SFM Mutual Insurance Co. announced today that the Star Tribune has ranked the workers’ compensation insurer as the eighth best place to work among midsize employers in Minnesota for 2024.
The Star Tribune’s Top 200 workplaces were chosen based on anonymous surveys of employees, which asked them to rank their employers in areas such as quality of leadership, cooperation between departments, meaningfulness of work, appreciation from coworkers, positivity of workplace, flexibility in scheduling, level of pay and quality of benefits.
“Our reputation as the work comp experts is directly related to the talent of our employees and their dedication to customer service,” said Terry Miller, President and CEO of SFM. “Our employees embody our culture. They are the primary reason SFM is a fantastic place to work and develop.”
The survey of SFM employees produced a workplace experience score of 4.92 out of 6. Themes that emerged from the survey include:
The company’s vision, values and direction closely align with those of employees
SFM employees feel empowered and able to grow in their careers
Employees are engaged and committed, and advocate for SFM
Pay, benefits and work-life balance are competitive compared to others in the industry
Employees feel respected and supported
Also cited in the survey was an appreciation for SFM’s strong tradition of corporate philanthropy. In April 2024, the company became a member of the Minnesota Keystone Program, which promotes corporate philanthropy by recognizing and honoring companies that donate at least 2 percent of their pre-tax earnings to charitable organizations.
“It’s terrific to see how much employees enjoy working at SFM,” said Jody Rogers, Senior Vice President, Chief HR Officer. “It’s always been our philosophy to take excellent care of our employees, and our latest survey results confirm that our efforts are being realized.”
The Star Tribune Top Workplaces designation is awarded based on the results of a survey of employees conducted by Energage, a company that specializes in employee surveys and conducts more than 66,000 annually.
SFM has earned the accolade four out of the four times the company has participated.
Children’s Minnesota has been recognized as one of the best hospital systems for kids in the U.S.
“Children’s is on the leading edge of advanced care for medically delicate situations, such as post-delivery for premature babies, childhood cancer and adolescent mental health,” said Amanda Aponte, CFO at SFM. “As a mother with small children, this cause is very close to my heart.”
Now, Aponte will bring her financial expertise to the nonprofit hospital group — she’s volunteering as a Community Member on the Children’s Minnesota Hospital investment subcommittee.
In her role, Aponte will collaborate with the Children’s investment team and subcommittee members on the Children’s Minnesota hospital and Children’s Minnesota Foundation investment portfolios. She started in May 2024, attending her first investment committee meeting. The group meets quarterly.
“I’m excited to step outside of workers’ compensation and use my experience to help a different worthy cause,” Aponte said. “I’m looking forward to learning more about nonprofit financials and investment strategies.”
Those investment strategies often center around environmental, social and governance matters, developing metrics to monitor asset managers’ progress toward goals.
“The mission at Children’s is to help kids specifically,” she said. “They do this not only in their operations but also in the way they invest, such as venture capital investments that bolster childhood medical advancements.”
An actuary by training, Aponte will bring the skills she has developed at SFM to the investment portfolio at Children’s Minnesota, notably her background in fixed income investing and enterprise risk management.
“I’m thrilled to be a small piece in Children’s greater community initiatives to lift up kids and families who are experiencing difficult medical situations.”
If you use CompOnline® you can create customized reports on your workers’ compensation claims.
The CompOnline risk management system allows policyholders to manage claims online and access workers’ comp data in real-time. (It’s especially helpful for mid- to large-size employers who tend to get more claims.)
Reports can be filtered by policy term, claim type, claim status, location and claim cost, and exported as a spreadsheet. You can also choose from a long list of data points to include in the report, such as injury, average weekly wage, amounts paid or reserved and much more.
To run a report, click “reports,” and then click “data export” in the navigation bar that appears below.
The SFM Foundation, created by SFM in 2008, provides college scholarship funds for students whose parents were killed or seriously injured in workplace accidents.
