Commitment Pays off for Carilion and Employees.....

Caren Nelson, Employee Relations Consultant, was way ahead of the curve when it came to protecting our employees!

At the start of the pandemic, Caren took the lead to partner with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) to manage an unprecedented volume of unemployment insurance claims.  She and the rest of the employee relations team wanted to ensure all employees experiencing reduced hours, or a furlough, received approval and timely payment on their unemployment claim.  The team knew that many employees needed this benefit to help bridge the gap during that challenging time.

Unfortunately, we’ve also seen an influx of fraudulent unemployment insurance claims.  In response, Caren quickly established a process to work directly with the VEC to prevent erroneous payments.  She worked with leaders in TSG, Privacy and HR to develop communication for employees who were negatively impacted, and she provided individual assistance to those employees to ensure they knew what resources were available. Her hypervigilance and quick thinking has helped prevent fraudulent payments, saving both the company and impacted employees time, money and a lot of frustration.

We are so proud of Caren’s work ethic and her COMMITMENT to Carilion Clinic and every employee.  Going the extra mile is what she does!