Best Banks to Work For 2018

For the banks that made our sixth annual Best Banks to Work For list, lavishing employees with perks and benefits is part of the culture.

All expense paid vacations to Disney World and Hawaii, brand new Camaros and $16,000 in cash are all prizes that employees have walked away with. A jovial atmosphere is created by many of these banks with frequent costume days, including everything from dressing up as Santa and his elves at Christmastime to donning Star Wars gear for May the 4th Be with You.

Generous health insurance coverage and 401(k) contributions are also common. Wellness programs go beyond just promoting exercise by providing employees with access to seminars on stress management and how to pay for a child's college education.

These banks’ largesse also extends beyond their employee base. Volunteering in the community and charitable contributions are a cornerstone of their philosophies.

Below are highlights of what the 85 banks who made our list offer to their employees to make their offices great places to work.

Oakworth Capital Bank

Oakworth_Capital_BB2WF
Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Assets: $540 million
Employees: 89
CEO: Scott Reed
www.oakworthcapital.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Oakworth hosts an annual tailgate and bean bag tossing competition. Attendees bring a sweet or savory dish that everyone samples and then votes for their favorite.

Fitness/wellness program: The bank recently added a secondary insurance that covers more medical costs, such as most co-pays and coinsurance.

Pictured: Employees gather to view the solar eclipse in August 2017.

Montecito Bank & Trust

Montecito_Bank_BB2WF_coporate_meeting
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Assets: $1.4 billion
Employees: 217
Chairman and CEO: Janet Garufis
www.montecito.bank

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Every branch and department is encouraged to participate in a Halloween costume contest. Winners, who are selected through voting on the company intranet site, receive prizes such as a gift card to their choice of restaurant.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Montecito hosts an annual winter gala complete with a casino, signature cocktails, music and raffle prizes.

Pictured: Montecito hosts one of its all-staff meetings at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Bell Bank

Bell_Bank_BB2WF
Location: Fargo, N.D.
Assets: $4.9 billion
Employees: 691
President and CEO: Michael Solberg
www.bellbanks.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Monthly employment anniversary luncheons are held for employees hired during that month. Bell’s CEO also makes a phone call to each employee on the date of their hiring anniversary.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: During events, the bank takes professional-quality photos of each employee and their family members. The employee receives a print of the picture at the event and a digital file through email.

Pictured: During the annual employee appreciation day, leaders take time out from grilling burgers to pose in the Bell convertible used in community parades.

Live Oak Bank

67_Live Oak Bank.jpg
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
Assets: $3.4 billion
Employees: 443
Chairman and CEO: James S. Mahan III
www.liveoakbank.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: At least once each quarter, Live Oak hosts a happy hour where employees can enjoy free drinks and appetizers.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Live Oak employees that go above and beyond for customers are rewarded with a night out with their spouse or significant other. Live Oaks provides a driver for the evening and picks up the tab for the meal.

Pictured: Live Oak employees pack boxes of food with Nourish NC, a local organization that fights hunger in the Wilmington, N.C., area.

First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Pascagoula-Moss Point

First Federal.jpg
Location: Pascagoula, Miss.
Assets: $311 million
Employees: 55
President and CEO: Weldon Perkins
www.firstwithus.com

Fitness/wellness program: First Federal pays 100% of premiums for medical, dental and vision insurance policies and 50% of the deductible for each.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Employees receive gifts, such as jackets embroidered with the company’s logo, for winning awards and other special occasions.

Pictured: Employees show their support for Habitat for Humanity. Two teams from the bank participated in the Women Build initiative by building a local home.

Benchmark Bank

13_Benchmark Bank santa
Location: Plano, Texas
Assets: $562 million
Employees: 89
Chairman and CEO: Mike Barnett
www.benchmarkbank.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: The bank held a cooking contest modeled after the Food Network show "Chopped" at a local restaurant in Dallas. Teams of employees created dishes, working with a prescribed list of ingredients.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: To appeal to its many millennial employees, Benchmark recently implemented a parental leave policy that gives 12 weeks of fully paid time off to the primary caregiver and two weeks fully paid for the spouse.

Pictured: Santa stopped by to take a picture with young customers at a branch in Dallas, and some Benchmark employees got into the holiday spirit.

Amarillo National Bank

5_Amarillo National Bank.jpg
Location: Amarillo, Texas
Assets: $3.9 billion
Employees: 662
Chairman: Richard Ware

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Summer bonuses are announced at the annual Party on the Lawn. Everyone wears their new bank shirts and shorts and is treated to food, drinks and a live band.

Fitness/wellness program: Amarillo rewards employees for being healthy, such as having good cholesterol and being tobacco free, with credits to lower their deductibles. For the company’s high-deductible health plan, employees can earn the same credits, but they show up as actual dollars in their health savings account.

Pictured: Employees pose in front of a festive box that collected donations of new and gently used coats for elementary school children.

Machias Savings Bank

68_Machias Savings Bank.jpg
Location: Machias, Maine
Assets: $1.3 billion
Employees: 264
President and CEO: Larry Barker
www.machiassavings.bank

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: The thrift’s Culture Club organizes Spring Fever Week, which includes games, healthy snacks and a photo contest, to help usher in spring and beat the winter blues.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The top volunteer is given the Edward L. Hennessey Volunteer of the Year Award, which is named for a former longtime CEO of the bank. The winner receives five days off and $1,000 to be donated to a charity of their choice.

Pictured: Senior management and the bank's "culture champions" enjoy a couple days of sharing feedback and white water rafting.

First Citizens National Bank

41_First Citizens National Bank.jpg
Location: Dyersburg, Tenn.
Assets: $1.6 billion
Employees: 344
Chairman and CEO: Jeff Agee
www.FirstCNB.com

Fitness/wellness program: Employees who do not use tobacco products get $25 a month off their health insurance premiums.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: Children of employees receive first preference for a bank-funded college scholarship program.

Pictured: Employees gather around dog food that was donated to a local animal shelter. A pound of food was donated for every pound employees lost through a weight loss challenge.

Centier Bank

22_Centier Bank.jpg
Location: Merrillville, Ind.
Assets: $4 billion
Employees: 842
President and CEO: Michael Schrage
www.centier.com

Career development/training program: All employees are provided access to hundreds of self-development tools and classes at the continuing-education site Lynda.com.

Communication tool/practice: Centier recently adopted Yammer, an internal private social networking platform that allows employees to engage with one another, create groups around similar interests and share ideas and stories.

Pictured: President and CEO Michael Schrage addresses more than 800 bank employees at the company’s annual "celebration of excellence," which had a 1950s sock hop theme.

