Each member of the human resources team at Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., which operates under the Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes banners, is a superstar for their outstanding efforts to roll out a new high-deductible health plan (HDHP).
In 2010, Garden Fresh made an important decision to implement only one health plan, rather than the multiple plans it had previously offered. The one plan offered was a HDHP, a new concept to 90% of the employee population.
With a large benefits strategy, a year’s lead time and a small benefits team of two people, it was decided that to truly be successful in personally reaching every employee and explaining the change, Garden Fresh would need to engage its entire Human Resources team. With employees in 15 states and at more than 115 locations, the eight member team had its work cut out for them.
The team was responsible for developing and executing a communication plan that reached each eligible employee the way each employee needed to be reached. The strategy was to inspire, engage, and model leadership excellence while teaching employees the core components of the new health plan and in effect change employee’s future behavior to inspire them to be health care consumers.
“Our goal is to provide clarity in direction, assist employees along the way, and constantly re-evaluate for improvement,” said Lisa Sorce, director of Benefits, Compensation, and Internal Auditing. “We proudly offer the best ingredients for a well-seasoned benefits program.”
While the task of switching all employees over to one singular plan may seem simple, it was the team’s shared vision to create great variability in communication so as to reach each employee and family at the place they were in. Together the team spoke with each employee at least two times during the course of implementation, in addition to multiple on-site visits, written and verbal communications, and numerous presentations at different operational meetings throughout the company.
Each member of the HR team, in addition to their normal jobs, took every opportunity to educate employees on different aspects of the plan and encourage them to become better health care consumers. The executed strategy took excellent care of its 6,500-plus employees so that each employee and his family could see how the plan would personally impact them and plan accordingly.
The HR team carefully monitored and adjusted the plan throughout the process, resulting in a highly successful plan implementation. More than 60% of employees understood the plan enough to realize the benefits of making individual HSA contributions in addition to what the company contributed.
“Our employees are our greatest asset, and our job is to protect that asset by investing in their education as health care consumers,” Sorce said. “Employee engagement in their health and wellness is an ongoing opportunity; it’s exciting to find new ways to communicate with employees.”
- Company: Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp.
- Headquarters: San Diego
- Website: www.souplantation.com
- No. of employees: 6,500
- Nature of business: Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. operates more than 115 Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants in 15 states.
Key executives:
- Michael Mack, CEO
- Ken Keanes, president
- Greg Keller, president
- John Morberg, chief financial officer
Key providers: 
- Cigna, health and wellness
- Guardian Dental, dental