School District of Rhinelander Earns Gold-Level Certification as a Family Friendly Workplace

RHINELANDER, WI — The School District of Rhinelander is proud to announce that it has earned Gold-level certification as a Family Friendly Workplace through Family Friendly Workplaces (FFW), a Wisconsin nonprofit organization that recognizes employers backing up their organizational values with meaningful, real-world support for families.

Certification by FFW is determined through a rigorous scorecard evaluation that assesses an employer’s policies, benefits, and workplace culture. The School District of Rhinelander’s Gold-level designation highlights its commitment to fostering a supportive, high-performing work environment where educators and operational staff feel valued both professionally and personally.

The FFW evaluation framework recognizes the district’s achievements across several key areas:

• Health and Well-Being: Offering family healthcare cost protections, supplemental care arrangements, and comprehensive employee assistance resources that reduce financial and emotional stress.
• Time Away From Work: Providing robust paid time off, flexibility in leave usage, and dedicated leave options for family needs and new parents to promote work-life balance and combat burnout.
• Flexibility: Extending workplace flexibility options that empower staff to effectively manage both classroom obligations and family responsibilities.
• Family-Friendly Amenities and Culture: Maintaining practical supports including pregnancy accommodations, dedicated nursing facilities, early childhood resources, community family events, and a collaborative Sick Leave Bank policy.

"Earning Gold-level Family Friendly Workplace certification directly aligns with our core strategic goals for staff attraction, retention, and cultivating a positive district culture," said Superintendent Eric Burke. "Our staff members are the foundation of our schools. By establishing policies that support them and the families they go home to, we create a workplace culture where highly effective educators want to stay and thrive. Ultimately, supporting our staff allows us to better serve our students and the entire Rhinelander community."

As part of the statewide FFW network, the district continues to collaborate with fellow Wisconsin employers to refine and elevate its workplace practices, recently participating in statewide learning sessions focused on supporting working parents and smooth career transitions for returning mothers.

About the School District of Rhinelander

The School District of Rhinelander serves students across the Northwoods of Wisconsin, dedicated to empowering all learners to achieve their full potential through high-quality educational programming, strong community partnerships, and a commitment to staff excellence.

About Family Friendly Workplaces

Family Friendly Workplaces (FFW) is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization that certifies and supports employers who adopt policies that address the workforce crisis by supporting working families.  https://www.familyfriendlyworkplaces.org/