National City Bank honored with Family Friendly Award

Jean Chaffee and Michael Bickers, Executive Vice President and Market Manager of Retail Banking.

National City Bank, now a part of PNC, was honored at the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual luncheon on Jan. 21 as the recipient of the 2009 Family Friendly Award.  The award, a joint effort between the Chamber and the Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Council of Livingston County, was designed to recognize companies that encourage and enable employees to focus on the needs of their families and make family the number one priority in their lives.

“In today’s economy, it has become increasingly difficult for companies to offer anything beyond the most basic employee benefits,” said Deanna Norris, CAP Program Director, during the presentation of the award. “The need to reduce hours and even let go of valued employees makes it hard for companies to offer the flexibility and support employees sometimes need in order to deal with family situations. All of this translates into stress that affects not only employees, but their families as well.”

National City Bank, now a part of PNC, was selected to receive this year’s award because of the support it provided for one of its employees during a three-year long family crisis. Jean Chaffee, manager of the Chilson Road branch of the bank, wrote a nomination letter to the Chamber and CAP Council detailing efforts the bank and its employees made to help her and her family throughout her young daughter’s battle with cancer. Chaffee’s daughter, Erin, passed away in June of last year.

In her letter, Chaffee noted that she has worked for National City Bank since she was in high school. She benefitted from the tuition reimbursement program offered by the bank to pursue her college degree, and has been with the bank now for 25 years. 

Chaffee’s letter stated that she was nominating the bank, not for all of the opportunities she’s been given during her tenure there but for the compassion and loyalty the bank has given her during the last 12 months.

“National City Bank, and its employees, stood behind me during the most difficult time of my life,” Chaffee said. “You see, an organization as large as National City, spread across the Midwest United States, took a human interest in my daughter, my family and my well being. I never worried about my job, my paycheck, or my customers. Someone always volunteered to cover in my absence from work, cards and gifts for my daughter filled our mailbox at home and at the hospital, food was prepared and filled our refrigerator and monetary donations were given. There was always a daily phone call made to me by someone at National City Bank just checking to see if anyone could do anything. Visits to my daughter in the hospital and at home were made by my peers and I felt the true meaning of working for the best organization in the world.”

At one point during her daughter’s illness, Chaffee had to leave work for three months to be with her daughter at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She reported that, even with such an extended absence, she never had to worry about losing her job. 

“I had my employer’s full, unconditional support during the most difficult time of my life and, for that, I am forever grateful,” Chaffee continued. “I will retire from National City Bank, but before I do I will give this organization 20 more, dedicated years of my life!”

Chaffee and Norris together presented the Family Friendly Award to Michael Bickers, Executive Vice President and Market Manager of Retail Banking for National City Bank, now a part of PNC.

For information about the CAP Council or the Family Friendly Award, call               (517) 548-2200 or e-mail cap@wrc-livingston.org. The CAP Council, serving Livingston County for more than 30 years, is a program of the Women’s Resource Center and is funded, in part, by the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund and Livingston County United Way.