We're Fun. Just Ask Us.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying work. At Pharmacists Mutual, we add a little fun whenever we can.
Community Fundraisers
Pharmacists Mutual employees have charitable hearts and hands. The Company supports our employees by giving them eight hours of paid time off for volunteer service. Many volunteer in their respective communities and fundraise for various causes throughout the year. A few examples include collecting winter coats to donate to the CARE Team, time spent preparing the animal shelter for opening day, and collecting items for victims of hurricanes.
Employee Appreciation Week
The nation might recognize Employee Appreciation Day, but at Pharmacists Mutual, we like to extend our appreciation for staff to an entire week every summer. Whether it's engaging staff in a scavenger hunt, bringing in a food truck for lunch, or hosting a bags tournament for staff, our executive team goes above and beyond to recognize and celebrate every employee creatively. This week is held every year in both Algona and Austin, with special recognition provided to our sales and remote staff as well. No team member goes unappreciated in this week of thanks!
HR Happy Half Hours
Our Human Resources (HR) team invites employees to gather for thirty minutes of fun and camaraderie with their co-workers on occasion. More times than not, our events include food, a fun activity, and even prizes. We like to keep everyone on their toes with our events, but if you attend, you'll be sure to leave a little happier than when you arrived.
Phun Day
Why have fun at work, when you can have "phun". At Pharmacists Mutual, one day a month is designated as Phun Day where all employees are required to be in the office to participate in whatever "phun" the company has in store. Events range from fundraisers to a viewing of our live podcast, "The People People Podcast", to snacks at our quarterly employee meeting. Whatever the event, employees have an opportunity to catch up with one another in person and build stronger relationships throughout the organization.
RICE Awards
To promote our company values, Relationships, Integrity, Citizenship, and Excellence, we established a recognition program named RICE. Employees recognize one another daily and quarterly for exhibiting these important values. For each daily recognition submitted, a scoop of rice is added to an apothecary jar. A company-wide reward is given when the jar is filled. Quarterly awards recognize selected employees at our all-employee quarterly meetings. Employees are awarded a monetary gift, along with a RICE award.
Special Events
Our HR team is known for surprising employees with special events throughout the year. Some of the events held in the past include a tailgating party for rivalry football teams, a Halloween Hike with a costume contest, a wellness challenge, a nacho bar to celebrate our "not so average employees," and more. You never know what they may come up with to celebrate and have fun!
Summer Family Picnic
Every summer, we invite our employees and their families to enjoy some family-friendly fun. From "Art in the Park" to a drive-in movie theatre in our parking lot, we do our best to engage everyone with fun, food, and family time. We recognize that spending time at work takes employees away from those who are most important to them. This is our way of showing appreciation and gratitude to their families and loved ones.
The People People Podcast
A few months ago, someone referred to our HR department as "The People People" and that tiny comment inspired the idea for a podcast using that very nickname. The idea grew out of a desire to casually communicate with employees and discuss hot topics, and has grown in to a part of our culture and a fun way to educate and inspire our employee base. The podcast isn't quite available outside of our four walls, but if you join our team, you'll have the luxury of tuning in and seeing what's on the minds of the people within Pharmacists Mutual.
Winter Party
At the beginning of the year, employees and their guests gather to celebrate the achievements of both our company and employees. The evening includes time to socialize, a great meal, and activities ranging from wine tasting, games, musical entertainment, or the ever-popular prize drawings. The evening's highlight is the announcement of our Employee(s) of the Year. With so many talented employees to choose from, it's always a hard decision. An engraved silver bowl is presented to the employee chosen. Other perks include a parking spot of your choice and traveling on the incentive trip, which in the past have included Hawaii, Portugal, and Austria.
