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V O L . X X I V N O. X M AY 1 4 , 2 0 1 8 24 benefits realized from U.S. tax reform.) And the contribution is automatically escalated, by 1% per year, up to 15%. at provision is especially useful for the company's lower-wage earners, who may have tighter cash flow. "So if it's $50 this year, maybe $55 next year is not so bad, so people get used to that savings," he says. "We've seen these two mechanisms not only help with our high participation rate, but also help increase what people have in their indi- vidual account balances." WEX chose the opt-in approach, says Tinto, in order to have time to educate employees about their plan options. at's done in partnership with vendors who provide financial tools and resources to help employees plan for retirement. Online tools look at employee age and estimated time until retirement, combined with what a port- folio of diversified funds might look like in increments until retirement. As a 100% employee-owned com- pany, Cianbro's profit-sharing program replaces employer-matching, with profit shares — everyone receiving the same percentage of compensation — going into employees' retirement accounts. Employees may contribute any percentage of earnings; across the company, contributions average 8%. at compares to a national average, according to MoneyWatch, of 6%. "We contribute to everyone who's eligible, regardless of whether they've contributed themselves," says Hovey. "at comes from a culture stand- point, that not everyone can afford to save for retirement, so we want to help him or her." All three companies take a holis- tic approach to financial wellness. at includes things like Cianbro's employee stock ownership plan and stock options at IDEXX and WEX; plus other benefits like health insur- ance, health savings accounts and wellness/fitness programs. "We know that, when people make that transition from work life into retirement, they also take their physical health into retirement," Twigge says. "So our holistic approach includes well-being on campus, where we want to help employees take their healthiest selves into retirement." Leadership engagement Education and communication efforts include bringing in retirement plan vendors to speak directly with employ- ees, vendor webinars and online tools, » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D F O C U S Rachel Porter, manager of retirement benefits at Cianbro, with Mark Hovey, director of human resources. Hovey says the construction company's communication about retirement benefits is 'ongoing,' with 'a lot of support' from managers.

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