American Fidelity: A Great Place To Work

Jan. 21, 2010 - PRLog -- (Oklahoma City, OK) – American Fidelity Assurance Company (AFA) was named today to FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the seventh consecutive year. AFA is ranked No. 35 on this year’s list. The full list and related stories appear in the Feb. 8 issue of FORTUNE, or now available at www.fortune.com/bestcompanies.

This year, AFA is celebrating our 50th year in business as an Oklahoma company. Providing a great environment for our Colleagues while offering exceptional service to our Customers has always been a priority for us, and we are proud to be recognized again by FORTUNE magazine and the Great Place to Work Institute.

As Colleagues arrived at work this morning, they drove past signs placed all around the complex affirming the Company’s status as a great place to work since 1960. A festive atmosphere prevailed with music welcoming Colleagues to work. Later in the day, an announcement is planned from Company President Dave Carpenter and others to inform Colleagues of AFA’s placement on the FORTUNE list. Colleagues also will be treated to lunch, receive a voucher for a free T-shirt and have opportunities to win prizes.

In honor of making the FORTUNE list, Colleagues also will be given an extra paid day off work to use in 2010.

“As American Fidelity celebrates 50 years in business, it’s gratifying to be recognized among the top companies in the nation, said AFA CEO Bill Cameron. “Our family atmosphere makes AFA a great place to work, and extends to our Customers through exceptional service.”  

American Fidelity Assurance Company has been ranked on the magazine’s list longer than any other Oklahoma City business.

To pick the 100 Best Companies, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the Institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about the management's credibility, job satisfaction, and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the company's responses to the Institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring, communication, and diversity.

This year, FORTUNE writers focused on economic conditions and how companies have weathered the recession with their employees. The magazine included this description about American Fidelity:

“Family-owned insurer looks for colleagues wanting long-term careers. A quarter of the staff has been here more than 15 years. Turnover is only 7%.”

Oklahoma’s top elected officials also appreciate American Fidelity’s commitment to the community workforce.

“Oklahoma is proud to have strong corporate citizens like American Fidelity Assurance Company providing quality jobs for our workers,” said Gov. Brad Henry. “I commend American Fidelity and its strong workforce for maintaining one of the nation's best work environments.”

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett also lauded the company for its contributions to the city.

“During the past 50 years, American Fidelity has established itself as one of the premier companies in the country," said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. “Inclusion on this prestigious list for seven consecutive years has solidified their national reputation and has garnered recognition for the strong workforce that we have here in our community and throughout the state. I am proud that American Fidelity calls Oklahoma City its home.”

FORTUNE Deputy Managing Editor Hank Gilman said, "The most important considerations for this year's list were hiring and the ways in which companies are helping their employees weather the recession. All 100 companies on our list are currently hiring, many of them aggressively, leading to more than 96,000 open job positions expected in the next year."

AFA is one of the largest employers in Oklahoma City with more than 1,500 employees. More than 1,000 employees work in Oklahoma City, while the rest are spread among 26 locations across the United States.

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About American Fidelity Assurance Company: A family-owned organization providing disability income insurance, life insurance, annuities and supplemental health insurance to education employees, trade association members and companies.