Peoples Bank

80_Peoples Bank.jpg
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Assets: $468 million
Employees: 115
Chairman and CEO: Larry Allen
www.peoplesbanktexas.com

Popular with employees: Chief Financial Officer Jon Drake purchased Dairy Queen Blizzards for employees to celebrate Miracle Treat Day, with Dairy Queen donating $1 to the Children's Miracle Network for every Blizzard sold.

Community service initiative: In Peoples’ Camp Read-a-Lot program, employees read aloud to students at local elementary schools for an hour a week. The program was suggested by a few bank representatives who toured a local school and identified a need.

Pictured: Chairman and CEO Larry Allen enjoys an amusement park ride during the bank's annual summer party with Mary Carpenter, daughter of an employee.

Apollo Bank

7_Apollo Bank.jpg
Location: Miami
Assets: $630 million
Employees: 93
Chairman and CEO: Eduardo Arriola
www.apollobank.com

Popular with employees: The bank provides all employees with health and dental insurance options that it completely covers.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Apollo hosted its holiday party last year at a bowling alley, providing friendly competition on the lanes along with food and raffles for prizes including wireless speakers, gift cards and tablets.

Pictured: A group of employees dress in a freak show circus theme during Apollo's annual Halloween costume contest last year. The effort won second place.

City Bank

31_City Bank.jpg
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Assets: $2.6 billion
Employees: 659
President and CEO: Cory Newsom
www.citybankonline.com

Popular with employees: Every January, the 12 Employee of the Month winners from the year before are treated to a gourmet dinner the night before a board meeting, during which the Employee of the Year is announced. The Employee of the Year, voted on by their peers, receives $1,000 in cash and a paid day off.

Fitness/wellness program: Employees and their spouses can earn cash and extra time off for exercising and attending wellness events. In 2017, City paid out $194,000 and 4,180 hours of time off, up from $120,000 and 4,000 hours of time off in 2013.

Pictured: The barbecue team cooks steaks and baked potatoes for the grand opening of the bank's new operations building.

TowneBank

103_TowneBank.jpg
Location: Portsmouth, Va.
Assets: $10.6 billion
Employees: 979
Executive Chairman: G. Robert Aston Jr.
www.townebank.com

Bonus/incentive program: Nonexecutive employees who do not use any sick days during a calendar year are invited to a luncheon hosted by the CEO and are awarded two extra vacation days the following year.

Community service initiative: Last year the more than 1,000 employees who participated in the bank's Going to Towne charity initiative donated 4,279 hours of service to over 500 schools, shelters and other organizations.

Pictured: TowneBank employees paint at a Going to Towne volunteer event.

FirstCapital Bank of Texas

51_FirstCapital Bank of Texas.jpg
Location: Midland, Texas
Assets: $1.1 billion
Employees: 202
CEO: Brad Burgess
www.fcbtexas.com/

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Once a month FirstCapital holds free-snack-Friday celebrations.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Employees can use the bank’s weekly newsletter to thank or send a shout-out to a co-worker.

Pictured: Employees celebrate after graduating from the bank's in-house leadership training program.

Pinnacle Financial Partners

82_Pinnacle Financial Partners.jpg
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Assets: $22.8 billion
Employees: 2,182
President and CEO: Terry Turner
www.pnfp.com

Popular with employees: On their first day new hires are treated to breakfast (their choice), a tote bag full of goodies, a visit from the bank’s leaders and a dinner gift card.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Pinnacle hosts companywide book clubs to encourage interaction between different parts of the bank. More than half of its employees participate.

Pictured: Children hunt for eggs the day before Easter during a picnic hosted by Pinnacle.

Forward Bank

54_Forward Bank.jpg
Location: Marshfield, Wis.
Assets: $441 million
Employees: 119
President and CEO: William Sennholz
www.forward.bank

Popular with employees: Employees donate money through a payroll deduction to the Pay It Forward program and the bank matches the contributions. Employees who experience a personal financial hardship may request assistance from the fund.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Employees celebrating milestone anniversaries get to choose a gift from a catalog to mark their years of service.

Pictured: Employees distribute American flags for a local community group in connection with July Fourth to honor service members.

Savings Bank of Walpole

87_Savings Bank of Walpole.jpg
Location: Walpole, N.H.
Assets: $415 million
Employees: 88
CEO: Gregg Tewksbury
www.walpolebank.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The bank provides employees free tickets to its annual night at the Colonial Theatre, a performance center in Keene, N.H.

Community service initiative: Walpole enters the names of all employees who contribute to the United Way into a raffle for a chance to win a day off with pay. It also encourages staff to take up to eight hours a year, paid, to do volunteer work.

Pictured: The bank hosts a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of its newest branch in Keene, N.H.

SouthWest Bank

93_SouthWest Bank.jpg
Location: Odessa, Texas
Assets: $387 million
Employees: 101
CEO: Dewey Bryant
www.southwbank.com

Popular with employees: The employee Christmas party features a visit from Santa Claus. Parents can submit wish lists in advance to let St. Nick know what gifts their kids want.

Community service initiative: Last year the bank brought its pit barbecue to a local middle school and cooked burgers and sausages for 127 teachers and staff members as a way of saying thanks for all they do.

Pictured: The deposit operations group dresses in "The Price is Right" themed costumes for Halloween.

1st Security Bank of Washington

1_1st Security Bank.jpg
Location: Mountlake Terrace, Wash.
Assets: $1 billion
Employees: 331
CEO: Joe Adams
www.fsbwa.com

Popular with employees: Employees in the administrative office get an added perk: They can bring their dogs to work whenever they like.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: In response to requests from employees, 1st Security this year added orthodontic benefits to its health plan.

Pictured: These employees play for the 1st Security Bank softball team.

Bridgewater Bank

15_Bridgewater Bank.jpg
Location: Bloomington, Minn.
Assets: $1.7 billion
Employees: 123
President and CEO: Jerry Baack
www.bridgewaterbankmn.com

Popular with employees: The bank sponsors family outings in the summer including apple picking, trips to a lakeside cabin and barbeques.

Fitness/wellness program: Bridgewater contributes to health savings accounts regardless of whether an employee does so. Those with single coverage get $50 per month and families receive $100 monthly.

Pictured: Bridgewater employees have fun at an after-hours Nerf gun battle.

FNBC Bank

52_FNBC Bank.jpg
Location: Ash Flat, Ark.
Assets: $441 million
Employees: 93
President and CEO: Marty Sellars
www.fnbc.us

Bonus/incentive program: FNBC awards $500 each quarter to an individual who best exemplifies the bank's core values and awards $100 to the co-worker who nominated the winning employee.