Of the 247 scholarships the SFM Foundation has awarded over the years, nearly 95 percent have gone to students whose parents’ employers were not covered for workers’ compensation by SFM Companies.
In fact, the SFM Foundation does not consider the work comp insurer when awarding scholarships. We aim to serve the entire community, and more than 60 different insurance companies have had scholarships awarded by our program.
“It’s important for us to focus on helping students achieve their dreams, regardless of which carrier their parent’s injury is with,” said Linda Williams, SFM Foundation President.
Other insurance carriers have also taken notice of the efforts. A local carrier with national reach that could be considered a competitor of SFM is a longtime sponsor of the foundation.
Since its inception, the SFM Foundation has awarded $4.1 million in scholarship money.
“We want to help these students, and it doesn’t matter who their parent’s insurer was. It’s about doing what we can to support families at a time when they are really going through some tough challenges in their lives,” Williams said.
And by not considering the work comp carrier of the student’s parent, it opens up the door for a wider range of individuals to receive support for their college careers.
In its first year, the SFM Foundation provided $57,000 in scholarship money. In 2023, it was $482,500. And the SFM Foundation is among the top organizations in the country providing similar philanthropy.
“Seeing the responses from the young people we have awarded scholarships to over the years has been incredible,” Williams said. “The SFM Foundation is committed to making a difference in the lives of students and their families.”
Sarah Hunter recently took over as SFM’s VP of Operations.
A former attorney with more than a decade of experience in workers’ compensation, Hunter helps drive SFM’s big-picture strategy and develop plans for the company’s future. She previously served as VP of Claims at SFM.
In 2018, Hunter came to the in-house legal firm at SFM. She was looking for a new challenge and wanted to learn more about the business side of work comp.
“I kind of always had SFM in my sights. They’re known as the best carrier in the state,” Hunter said. “I told myself if something opens up there, I’m going to go for it.”
Once she got experience in other aspects of the company, she looked for leadership opportunities outside of the legal side of SFM.
“In learning more about the business side of things, I thought, this is pretty interesting. When the VP of Claims position opened up, I realized it would be a good way to change up my career,” Hunter said. “I could still use my workers’ compensation experience and legal knowledge and training. And there’s a lot of strategy that goes into handling claims. I was able to use those skills that I’d developed as an attorney and it all worked out.”
Hunter said she enjoyed her time as VP of Claims but wanted to expand on her role at SFM and take on more responsibilities for the direction of the company.
“SFM is great that they’re willing to take chances on people. They have faith in them,” she said. “If you’re doing good work, they give you that chance and give you the support to be successful.”
In her time at SFM, Hunter said she has been impressed with how closely the company adheres to its values.
“They show us that they care and appreciate the work that we’re doing,” she said. “That’s everything from wellness programs and special events to compensation and how they treat employees. They know that our strength comes from the people with their boots on the ground.”
Her promotion went into effect in early April 2024.
Hunter grew up in St. Paul, Minn., and attended St. Scholastica in Duluth before earning a degree from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She lives in Champlin, Minn., with her husband and two daughters.
SFM recently made several enhancements to its resource catalog.
The resource catalog is a massive repository of useful information for agents and policyholders. It includes posters and training guides about safety, in-depth plans for employers to successfully report, manage and prevent injuries, and handouts with additional workers’ compensation tips and best practices.
The aim of the latest updates is to create a better user experience for policyholders and agents. Upgrades were based on feedback from internal stakeholders and research conducted by SFM’s User Experience team.
At a high level, the upgrades make it easier for users to discover the available resources and make the catalog more searchable. People are also able to more easily download and order resources.
“SFM has a wealth of assets to help our policyholders. These upcoming improvements will not only help users find and utilize our expertise, but hopefully reduce claims and bolster the bottom line for all of our stakeholders,” said Sara Goese, Senior Web Content Developer at SFM.
The upgrades to SFM’s resource catalog include a more user-friendly layout, the ability for people to see all resources at the click of a button, the inclusion of language filters and more.
