Webster Bank Among Top Workplaces in All of Connecticut

WATERBURY, Conn., Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Webster Bank has been honored with its second Top Workplace Award in as many weeks, with the honor this time coming from the Hartford Courant and Fox 61 TV based on a third-party survey completed by Webster employees in eastern Connecticut.

Last week, Webster Bank was ranked as one of the Top Workplaces in western Connecticut by the Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, The News-Times in Danbury, The Advocate in Stamford and the Greenwich Time, based on a similar survey of employees based in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties.

As a result, Webster is now one of the Top 10 large workplaces in all of Connecticut.

"This achievement is especially meaningful because it comes as a direct result of feedback from Webster bankers at all levels of the organization," said Jeff Brown, executive vice president and chief administrative officer. "It is an honor to be shared by every Webster banker in recognition that they continue to be guided by the set of values about integrity, service and responsibility handed down by our founder, Harold Webster Smith. These values, when combined with Webster's mission and vision, form an unshakeable core that is competitively differentiating."

Webster was honored as one of the top 10 organizations in the Hartford Courant/Fox 61 survey's "large companies" category, which included firms with 350 or more employees. It was the only bank in the entire list of 45 Top Workplaces, which also included small and mid-sized company categories.

The Hartford Courant/Fox 61 Top Workplaces survey was sent this spring to the 1,282 Webster employees based in Hartford, Middlesex, Tolland, New London and Windham counties in eastern Connecticut. In all, 1,112 employees responded, or 39 percent of Webster's total workforce at the time. Webster's 87 percent participation rate was well above the median of 70 percent for all participating employers.

Both Top Workplace surveys were administered this spring by Workplace Dynamics, a human resources survey and consulting firm that surveyed an estimated 700,000 employees in 3,000 organizations in 2010. Both surveys asked for employee opinions on 24 questions, ranging from the direction the company is headed to working conditions and compensation. In all, 2,177 Webster employees participated in the two surveys, or 77 percent of Webster's total workforce at the time.

The surveys asked Webster employees for their opinions in six areas:

• Direction: An assessment of the company's values, leaders and strategy;
• Execution: An assessment of the how the company communicates and gets work done;
• Career: The opportunity for training and progression;
• Conditions: An assessment of the working atmosphere and working environment;
• Managers: The quality of the managers and their managerial skills; and,
• Pay and Benefits: An assessment of employee compensation for the work done.

About Webster

Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE: WBS) is the holding company for Webster Bank, National Association. With $18 billion in assets, Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, financial planning, trust and investment services through 176 banking offices, 492 ATMs, telephone banking and the Internet. Webster Bank owns the asset-based lending firm Webster Business Credit Corporation; the equipment finance firm Webster Capital Finance; and provides health savings account trustee and administrative services through HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank. Member FDIC and equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest annual report, visit the Webster website at www.websterbank.com.

Media Contact:
Brenda F. Greene, 401-228-2083
[email protected]

SOURCE Webster Bank