Community service initiative: The bank's Melbourne branch cooked and served hamburgers at the local high school last year to celebrate the kickoff of a new school year and football season.

Pictured: Tara Allen, Bank Secrecy Act officer, receives one of FNBC's Core Value Awards during the bankwide meeting in the fall of 2017.

HomeTown Bank

63_HomeTown Bank.jpg
Location: Roanoke, Va.
Assets: $551 million
Employees: 107
President and CEO: Susan Still
www.hometownbank.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: HomeTown has special events, including an outing to a minor-league baseball game, to celebrate its employees.

Fitness/wellness program: Last year HomeTown started Healthier You, a program that awards points for activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator and eating only fruits and vegetables as snacks. Participants are entered into periodic drawings for gift cards, Fitbits and gym membership reimbursements.

Pictured: HomeTown employees participate in the Child Health Investment Partnership of Roanoke Valley's Tug for Tots fundraiser.

Origin Bank

76_Origin Bank.jpg
Location: Ruston, La.
Assets: $4.2 billion
Employees: 659
Chairman, president and CEO: Drake Mills
www.origin.bank

Fitness/wellness program: Origin offers health fairs, health screenings and flu shots for employees at its locations.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Employees receive a gift for every five years of service with the company. They also receive a plaque presented by their manager, and a photo is taken and posted in the bank’s newsletter.

Pictured: Winners of a production contest for the retail team enjoy a Texas Rangers baseball game from a private suite.

Chesapeake Bank

25_Chesapeake Bank.jpg
Location: Kilmarnock, Va.
Assets: $793 million
Employees: 384
Chairman, president and CEO: Jeffrey Szyperski
www.chesbank.com

Popular with employees: Chesapeake offers employees on-site meetings with an investment consultant to help them plan their retirements or work toward specific financial goals.

Fitness/wellness program: About 75% of employees participated in Chesapeake's wellness campaign in 2017, earning nearly $10,000 in extra contributions to individual health savings accounts for hitting wellness goals.

Pictured: Employees enjoy the bank's 2017 summer party at a local restaurant's private beach on the Northern Neck of Virginia.

1st Summit Bank

2_1ST SUMMIT BANK.jpg
Location: Johnstown, Pa.
Assets: $1 billion
Employees: 184
President and CEO: Elmer Laslo
www.1stsummit.com

Career development/training program: All new hires are assigned an individual mentor who can help them navigate the bank and reach their career goals.

Bonus/incentive program: All bank employees share in annual cash awards equaling 5% to 6% of total salaries when annual bank goals are met. Awards have been paid for 27 consecutive years.

Pictured: Six teams of employees hit the lanes to raise $2,419 for the annual Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon.

The First State Bank

97_The First State Bank.jpeg
Location: Oklahoma City
Assets: $302 million
Employees: 56
Chairman and CEO: David Durrett
www.thefirstsb.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: The bank encourages branches and departments to hold off-site team-building activities, including a recent Sherlock Holmes-themed event where they were tasked with solving a mystery.

Community service initiative: First State offers 40 extra hours of paid leave a year for volunteer activities to encourage employees to give back to their communities.

Pictured: Employees of the bank's operations team goof off at a Sherlock Holmes-themed team-building outing.

BankPlus

11_BankPlus.jpg
Location: Ridgeland, Miss.
Assets: $2.8 billion
Employees: 739
President and CEO: William A. Ray
www.bankplus.net

Popular with employees: All employees have free access to an app that provides coupons, cellphone insurance and roadside assistance, among other services.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: The bank's employee assistance program offers five free counseling visits a year for staff and dependents who need help with financial, marriage, wellness, elder care, legal and other issues.

Pictured: An employee walking team at the BankPlus operations center gets some exercise and fresh air.

Independence Bank

64_Independence Bank.jpg
Location: Owensboro, Ky.
Assets: $2.2 billion
Employees: 384
President and CEO: Chris Reid
www.1776bank.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: At its Christmas party, Independence gives away three new cars to employees.

Fitness/wellness program: All employees enrolled in the bank's health plan are eligible to participate in the company's disease management program, which includes the option to meet with a licensed clinician throughout the year during work hours to help map out wellness goals or to work through other concerns.

Pictured: Employees gather to show they are "thinking pink" for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Heartland Bank

60_Heartland Bank.jpg
Location: Geneva, Neb.
Assets: $394 million
Employees: 72
Chairman and CEO: John C. Wilkins
www.myheartland.bank

Popular with employees: The solar eclipse in 2017 passed right over Heartland's territory, and the bank made sure its employees didn't miss out. Lunch was provided at each branch, and customers and employees got specially designed glasses so they could safely witness the event.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Last year 422 CIRCLE Cards (thank-you notes co-workers can write to each other) were handed out. Recipients are recognized during monthly meetings and are eligible for a prize drawing.

Pictured: Several employees participate in a rock ’n’ roll themed trivia night fundraiser for a local hospital.

Prime Meridian Bank

83_Prime Meridian Bank.jpg
Location: Tallahassee, Fla.
Assets: $358 million
Employees: 74
President and CEO: Sammie Dixon
www.TryMyBank.com

Career development/training program: CEO Sammie Dixon is present at most hiring interviews. The goal is to establish a rapport that will continue throughout the employee's tenure.

Communication tool/practice: Prime Meridian prides itself on transparency, with all critical financial and operational decisions shared with employees along with an explanation of why the decision was made. The bank has a good number of younger workers; it hopes transparency will give them a chance to learn on the job.

Pictured: President and CEO Sammie Dixon reviews quarterly numbers with the bank's employees.

First Internet Bank

45_First Internet Bank.jpg
Location: Fishers, Ind.
Assets: $2.9 billion
Employees: 199
President and CEO: David Becker
www.firstib.com

Popular with employees: First Internet has a generous time-off policy. Employees are eligible for three weeks of paid time off, plus 10 holidays and unlimited paid time off when volunteering in the community.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Themed casual dress days during the year include wearing baseball hats on opening day, jerseys on the first day of the football season, flip-flops for National Flip Flop Day and college apparel during the NCAA basketball tournament.

Pictured: Employees enjoy food and drinks during a Cinco de Mayo event.

Paragon Bank

78_Paragon Bank.jpg
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Assets: $394 million
Employees: 84
CEO: Robert Shaw Jr.
www.bankparagon.com

Popular with employees: Employee appreciation week includes massages, an ice cream social, daily prize drawings, food trucks and making no-sew blankets for patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: At the monthly all-employees breakfast, those celebrating their fifth and tenth anniversaries with the company are given special plaques.