Specifically, the improvements include:
Users will no longer lose their original search term when clicking in and out of resources
The catalog “remembers” where users were on the previous page when clicking into resources and returning to the previous page
Loading indicators were added to tell users the system is working on displaying their search results
All search results are displayed on the same page, eliminating the need for users to click through pages of results
“SFM takes great pride in helping our policyholders maintain safe and healthy workplaces,” Goese said. “Our resources ensure employers have the tools they need to implement programs and procedures that develop strong return-to-work strategies, stay on alert for potential pitfalls and enhance their ability to keep their workers productive and on the job.”
Lastly, the search functionally was improved across the website in general in addition to the resource catalog itself. Check out the latest updates.
“I think it’s really important for us to be a strong part of the community that we operate in,” said Dave Kaiser, SFM Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “That’s through charitable giving and working with local businesses, but that also means supporting local artists. That philosophy has been the SFM way forever.”
The creative process
In the fall of 2023, Dungey and Tillotson toured the SFM offices in Bloomington, Minn.
“Their eyes were just bubbling with ideas,” Kaiser said. “They came back with a booklet of art that was just brilliant. There’s no other way to explain it.”
As the process moved along, Dungey and Tillotson began researching and reaching out to artists whose work they thought would make sense in the space.
“Indigo Morning 2,” by Amy Tillotson
“From the start, our goal was to present a variety of art that was cohesive and not only original, but also contemporary, timeless and suggestive of a positive energy,” said Dungey, who describes her own work as non-representational and abstract mixed media.
Notably, neither Dungey nor Tillotson had prior experience as an art consultant.
“We are artists first, not professional art consultants. But we each possess experience that contributed to the work as a whole. Working together on this project, our roles became clear where each other’s strengths lie,” said Tillotson, who has a background in exhibit design. “Rita has a very good knowledge of artists in our community. She attends local art exhibitions regularly and familiarizes herself with the artist’s work over time. … Her background in psychology and social work lends itself to empathy and seeing things through other people’s point of view.”
The SFM team had only small suggestions for the types of art that would be included, such as different textures and mediums, said Kim Thelen, SFM Information Services Project Manager. Also, SFM wanted original work for the office’s “neighborhoods,” which are named after U.S. National Parks. Original pieces were created to reflect the attributes of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Acadia, etc.
“It was fun for us and for everyone that we took out the traditional middleman of the art consultant,” Thelen said. “Because it let the artists continue to be creative — and the money we paid went to them instead of a consultant. It was such a fun experience.”
The final pieces were installed in March 2024.
Bringing it all together
SFM largely let Dungey and Tillotson drive the process, with the pair offering a few suggestions for each space and the internal company team eventually making selections from there.
“Flock of Trumpeters,” by Steve Hemingway
Even when SFM was asked for feedback regarding the paintings representing national parks, it was more of a hands-off approach.
“I didn’t want to get involved in that,” Kaiser said. “When they did the custom neighborhood paintings, they reached out to Kim and me to get ideas. And we both said no. We wanted the artist to do what she does. To me, that was the beauty of the process.”
The works include diverse mediums — two-dimensional paintings and sculptural (ceramic, wood, metal and mixed media), in addition to the national park paintings, which were created by Emily Donovan , who has a studio in northeast Minneapolis.
“We were happy to hear that SFM wanted to invest in a body of local, original artwork rather than the framed prints you so often see in an office setting,” Tillotson said. “We wanted to suggest artwork that represented a variety of mediums and styles but would be inviting and further enhance the designer’s choice of a natural color palette in paint color, wood, textiles and living walls.”
Still, as is the case with art. It’s subjective. Kaiser’s favorite piece is “Flock of Trumpeters,” by Steve Hemingway . For Thelen, it’s “Wish,” by Eleanor McGough .
“Wish,” by Eleanor McGough
“If you have an office full of disagreements about the art, you did your job,” Kaiser said. “It’s in the eye of the beholder, right? That was the point — to express different things. We’ve got metal grates and swans and petals. We have all kinds of stuff. And that’s the cool part.”
