Best Places to Work: Ozarks Electric Cooperative

Family comes first at Ozarks Electric Cooperative.

Among its family-friendly benefits are paid and unpaid paternity leave for birth or adoption, and adoption financial assistance. The company also provides lactation facilities and flexible hours to accommodate school events, doctor’s appointments and other obligations.

In addition, Ozarks Electric Cooperative offers catastrophic leave (CL) benefit which allows an employee to take a paid leave of absence to care for a family member who has suffered a catastrophic injury. In one recent example, an employee utilized CL to care for their child suffering from cancer which allowed the employee to take off several months while receiving full income and benefits.

Ozarks Electric Cooperative goes to great lengths to care for its family of employees in other ways, starting with its P3 Program, which stands for People with Purpose Progress. This continuing education program pays for employees to obtain relevant non-credit hours and certifications, such as Six Sigma. The P3 Program also pays for courses of personal interest to the employee, such as gardening or guitar lessons.

Community service activities are also important at Ozarks Electric Cooperative, includes matching employee donations to Hope Center, Tommy House and Children’s Safety Center.

Ozarks Electric Cooperative, founded in 1938, launched the first member-owned solar facility in Arkansas. Members who purchase a solar panel receive credit on their electric bill for the energy produced.