactation room for new mothers who are breastfeeding. Here is a look at four local workplaces and some of the benefits and perks they offer to their employees: Caesars Entertainment Corp. As you might imagine, a company the size of Caesars Entertainment has the resources to provide more perks to its employees than an average company. With 27,000 employees in Las Vegas, and nearly 70,000 worldwide, Caesars tries to provide something useful for everyone. "We sponsor all kinds of sports teams for our employees, from softball and volleyball to basketball and bowling," said Lindsay Garcia, manager of sustainability and public affairs for Caesars Entertainment. "We encourage our employees to get out and be active." If their worker doesn't want to be part of a team sport, the company has another option. Located on West Flamingo Road, the Caesars Wellness Center has doctors, dieticians and personal trainers, with a full gym with extended hours that is free for all employees. Exercise classes are offered as well. Caesars also provides free meals in an employee dining room, free and discounted show tickets and a credit union. Additionally, it started a program three 18 20130527_VI01_F.indd 18 received tremendous employee participation in is in support of the nonprofit Clean the World. Housekeeping crews at Caesars properties collect lightly used or new soaps and bottled toiletries. It amounted to 50 tons of soap in 2012. Jessica Rossman, the director of supplier diversity and sustainability for Caesars, traveled to Honduras last fall to watch the distribution of the products to the locals. This year, Caesars is exploring ways to extend the opportunity to more employees, Garcia said. Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada COURTESY OF CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CLEAN THE WORLD: As part of the program, housekeepers such as Ana Rivera collect slightly or unused shampoo. years ago called "CodeGreen at Work" that rewards employees who have ideas about helping the company become more environmentally friendly — or green. For their initiatives, they're rewarded. For instance, a chef at Serendipity 3 — located in front of Caesars Palace — put in an outdoor herb garden and now the chefs there use fresh herbs from it in their daily cooking, Garcia said. "First herb garden of its kind on the Las Vegas Strip," she said. Another group came up with the idea of removing the light bulbs from the backof-house vending machines to save energy, Garcia said. The incentives for such ideas come in the form of Total Return Credits, which can be redeemed online for such things as trips, appliances, sporting goods equipment and even cars. The initiative has since spun off to the "CodeGreen at Home" program. "We saw some of the great ideas that employees had come up with at work, and they made a big difference," Garcia said. "We encouraged them to carry those ideas into their homes." The company now runs a quarterly contest for employees who have made "green" changes outside the workplace. Employees must complete a form that outlines what they've done, the cost and also provide photos. They are then awarded Total Reward Credits to their accounts. Garcia was excited to talk about one employee – a bartender at Bally's – in particular. In recent months, he has installed a Cool Share thermostat, high-efficiency lighting, low-flow showerheads and a reverse osmosis system to eliminate buying bottled water; installed his own garden, and bought an electric car. "He was definitely on the extreme side," said Garcia, who said the maximum 25,000 credits (the equivalent of about $500) were awarded to him as part of the program. As part of the green initiative, Caesars holds an annual "CodeGreen Day" where Dartmouth College's Big Green Bus comes to town. The bus, which runs on waste vegetable oil, transports 13 Dartmouth students 12,000 miles across 24 states to build enthusiasm for environmental action. Employees spent time in the "classroom on wheels" when it was here last summer to increase awareness about the importance of sustainability practices. It will hit the Las Vegas Strip this year on July 23. In April, Caesars also hosted a farmers market for its workers. Employees had a chance to shop from local vendors as well as participate in a drawing for donated $200 energy audits for their homes. Another program that Caesars has Cancer treatment, care and research are what the Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada is all about. It's a specially trained team of doctors, researchers, nurses and health care professionals who have provided patients with groundbreaking treatments since 1974. So it's no stretch of the imagination that CCCN is closely loyal to the Susan G. Komen Foundation – the world's largest breast cancer organization. So much so that the company pays the entry fee into the annual Race for the Cure event for any interested employee, plus family members at a discounted rate. "We see that as being very important to the community," said Tanya Vial, CCCN's human resources manager. "We had close to 220 participants representing us this year, which was wonderful." The company provides a robust timeoff plan to employees that includes nine paid holidays, three weeks of vacation immediately upon hiring and a 40-hour sick bank in case of emergencies, Vial said. Additionally, it provides tuition reimbursement of up to $3,000 annually. It also has an employee referral program that pays current workers up to $1,000 for new hires they recommend who stay with the company for a certain period of time. CCCN recognizes five "Employees of the Quarter" and recognizes them with a small cash bonus, a profile in the company e-newsletter and a certificate to place at their workstation. "A lot of the nominations come from | 2 7 M AY 2 0 1 3 | 5/23/13 2:22:22 PM