Final deadline for Hearst Top Workplaces is June 12

As Connecticut finally starts to open up, as the focus of the cornonavirus crisis turns more toward the economy, the quality of an employer will come into ever-stark view.

It matters even in the disaster of impossibly high unemployment, or maybe especially in the jobless spike forced by the health crisis. Through it all, we’ve seen business owners and managers step up with heightened concern for the safety of their workers and in many cases, for their economic wellbeing at a time when we can’t know what will happen.

Any organization in this storm can benefit from being known as a Top Workplace. In Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties, that means the Hearst Connecticut Media Group Top Workplaces awards, now in its 10th year.

“It will be easier to separate those companies that aren’t worthy of the moniker as a Top Workplace from those that are, based on what’s happening,” said David Lewis, founder and CEO of Norwalk-based Operations Inc, a human resources outsourcing and consulting firm entering Hearst Top Workplaces for the eighth time.

The new deadline to to enter — the final extension — is June 12.

We’ve extended the deadline through the spring. Despite many companies and nonprofit groups facing a threat to their existence, we’ve seen a solid response. Over the next three weeks we’ll close out the nominations later than we’ve ever done it, in the hopes that organizations just now getting back up and running will have a chance to show what they’ve accomplished in extreme conditions.

We’re looking to honor the best places to work — whether they’re privately owned companies, publicly traded corporations, subsidiaries, partnerships, nonprofits or government agencies. A company need not have its headquarters here to compete.

The contest, sponsored by all of the Hearst newspapers and websites, is open to any employer with 35 or more people in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties. Recognition is given for small, midsize and large organizations, and the contest also rewards the best executives.

Last year, Hearst Connecticut Media honored 50 employers from across the region with a total if 13,595 employees. Results are based on a quick employee survey of 24 questions. The cost to compete — and win — is zero.

Energage carries out the Top Workplaces surveys for more than 40 metro newspapers including some of the biggest. Last year, the company surveyed 2.7 million employees at more than 7,500 organizations.

Last year’s highest award winners at Hearst Connecticut Media Group were: In the large employer category for companies with at least 400 people in the three counties, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services New England Properties came in as No. 1, for the second year in a row. Among midsize employers with 125 to 399 local employees, United Rentals Inc., a global company based in Stamford, was the top finisher.

In the small employer category, The Southfield Center for Development, a behavioral health care provider for children and teenagers in Darien and Wilton, won first place, among 33 companies on the Top Workplaces list.

Three awards went to top-ranked leaders. They were Christopher Bogart, founder and executive director of The Southfield Center; Mark Curtis, founder and CEO of Splash Car Wash; and, at O&G Industries in Torrington, a trio of thirdgeneration family members that run the giant construction firm: David Oneglia, Raymond Oneglia Jr. and Greg Oneglia.

Watch this animated video about how Top Workplaces works.

Ask any past winners why their Top Workplaces designation carries weight. For Lewis, at Operations Inc, “the Top Workplaces brand matters . ... It speaks volumes to our prospective clients and existing clients.”

Only one company, ICON International Inc., the corporate barter firm, has made the winners list all nine years. We can only hope they celebrate with us for the 10th time in September when we announce the awards.

Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplaces winners will be featured in the Connecticut Post, The News-Times of Danbury, Greenwich Time, The Stamford Advocate, The Norwalk Hour, New Haven Register and The Register Citizen of Torrington in September — and will be highlighted on all of the associated websites.

Clearly, these are scary and unpredictable times for companies and employees alike. Some employees just hope to have their jobs back and some companies and nonprofits just hope to survive. But for anyone, the Top Workplaces nameplate can help in a time of crisis, just as in good times — and those good times will be back.

For complete coverage of last year’s winners, go to any of those media outlets’ websites and type /topworkplaces — such as www.ctpost.com/ topworkplaces.

Employers can be nominated online at topworkplaces. com/hearstct or by calling 203-617-0727.