University is No. 16 on Forbes Magazine's list of best employers

More than 15,000 faculty and staff members at the University of Arizona can officially say they work for one of the best employers in the United States.

The University was included on Forbes Magazine's annual list of America's Best Large Employers, placing at No. 16 out of 500 employers and No. 4 in the education subcategory. Among employers with headquarters in Arizona, the University was ranked No. 1.

"Inclusion on this list is not only an incredible accolade, but also confirmation of our commitment to creating an environment that attracts the best candidates for positions across the university," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "Once they're here, we go to great lengths to keep them by providing development opportunities, amazing benefits and resources that help them reach their professional and personal goals."

The University offers programs such as child care support and employee advising that remove work-life barriers for employees, and it has expanded flexible scheduling and work-at-home options amid the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of its workforce. University employees enjoy a strong benefits package, a comprehensive work-life program, innovative leadership development initiatives, and tuition discounts for employees and their dependents.

Family-friendly benefits include six weeks of paid parental leave, sick and backup child care, lactation resources, and elder-care resources. Employees also have access to on-site health and wellness screenings, fitness and nutrition guidance, and state-of-the-art fitness facilities.

The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, in partnership with the Division of Human Resources and the Office of the Provost, offers the Inclusive Leadership Program to advance leadership efforts in diversity and inclusion, and to develop collaborations among university leaders. In addition, the Disability Resource Center is committed to inclusive workplace practices and implementing universal design.

"I am grateful to the many colleagues, partners and members of this community who work each day to make the university a destination employer," said Helena Rodrigues, vice president and chief human resources officer. "We want to be attractive to a diverse and representative workforce – diverse in background, age, thought and experience."

Forbes and Statista – a German online statistics portal – selected the best employers based on an independent survey in which 38,000 employees in 25 industries working for companies with at least 1,000 people employed at their U.S. locations were asked open-ended questions regarding their own employer.

Forbes did not publish a 2020 list of employers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, in addition to the work-related topics asked in the survey, respondents were asked questions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying challenges for employers.

Forbes describes the University as a "public research institution with a world-renowned space exploration program ... with a curriculum focused on the future," adding that the University "provides a variety of scholarships and grants, including several scholarships based on academic merit, such as the prestigious Flinn Scholars award that provides students with up to $17,000 per year in funding."

This is the University of Arizona's first appearance on the America's Best Large Employers list. Last February, the University made its first appearance on Forbes' third annual Best Employers for Diversity list, placing at No. 241 out of 500 businesses with at least 1,000 employees. The university was one of only four employers headquartered in Arizona to be included on the national list and one of only 30 education institutions to earn the recognition.

In July 2019, the University was named to Forbes' inaugural list of America's best-in-state employers, placing No. 11 out of 72 employers in Arizona and No. 1 in the education subcategory.