USAID Staff Care Program Achievements

Early in 2009, the President came out strongly in support of employee wellness, work-life balance and workplace flexibility. In March 2010, he and Mrs. Obama hosted the White House Forum in support of federal employee workplace flexibility and work-life balance, and directed the Office of Management and Budget to undertake "Steps to improve employee satisfaction and wellness". Through USAID Forward's Talent Management Initiative, the USAID Administrator is mounting an intensive effort to ensure the Agency's recruitment and retention of a talented, productive, diverse and inclusive workforce.

USAID Staff Care Objectives

USAID is striving for a corporate environment where its total workforce feels valued, and where employee resilience, wellness and work-life balance are integral parts of the corporate culture. The Office of Human Resources stood up a comprehensive program to provide the Agency's entire workforce - domestic and international -- with a range of individual, managerial, organizational and administrative services.

Progress Toward the Above Stated Objectives

To date, the Staff Care Program has achieved the following:

• The Administrator's Announcement and Approval of the USAID Staff Care Program that includes a team of ten members;
• An approved Business Case for Staff Care;
• Two full-time USAID Masters' Level Clinical Social Workers;
• The start-up for the Staff Care Program effort in late fiscal year 2011 with a budget totaling $1.8 million;
• The establishment of a base budget for fiscal years 2012 through 2016;
• The establishment of two lactation facilities at State Annex (SA) 44 and Potomac Yards in 2011;
• Space set-aside in SA-44 for exercise and will be equipping that space with exercise equipment in January 2012;
• The establishment of the centerpiece of this effort - the Employee Assistance and Resiliency Program (EA/RP);
• The establishment of a Child Care Subsidy Pilot (CCSP) program;
• The establishment of Wellness, Health and Fitness (WWHF) program;
• Gained agreement with the FOH Health Unit providers in the Ronald Reagan Building to address the needs of all USAID workforce members regardless of hiring category;
• Gained agreement with FOH's RRB Fitness Center to reduce the rates for all USAID employees regardless of hiring category;
• The recruitment of a Wellness Coordinator;
• The establishment of an innovative Work-Life Program;
• The relocation of the USAID Staff Care Unit to SA-44;
• Issued the initial Staff Care Baseline Survey on January 4, 2012; and
• The USAID Staff Care Program and the Staff Care Center launched in January 2012.