Pictured: Paragon turned its banking center into an island paradise similar to the movie “Moana" to help grant 3-year-old Layken's wish of going to Disney World.

Community Bank

35_Community Bank.jpg
Location: Brandon, Miss.
Assets: $3.2 billion
Employees: 777
Chairman: Freddie Bagley
www.communitybank.net

Popular with employees: All workers get an extra day to be taken off between Thanksgiving and Christmas for shopping.

Fitness/wellness program: Community Bank offers employees four hours of paid leave for their annual checkup.

Pictured: Pumpkins from Community Bank's companywide decorating contest are on display.

Capital City Bank

21_Capital City Bank.jpg
Location: Tallahassee, Fla.
Assets: $ 2.9 billion
Employees: 802
Chairman, president and CEO: Bill Smith
www.ccbg.com

Popular with employees: Capital City offers a pension plan to all employees, including new hires, and covers all related expenses. Full retirement is offered at age 65, or at age 61 with 30 years of employment.

Community service initiative: Accompanied by Sheriff Twinkle Banks, employees dressed as bank robbers served popcorn to 200 moviegoers during the Fanning Springs Chamber of Commerce Trunk or Treat and movie night in the park.

Pictured: Employees celebrate the 123rd anniversary of the bank's founding in April with cupcakes and punch.

River Valley Bank

86_River Valley Bank.jpg
Location: Wausau, Wis.
Assets: $1.3 billion
Employees: 245
President and CEO: Todd Nagel
www.rivervalleybank.com

Career development/training program: River Valley has used a series of employee 401(k) meetings, which are divided by age to ensure workers get the information most helpful to them, to increase its plan participation rate from 80% in 2015 to 94.4% currently.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: River Valley contributes $100 into a savings account for every new baby born or adopted into an employee's family.

Pictured: Ziplining is part of a leadership and communication training for River Valley employees.

Marquette Savings Bank

69_Marquette Savings Bank.jpg
Location: Erie, Pa.
Assets: $847 million
Employees: 131
CEO: Michael Edwards
www.marquettesavings.bank

Popular with employees: In March, responding to employee concerns after the Equifax breach and other high-profile personal data leaks, Marquette added LifeLock protection as a benefit. The thrift covers the employee's monthly subscription and allows workers to add family coverage for a discounted rate.

Fitness/wellness program: Marquette increased its vision benefits after an employee requested the change. Its plan now covers up to $400, an increase from $200, for eyeglasses and contact lenses.

Pictured: An employee works with children through Marquette’s Teach Children to Save program.

Security Bank

88_Security Bank.jpg
Location: Midland, Texas
Assets: $818 million
Employees: 173
Chairman and CEO: James Thomas
www.mysbank.com

Popular with employees: Security's annual company picnic is a night out watching the Midland RockHounds, a minor-league baseball team, play at Security Bank Ballpark. The bank is also a season ticket holder and will let departments and employees use the company suite during the season.

Community service initiative: Security rewards employees based on the amount of volunteer work they do during the year. By logging 100 hours of service they can earn a paid day off or a $100 gift card.

Pictured: A group of employees visits the West Texas Food Bank to pack food for the Food 2 Kids program.

TIB The Independent BankersBank

101_TIB The Independent BankersBank.jpg
Location: Farmers Branch, Texas
Assets: $2.5 billion
Employees: 306
President and CEO: Michael G. O'Rourke
www.tib.bank

Popular with employees: TIB tries to keep employee meetings lighthearted and fun. At a Disney-themed meeting, employees wore mouse ears, learned about customer service and there was a drawing for a Disney World trip.

Community service initiatives: Employees and the bank contributed over $50,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Management rewarded employees for their generosity by allowing them to wear jeans for a month.

Pictured: Employees dress in a Disney theme for a customer service day.

First Bank Financial Centre

39_First Bank Financial Centre.jpg
Location: Oconomowoc, Wis.
Assets: $1.2 billion
Employees: 338
President and CEO: Mark Mohr
www.fbfcwi.com

Popular with employees: Employment anniversary cards are personally customized with a sketch by CEO Mark Mohr and then hand-delivered.

Career development/training program: The bank has an internal web portal offering thousands of e-learning and instructor-led courses focused on career development.

Pictured: Employees, family members and their four-legged friends participate in the annual HAWS Move Your Mutt event to benefit the local Humane Society.

First Green Bank

43_First GREEN Bank.jpg
Location: Orlando, Fla.
Assets: $731 million
Employees: 95
President and CEO: Keith Costello
www.firstgreenbank.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Annual employee Easter egg hunts take place at each branch. Two small, felt eggs are hidden at each location, and winners receive prizes such as organic candy or a gift card for coffee.

Sustainability initiative: Most branches have free charging stations for electric cars in the parking lot.

Pictured: Sporting a duck theme, employees and their families participate in the Quack Attack 5K run.

Vista Bank

3 (3).jpg
Location: Ralls, Texas
Assets: $686 million
Employees: 143
CEO: John Steinmetz
www.vistabank.com

Popular with employees: At the beginning of the year Vista adds $1,200 to each employee’s health savings account. New hires get a prorated amount of $100 a month.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: At the annual Christmas party, employees and their guests enjoy Texas barbeque and have a chance to win prizes such as a large flat-screen television, an iPad, a vacation voucher and a grill.

Pictured: Employees look at some of the more than 300 new and gently used children's books collected through Vista's book drive to benefit families in West Texas schools.

Centric Bank

23_Centric Bank.jpg
Location: Harrisburg, Pa.
Assets: $610 million
Employees: 107
President and CEO: Patricia Husic
www.CentricBank.com

Popular with employees: Centric treats its employees and their families or a guest to an annual day of fun at Hersheypark. They get a parking pass and vouchers for snacks and games to use throughout the day, and there’s a hosting company picnic inside a pavilion at the park.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Each quarter employees can nominate a co-worker who demonstrates outstanding customer service for the STAR Award. Winners receive a crystal trophy (delivered prize-patrol style by senior leaders), cash and recognition on the company intranet.

Pictured: Centric's operations team dresses up for a Halloween trick-or-treat event.

Evergreen Bank Group

38_Evergreen Bank Group.jpg
Location: Oak Brook, Ill.
Assets: $858 million
Employees: 129
President and CEO: Darin Campbell
www.evergreenbankgroup.com

Popular with employees: In 2017, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Evergreen Bank Group name, the bank invited employees and their families or guests aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruise for a 90-minute tour and drinks.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Throughout the year, the bank hosts competitions, such as its annual chili cook-off, which is in its ninth year. Employees bring in homemade chili to be judged by staff members for the chance to win a coveted chili cook-off medal and other small prizes.

