A Defining Moment: This plan sponsor’s voluntary benefits are healing in the pandemic

Back in 2018, people thought we were crazy,” says J. Brian Coleman, vice president of total rewards for Dawn Food Products Inc. The reason for that judgment? The company had built “a complete ‘well-being advocacy and well-being model’ that looks at three pillars: resilience, financial well-being and physical health,” he says.

Dawn Foods is a century-old family bakery ingredient and solutions company, with clients here and abroad and four manufacturing plants plus 16 distribution centers in the U.S. As a bakery supplier, it was deemed essential by federal guidelines and has not stopped production since the pandemic began. “Our plants and distribution centers are running, and most of our back-office staff are working out of their homes,” Coleman says. By offering diagnosis pay and 14-day sequester pay, he says, “we were ahead of the pack to make sure we kept our talented team members helping their customers wherever they could.”

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