WPS, which provides a range of government and health care services, is removing diversity, equity and inclusion programs this year to protect its federal contracts from being targeted by the Trump administration.
But amid those changes, the Monona-based company formerly known as WPS Health Solutions is also ensuring that employees continue to feel valued, President and CEO Wendy Perkins said April 16 at Cap Times Power Hour, a quarterly event featuring leaders of major Wisconsin companies.
Speaking with moderator Mark Richardson, Perkins said the elimination of WPS’ employee resource groups “doesn’t change who we are as an employer and the way that we treat our employees.”
Perkins said federal compliance is essential to WPS, where the majority of its business involves managing health benefits for U.S. military members and veterans and administering Medicare contracts. But she said that although programs can no longer be labeled as DEI, some WPS staff will remain focused on inclusion efforts and engaging with employees, vendors and partners. She urged people to look at how WPS has approached inclusion and what it’s done to ensure employees feel appreciated and comfortable.
WPS has been working with staff to determine what they want WPS to focus on with employee resources, Perkins said. One of the top results from a recent survey was interest in a group centered on employee wellness.
“I think that we have to involve the employees and let them shape what we're going to look like in round two of those employee resource groups,” she added.
Across the region and nationwide, efforts by the Trump administration this year to curb diversity, equity and inclusion programs are spurring businesses and others to reexamine DEI programs. In January, calling the programs discriminatory, Trump issued an order directing federal agencies to terminate all DEI programs “under whatever name they appear.”
According to a recent New York Times analysis of S&P 500 companies, scores of major businesses have scaled back references to diversity, equity and inclusion goals in annual financial filings. The references had surged in 2021 following the high-profile murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and calls for addressing racial inequality.
At Cap Times Power Hour, Perkins also discussed her background working in health care and health insurance, starting at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Wisconsin, based in Milwaukee. She described how travel early in her career took a toll on her and her relationship with her daughter — with weekly flights away from home every Monday through Thursday — leading Perkins to step back and set boundaries for a year.
Now two years into her role at WPS, Perkins said she is focused on developing the next generation of leaders and creating opportunities for growth within the organization. She also prioritizes compassion for employees, ensuring they know it's OK to put family first.
Following financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Perkins said WPS has worked to shift its culture by bringing in leaders focused on people and workplace culture. The company has also downsized its Monona campus, selling one building which became home to One City Schools and closing a sale on another this week that will become a Topgolf, Perkins said.
WPS has in total downsized from 21 office locations to four, with Perkins pointing out there is no current need to bring all employees back to in-person work at offices. She said claim and call center staff are performing very well remotely. WPS has nearly 2,000 employees nationally, including about 600 in the Madison region, she said.
“There's no need to bring those employees back now. If they want to come back in, absolutely, we will provide that. But we're really looking for the individuals that gain so much from being together,” Perkins said.
To keep employees engaged and encourage them to work in the buildings, WPS is seeking to make offices more inviting and exploring new ways to connect, such as regular employee sync-ups, where Perkins and the executive team meet with staff two to three times a year.
Perkins said she doesn’t envision requiring a five-day, in-office workweek again.
“We have to meet people where they're at, and that work-life balance is important as well,” Perkins said.
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