Pictured: Members of Evergreen's Oak Brook team show off their safety glasses, provided by the bank, for a special viewing of the solar eclipse last year.

United Community Bank

104_United Community Bank, Inc..jpg
Location: Blairsville, Ga.
Assets: $12.2 billion
Employees: 2,168
CEO: H. Lynn Harton
www.ucbi.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Employees compete in a Christmas decorating contest with a team of executives serving as judges. Seasonal decor has ranged from winter-wonderland tunnels to Christmas trees flipped upside down.

Communication tool/practice: Employees can offer ideas on how to improve the bank through the U-Suggest system. Every submission is seen by the CEO and posted on the company intranet.

Pictured: United Community's team in Cornelia, Ga., celebrates Employee Appreciation Day with a fiesta-themed event.

Happy State Bank

59_Happy State Bank.jpg
Location: Amarillo, Texas
Assets: $3.3 billion
Employees: 706
CEO: J. Pat Hickman
www.happybank.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Officers can nominate employees who go above and beyond for the Pat on the Back program. Winners are recognized in an email, receive a Pat on the Back sticker and are entered into a drawing for cash and other prizes.

Career development/training program: Since 2016, employees can apply to be mentored by the CEO. Each class includes 30 mentees.

Pictured: The team jokingly wore hard hats as they worked on the bank's core conversion on Labor Day.

Washington Trust Bank

109_Washington Trust Bank.jpg
Location: Spokane, Wash.
Assets: $6.3 billion
Employees: 972
Chairman and CEO: Peter Stanton
www.watrust.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Retail leaders periodically hold impromptu interdepartmental Nerf-gun wars.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The top 20 producers and their spouses or domestic partners get to spend four days in Hawaii with all expenses paid as part of the Chairman’s Club Retreat.

Pictured: Washington Trust's mascot, W.T. Banks, and employees visit a local ice rink, paying admission for 500 visitors.

Peoples Bank

81_Peoples Bank SB.png
Location: Munster, Ind.
Assets: $936 million
Employees: 215
President and CEO: Benjamin Bochnowski
www.ibankpeoples.com

Employee recognition/appreciation programs: Peoples pampers its employees with gifts such as Valentine’s Day candy and a note signed by the CEO, a polo shirt to celebrate an updated dress code and a Starbucks gift card around Thanksgiving.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: Employees receive a $25 gift card congratulating them on the birth of a child.

Pictured: Through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, employees prepare tax returns at no cost for low-income households.

Dacotah Bank

36_Dacotah Bank.jpg
Location: Aberdeen, S.D.
Assets: $2.4 billion
Employees: 525
President and CEO: Joe Senger
www.dacotahbank.com

Fitness/wellness program: To encourage a more active lifestyle, the bank will reimburse employees up to $300 for expenses like gym memberships and home exercise equipment.

Community service initiative: Each employee selects a charity for the bank to support with a donation of $200. An additional $300 can be awarded if the employee is a member of the organization’s board.

Pictured: Through the Give Where We Live Employee Directed Giving program, the bank donates $1,400 to a local elementary school.

Signature Bank

89_Signature Bank.jpg
Location: Rosemont, Ill.
Assets: $719 million
Employees: 58
President and CEO: Michael O'Rourke
www.signaturebank.bank

Popular with employees: Signature hosts an annual summer outing for employees. Past events included a trip to a horse-racing track and a session at Topgolf.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Four O’Clock Fridays in Signature branches let employees unwind with a mini happy hour and kick off the weekend.

Pictured: Signature employees and their families gather to celebrate the opening of a new branch in Chicago.

The Westchester Bank

Fun Run 2018 (2).jpg
Location: White Plains, N.Y.
Assets: $829 million
Employees: 67
President and CEO: John Tolomer
www.thewestchesterbank.com

Popular with employees: Each fall, the bank orders fleeces for all employees, with a different style and color every year. During colder months, employees frequently wear them in the office to keep warm.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: Children who accompany their parents on Bring Your Child to Work Day are treated to breakfast and lunch, a goodie bag and an assortment of activities. Management spends time teaching older children about banking and finance.

Pictured: Employees are all smiles at the Corporate Fun Run to benefit Swim Across America.

Citizens National Bank

29_Citizens National Bank,NA.jpg
Location: Bossier City, La.
Assets: $931 million
Employees: 179
President and CEO: Jason Smith
www.citizensnb.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Last year Citizens National started participating in the national Hug Your Boss Day.

Fitness/wellness program: Employees volunteer at several 5K runs each year to help raise money for community nonprofits. The bank pays participants’ entry fees.

Pictured: Employees collected household items for Rescue Mission, a program designed to benefit the homeless.

First National Bank Alaska

46_First National Bank Alaska.jpg
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Assets: $3.6 billion
Employees: 662
Chair and CEO: Betsy Lawer
www.fnbalaska.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: First National hosts a “summer fun photo” contest where employees wear bank-branded apparel and submit pictures of themselves. Prizes include 10,000 miles with Alaska Airlines and Mastercard gift cards.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: After five years with the company, employees are given gold nugget and jade pendants or tie tacks. A diamond is added to the pendant or tack for each additional five years the employee remains with the company.

Pictured: First National bankers volunteer at the Children’s Lunch Box, making lunches to be distributed to elementary schools across Anchorage.

Alerus

3_Alerus.jpg
Location: Grand Forks, N.D.
Assets: $2.1 billion
Employees: 400
Chairman, president and CEO: Randy Newman
www.alerus.com

Popular with employees: This year Alerus took employees to a Minnesota Twins game. Wearing matching shirts, they got to walk on the field and see the CEO throw out the game’s ceremonial first pitch.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: Employees donate money to the SMART Fund, which helps employees weather various hardships. A committee distributes the money based on applications submitted by employees or managers who are aware of a need.

Pictured: Employees help raise money for TNT Kid's Fitness & Gymnastics as part of the annual community-wide giving program, Giving Hearts Day, in Fargo, N.D.

Helm Bank USA

61_Helm Bank USA.jpg
Location: Miami
Assets: $825 million
Employees: 126
President and CEO: Fernando Munera
www.helmbankusa.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Throughout the summer, Helm gives employees extra free time on Fridays by closing at 3 p.m. but paying them for the full day.

Fitness/wellness program: For the Get Fit Challenge each January, the bank brings in a certified fitness professional to conduct weigh-ins at the beginning, middle and end. There are prizes for the participant who loses the most weight.

Pictured: During Employee Appreciation Day, several workers enjoy a spread of donuts.