Dungey said she enjoyed helping SFM in purchasing art for their new space and collection.
“We are pleased with the excellent selections they made and are grateful for the support, trust and collaboration with everyone at SFM. It is our sincere hope that the art will bring enjoyment to staff and clients for many years to come,” she said.
Connecting through art
In the end, the artists said they appreciated working with SFM on the project.
“Overall, I think the project was a success,” Tillotson said. “We hope the employees of SFM enjoy the artwork that was selected. We understand that art can be highly subjective and hope there is enough variety for everyone’s tastes. Rita and I would not hesitate to work with SFM in the future.”
Added Dungey:
“It was an honor and privilege to work with SFM on procuring and installing art in their newly remodeled space. From start to finish, it was truly a team project, involving collaboration with my project partner Amy Tillotson and the design team of Dave Kaiser, Kim Thelen, Abby Halland, Barb Etzkorn and Paul Johnson, who all contributed to making the entire process flow with ease.”
SFM is making upgrades to its online MyPayroll system with new features and a streamlined process to make it even easier for policyholders to complete annual premium audits.
The enhancements went live on May 5, 2024.
The new features include:
The ability to securely upload multiple documents at once using a drag-and-drop interface
Email notifications in addition to physical letters about premium audit deadlines
The ability to add documentation to the audit after it’s been submitted
If you have started your audit in the old system at the time of the rollout, the information you’ve entered will be pre-filled into the new system.
New MyPayroll users
With the enhancements to MyPayroll, a wider range of policyholders will be able to complete their audit online, including some policyholders who previously completed audits in person or via email only.
If you have questions throughout the audit process, your auditor is available to help. You can find your auditor’s contact information on letters or emails you’ve received or within MyPayroll.
Mark your calendars — dates are set for the SFM Foundation’s 2024 golf fundraisers.
These annual events are the biggest driver of funds for the foundation, which provides scholarship money for families affected by workplace injuries.
The Minnesota event will be held Monday, June 10, at Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury
The Iowa event is set for Monday, May 20, at Hyperion Golf Club in Johnston
To register, visit the SFM Foundation’s website . Space at both events is limited — register early to reserve a spot.
Can’t make it? No problem! Sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from $750 to $10,000-plus.
“The golf events are the SFM Foundation’s largest fundraisers of the year and it’s great to see all the support from our sponsors come through year after year,” Executive Director Lindsay Henningsgaard said.
SFM Foundation golf fundraisers
The 2023 golf events in Minnesota and Iowa generated $125,000 and $25,000, respectively.
Those contributions helped the SFM Foundation award more than $500,000 in scholarship funds in 2023, with 16 students benefitting. More than 125 scholarship recipients have graduated since the SFM Foundation’s inception in 2008. Scholarships are awarded regardless of the workers’ compensation insurer involved in the claim.
But beyond the financial benefits for scholarship recipients, the golf fundraisers give the students’ families a chance to come together and bond.
“It’s so rewarding to see all the support from the families each year,” Scholarship Director Debra Zorn said. “We value their participation and appreciate the community they have built.”
Lastly, keep an eye out later this year for information about the SFM Foundation’s fall events for 2024.
About the SFM Foundation
Since its inception in 2008, the SFM Foundation has granted 232 scholarships totaling $3.7 million to help students pursue higher education thanks to the generous support from sponsors and donors.
The SFM Foundation provides scholarships for students whose parents were seriously injured or killed while working for Minnesota or Iowa employers. SFM Foundation is an affiliate of Kids’ Chance of America in Iowa and Minnesota and is also known as Kids’ Chance of Iowa.To learn more about the cause, visit sfmfoundation.com .
SFM Mutual Insurance Co. announced today that the Star Tribune has ranked the workers’ compensation insurer as the eighth best place to work among midsize employers in Minnesota for 2024.
Get expert information and statistics on why being cautious behind the wheel is important during SFM’s upcoming webinar.