United Community Bank of West Kentucky

House Divided (1).jpg
Location: Morganfield, Ky.
Assets: $250 million
Employees: 57
CEO: Garland Certain
www.ucbwest.com

Popular with employees: For the Kentucky Derby each year, employees wear their best and most ostentatious hats to work. A winner is selected on social media by votes from the community and receives a prize.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Monthly slideshows at board meetings include a “know your staff” section highlighting three or four standout employees.

Pictured: United Community is a house divided when it comes to college sports. Employees wear University of Kentucky Wildcats and University of Louisville Cardinals apparel to show their support.

Peapack-Gladstone Bank

79_Peapack-Gladstone Bank.jpg
Location: Bedminster, N.J.
Assets: $4.3 billion
Employees: 417
President and CEO: Douglas Kennedy
www.pgbank.com

Activities to relieve stress/promote fun: The bank hosts miniature-golf competitions in the office, with teams of employees designing their own holes for the course. Awards include trophies and lunch for distinctions such as lowest score and most creative hole design.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The Spinach Award is named after a motivational speaker’s story about going above and beyond to get spinach for a customer at a grocery store. Winners receive a can of spinach, which they can then pass on to someone else for a job well done.

Pictured: Executives are ready to serve hot dogs to employees as part of National Hot Dog Day.

First Horizon National Corp.

44_First Horizon National Corp..jpg
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Assets: $40.2 billion
Employees: 5,866
Chairman, president and CEO: D. Bryan Jordan
www.fhnc.com

Popular with employees: First Horizon hosts a “lunch with a leader” series at a local restaurant where a handful of employees are paired with an executive and have the opportunity to ask questions about whatever is on their minds.

Fitness/wellness program: Employees can earn up to $500 in Amazon gift cards every year by working out in the bank’s fitness center and completing challenges such as walking 10,000 steps within the first 22 days of the quarter.

Pictured: First Horizon celebrates the grand opening for an Operation HOPE office in Memphis. The company's First Tennessee Bank provides financial literacy through a partnership with the organization.

Pan American Bank & Trust

PABT Brand Refresh Escape Room Event (1).jpeg
Location: Melrose Park, Ill.
Assets: $344 million
Employees: 61
President and CEO: Frank Cerrone
www.panamerbank.com

Popular with employees: Pan American gets creative with staff meetings. In April it turned six rooms in its headquarters into escape rooms. To break free, teams had to solve clues related the bank’s recently refreshed brand and mission statement.

Communication tool/practice: To ensure employees have a voice, the bank invites feedback through focus groups, idea-exchange meetings, surveys and other forums.

Pictured: Pan American rolls out its refreshed brand, Dream Bigger, at an escape room event hosted at its headquarters.

Kentucky Farmers Bank

65_Kentucky Farmers Bank.jpg
Location: Ashland, Ky.
Assets: $180 million
Employees: 68
Chairman and CEO: April Perry
www.kentuckyfarmersbank.com

Popular with employees: Employees receive roughly $250 of their annual bonuses in December before Christmas.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The bank invites employees with work anniversaries or birthdays that month to a catered lunch. Games such as “match the baby picture to the employee” aim to build camaraderie.

Pictured: Kentucky Farmers' employees work a bake sale booth at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

First National Bank of Middle Tennessee

Alex and Andy (2).jpg
Location: McMinnville, Tenn.
Assets: $508 million
Employees: 135
President and CEO: Pieter van Vuuren
www.fnbmt.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The bank organizes an annual family outing. Last year’s event was a dinner featuring a motivational speech from a Navy SEAL who had received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Career development/training program: Earlier this year the bank launched an 18-month mentoring program that pairs newer employees (those who have been with the company for six months to two years) with officers. The pairs check in weekly and meet for breakfast or lunch monthly.

Pictured: Employees Andy Knowles (right) with his daughter, Kinsley, and Alex Guthrie (left) and his daughters, Lennon and Layla-Barrie, are dressed in their best for Father Daughter Date Night, an event First National has sponsored in the community for 22 years.

Veritex Community Bank

107_Veritex Community Bank.jpg
Location: Dallas
Assets: $3.1 billion
Employees: 309
Chairman, president and CEO: C. Malcolm Holland
www.veritexbank.com

Popular with employees: Even though the bank has roughly doubled in size since June 2017, the CEO still writes a personal card to each employee on their birthday.

Fitness/wellness program: The Real Appeal program partners with United Healthcare to help employees reduce stress, lose weight, prevent disease and save on medical expenses. Participants attend a virtual team meeting once a week, have one-on-one sessions with their personal coach and can earn up to $200 in gift cards.

Pictured: Employees prepare more than 150 backpacks for low-income students in Dallas.

Civista Bank

33_Civista Bank.jpg
Location: Sandusky, Ohio
Assets: $1.6 billion
Employees: 347
President and CEO: Dennis Shaffer
www.civista.bank

Activities to relieve stress/promote fun: Last year Civista inaugurated an “executive tricycle race,” held in the parking lot of its operations center. Employees raise money for the United Way by donating in support of their favorite contestant.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Managers can nominate employees who have done exceptional work for “snooze and cruise.” The reward: Come in late or leave early and still get paid for a full shift.

Pictured: Civista's employees gather prior to volunteering in the community.

Texas First Bank

95_Texas First Bank.jpg
Location: Texas City, Texas
Assets: $1.1 billion
Employees: 214
President and CEO: Christopher Doyle
www.texasfirst.bank

Activities to relieve stress/promote fun: Texas First’s branches participate in themed days about once a month, like “crazy hair day” and “pajama day.”

Fitness/wellness program: In Fitbit challenges, teams track the number of steps they walk to earn tickets that can be exchanged for corporate merchandise, or they can enter a drawing for a trip for two to Disneyland.

Pictured: Employees wear Star Wars paraphernalia to celebrate May the 4th be with You Day.

Home Bank

62_Home Bank.jpg
Location: Lafayette, La.
Assets: $2.2 billion
Employees: 449
President and CEO: John Bordelon
www.home24bank.com

Popular with employees: On "stock high jean days” (always a Friday) employees can wear jeans after the company’s stock price reaches a new high.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Santa has been known to stop by with blankets, travel bags, large umbrellas and other gifts.

Pictured: Bank employees teach financial literacy at Thrive Academy in Baton Rouge, La.

Athens Federal Community Bank

Quarterly Celebration_Field Day.JPG
Location: Athens, Tenn.
Assets: $482 million
Employees: 117
President and CEO: Jeff Cunningham
www.athensfederal.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Athens Federal holds quarterly themed celebrations off-site. Past events have included an employee field day at a local school and a companywide information and brainstorming session.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Peer-to-peer shout-outs are encouraged to recognize outstanding service and teamwork. These are shared by email, internal radio addresses and the employee intranet portal.

Pictured: Athens Federal employees compete in the “cream cheese head” contest during a field day event. The objective was to land as many cheese puffs as possible on a teammate's head, which was covered in a shaving cream shower cap.

Choice Financial

26_Choice Financial.jpg
Location: Grand Forks, N.D.
Assets: $1.3 billion
Employees: 245
CEO: Brian Johnson
www.choicefinancialgroup.com

Career development/training: Through an initiative it calls “cultivate your cranium,” the bank reimburses employees for purchasing one of its book recommendations and shares Ted Talks and blogs that have inspired executives.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: Employees enjoy paid parental leave for the birth. Choice also has flexible hours to accommodate things like attending school events or taking a family member to the doctor.

Pictured: An employee uses the bank's videophone technology to show off her pet rock to a co-worker.

First Busey Corp.

16_Busey.jpg
Location: Champaign, Ill.
Assets: $7.7 billion
Employees: 1,321
President and CEO: Van Dukeman
www.busey.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: For Friday Freebies, employees, customers and the community can post on the bank’s Facebook page a guess of how much cash is shown in a video. The person with the closest guess without going over receives a $100 gift card.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: During Random Acts of Kindness Week each February, the bank suggests gestures to build camaraderie and surprises staff members with gifts, catered breakfast and lunch and visits from leadership.

Pictured: President and CEO Van Dukeman awards athletes with medals at the Busey Illinois Youth Run.

Enterprise Bank & Trust

37_Enterprise Bank & Trust.jpg
Location: Clayton, Mo.
Assets: $5.4 billion
Employees: 646
CEO: Jim Lally
www.enterprisebank.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Every two weeks the CEO sends out a Feel Good Friday email highlighting an employee’s dedication.

Bonus/incentive program: Employees can earn an extra personal day off if the bank receives a good rating during its annual FDIC examination.

Pictured: Bank leaders battle it out in a sumo wrestling event that raised money for the American Heart Association in Overland Park, Kan.

Bank of Tennessee

10_Bank of Tennessee.jpg
Location: Kingsport, Tenn.
Assets: $1.2 billion
Employees: 270
Chairman and CEO: Roy L. Harmon Jr.
www.bankoftennessee.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Bank of Tennessee holds a wacky-sweater contest for Christmas. There are winners in four categories, including “best use of a glue gun.” The overall winner receives $20 and a leg-lamp nightlight modeled after the lamp in “A Christmas Story” and all runners-up receive $10.

Fitness/wellness program: This year the bank launched a 16-week employee health challenge. Each team had a goal to earn 200 points a week by reducing their body mass index, exercising, drinking water, logging their daily nutritional intake and cutting out tobacco and sugary beverages.

Pictured: Tim Hobbs wins Employee of the Year at the 2017 Annual Employee Choice Awards.

First Premier Bank

48_First PREMIER Bank.jpg
Location: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Assets: $1.8 billion
Employees: 354
CEO: Dana Dykhouse
www.firstpremier.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: First Premier breakrooms offer selfie stations with cardboard cutouts and props. Employees who post their selfies to social media can win $50 in credits to the corporate store.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Two employees won new Chevy Camaros and $16,000 after a drawing during a recent staff meeting.

Pictured: The executive team poses with employees before the bank's annual Halloween staff meeting. The 2017 theme was “Star Wars."

The Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank

Loan Ops - Employee Celebration 2018.jpg
Location: Harwich Port, Mass.
Assets: $3.3 billion
Employees: 503
Chairman, president and CEO: Dorothy Savarese
www.capecodfive.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: At summer’s end the bank hosts its annual Pig Out potluck at each branch and operations center. Employees bring a favorite dish and senior leaders cook.

Career development/training program: Regular full-time and part-time employees who have completed at least 90 days of employment can take advantage of a student loan repayment program, which contributes $100 per month toward their student debt. Four employees have paid off their loans since the program’s inception in July 2017.

Pictured: Balloons are released during Cape Cod's week-long employee appreciation celebration. This year the event highlighted the contributions of employees who work behind the scenes.

First United Bank

Seminole Toy Story 11 (2).jpg
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Assets: $1.3 billion
Employees: 227
CEO: R. Mark Bain
www.firstunited.net

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: For the March Madness Tip-Off Tournament, each bank location can set up its own basketball hoop, cater pizza for lunch and invite employees and customers to participate in basketball contests. Each customer who makes a shot wins a $10 gift card from a business that banks with First United.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: All employees are encouraged to fill out “memorable moments of service cards” to honor co-workers who demonstrate exceptional service. The cards are submitted to each location’s marketing department, read aloud by the manager during monthly team meetings and then distributed to recipients to keep on their “memorable moment” keyring.

Pictured: Employees dress in a "Toy Story" theme for the the First Boo-Nited Halloween Costume Contest.

Ally Financial

4_Ally Financial.jpg
Location: Detroit
Assets: $170 billion
Employees: 7,961
CEO: Jeffrey Brown
www.ally.com

Employee recognition program: The Leading the Way Awards, held in a different city each year, celebrate Ally’s highest achieving employees. Past events have included a trip to Chicago featuring an architectural cruise and a special Second City performance.

Community service initiative: Last year, Ally issued a financial literacy book, “Planet Zeee and The Money Tree” and a game called “What’s Zeee Answer?” Employees read the book and played the game with 25,000 schoolchildren across the country this year.

Pictured: During Giving Back Month, Ally employees in Charlotte, N.C., help build a house through Habitat for Humanity.

Martha's Vineyard Savings Bank

70_Martha's Vineyard Savings Bank.jpg
Location: Edgartown, Mass.
Assets: $819 million
Employees: 115
President and CEO: James Anthony
www.mvbank.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: The bank organizes an annual clambake at one of the local beach clubs. Open to all employees and their families, it features games, swimming and a staff photo.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: On the annual “retail appreciation night,” executives plan an event to honor the retail and account operations staff. This past year, the gathering was hosted at a local golf club and included raffle prizes, a recognition speech from the CEO, food and games.

Pictured: Employees celebrate Halloween by dressing up in costumes and decorating their branch.

Old Point National Bank

DOC_HeritageHumaneSociety 2 (1).jpg
Location: Hampton, Va.
Assets: $988 million
Employees: 276
Chairman, president and CEO: Robert Shuford Sr.
www.oldpoint.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: To recognize employees who exemplify kindness and generosity in the workplace and the community, the company gives out the Old Point Excellence Award each quarter. Winners receive a plaque, letter of recognition from the CEO and a copy of the nomination.

Family-friendly benefit/practice: Employees and their families receive discounted and free tickets to places such as the Virginia Air & Space Center and Busch Gardens, as well as concerts, sporting and cultural events.

Pictured: Old Point employees make a furry friend as they volunteer with the Heritage Humane Society in Williamsburg, Va.

American Savings Bank

6_American Savings Bank.jpg
Location: Honolulu
Assets: $6.9 billion
Employees: 1,182
President and CEO: Rich Wacker
www.asbhawaii.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Last year, each department was tasked with creating shields showcasing their superpowers as part of a team-building exercise. The three winners received an ice cream party.

Fitness/wellness program: The LifeBalance wellness program offers on-site fitness classes and challenges such as “clear the clutter,” in which participants must choose an area of their lives to declutter at least one day each week.

Pictured: American Savings' employees celebrate their annual workplace giving campaign, called Kahiau, which raised roughly $264,000 for local nonprofits in 2017.

Zions Bank

111_Zions Bank.jpg
Location: Salt Lake City
Assets: $66.3 billion
Employees: 1,707
President and CEO: A. Scott Anderson
www.zionsbank.com

Popular with employees: Each year, Zions Bank rents roughly seven theaters throughout Utah and Idaho for employees and their families to come and watch a holiday movie, visit Santa and receive a small gift to kick off the holiday season. In 2017, an estimated 4,000 guests participated.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: Each Friday, an employee is recognized with the Value Star Award for creating value for clients, fellow employees, the bank and the community. Winners receive a $100 bonus.

Pictured: Zions Bank employees help clean up a local park in Salt Lake City as part of the United Way Day of Caring.

Bank First

9_Bank First.jpg
Location: Manitowoc, Wis.
Assets: $1.7 billion
Employees: 252
CEO: Michael Molepske
bankfirstnational.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: Employees can show their support for their favorite football teams on themed dress-down days. Best-outfit winners are selected at random and receive $50 Visa gift cards.

Fitness/wellness program: Bank First provides employees with wellness points for completing health risk assessments, participating in biometric testing, going to the dentist and eye doctor or participating in organized walks. These points can be exchanged for up to $300 of virtual cash, which can be used to buy gift cards and other products.

Pictured: Employees and their families gather for the annual Bank First wellness walk.

First Choice Bank

40_First Choice Bank.jpg
Location: Cerritos, Calif.
Assets: $947 million
Employees: 102
President and CEO: Robert Franko
www.firstchoicebankca.com

Employee recognition/appreciation program: To reward its employees for their continued dedication, the bank gives away items like Smart Carts and shirts and provides lunches in the office and at restaurants.

Community service initiative: This year, working with Habitat for Humanity, employees have started building a home for a disabled U.S. veteran’s family.

Pictured: Employees gather at a local elementary school to teach financial literacy as part of a Junior Achievement program.

Synovus

94_Synovus.jpg
Location: Columbus, Ga.
Assets: $31.4 billion
Employees: 4,563
Chairman and CEO: Kessel Stelling
www.synovus.com

Fitness/wellness program: To help team members achieve work-life balance, Synovus provides access to LifeWorks, a digital resource program that includes toolkits, newsletters, workshops and support programs. These programs include weight management, smoking cessation, stress management and sleep hygiene.

Community service initiative: Through the Here Matters community outreach program, hundreds of Synovus employees served lunch to 300 local law enforcement, fire and emergency medical personnel across the company’s five-state footprint last fall.

Pictured: Employees celebrate at the annual Chairman's Circle of Excellence event, which recognizes outstanding leadership, customer service, philanthropy and sales production.

Citizens State Bank of La Crosse

Grandparents (1).jpg
Location: La Crosse, Wis.
Assets: $249 million
Employees: 62
CEO: Dennis Vogel
www.citizensstatebank.us

Bonus/incentive program: Through the Star Program, employees can earn $50 to $150 by submitting ideas through the company’s intranet to improve efficiency, customer service and employee engagement. In the first quarter, the winning idea was to allow customers to fill out a form detailing when and where they will be traveling to prevent alerts on their debit cards.

Communication tool/practice: The bank uses an online third-party vendor, TINYpulse, to monitor employee satisfaction through weekly or biweekly surveys with questions like, “How happy are you?” Both the vendor and the bank write the questions.

Pictured: A team of employees dress as grandparents for the theme "heroes" during the Bowl for Kids' Sake, a charity event that raised money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region.

Tioga State Bank

102_Tioga State Bank.jpg
Location: Spencer, N.Y.
Assets: $475 million
Employees: 97
President and CEO: Robert Fisher
www.tiogabank.com

Popular with employees: Tioga State Bank hosts quarterly celebrations, such as a 1920s casino-themed party complete with music and costumes.

Employee recognition/appreciation: Every office has huddles three times a week, with Monday's bankwide meeting hosted by a senior manager. Employees give shout-outs to colleagues who have gone above and beyond, and there are announcements on progress in meeting goals.

Pictured: Employees and their children and grandchildren enjoy activities during the popular Cookies with Santa event.

The Muncy Bank and Trust Co.

The Muncy Bank and Trust Company.jpg
Location: Muncy, Pa.
Assets: $429 million
Employees: 106
Chairman, president and CEO: Robert Glunk
www.muncybank.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: The company hosts monthly fun days, such as Pi Day in March, when every employee received a mini pie.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The “best coworker contest” allows employees to recognize others for a job well done. During the most recent contest, the bank’s 125th anniversary committee reviewed the entry forms and voted on the winner, who, along with the nominator, received a day off with pay.

Pictured: Muncy Bank President and CEO Rob Glunk, left, along with fellow employees, Brenda Shaffer, Steph Oakes, Libby Hill and Bill Burget, celebrate the opening of a new branch with a community picnic.

Somerset Trust Co.

92_Somerset Trust Company.jpg
Location: Somerset, Pa.
Assets: $1.2 billion
Employees: 378
Chairman and CEO: G. Henry Cook
www.somersettrust.com

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: During the bank’s annual Pet Week, staff members can send in pictures of their pets to be judged by their co-workers. The winner of “favorite pet” receives a pet treat and a $20 gift certificate to the bank’s store, where employees can buy Somerset paraphernalia.

Employee recognition/appreciation program: The Oh Henry Program, named after Somerset Trust’s chief executive, allows employees to recognize their co-workers for exceptional work. Winners receive an Oh Henry! candy bar; they can write their names on the wrapper and return it to human resources for a chance to win an extra $50 in their next paycheck.

Pictured: As part of the company's annual #STCGives program, employees at one branch show off the non-perishable food items they collected for a food pantry in Nanty Glo, Pa.
This article originally appeared in American Banker.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER