Demme Learning, the Lititz-based educational publisher, received a 2016 When Work Works Award recognizing its workplace practices. The national award honors employers that use effective strategies to support both business success and employees’ well-being.
The award was part of the When Work Works project, administered at the time by the Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.
What the company said
“We are excited to receive this recognition,” said Ethan Demme, then president and CEO of Demme Learning. “As a company, we believe that families are a fundamental building block of healthy workplaces, and what works for families works for business.”
He said the company aimed to promote a healthy society “whether through the products and services we offer or the way we support each other in balancing family and work.”
How winners are chosen
The award is not simply an application. Employers first had to qualify by ranking in the top 20 percent of the country, based on a nationally representative sample of employers. Two-thirds of each applicant’s evaluation came from an employee survey, meaning workers’ own experiences carried the most weight.
Applicants were evaluated on six research-based ingredients of an effective workplace:
- Opportunities for learning
- A culture of trust
- Work-life fit
- Supervisor support for work success
- Autonomy
- Satisfaction with earnings, benefits and opportunities for advancement
Researchers have linked these factors to employee health, well-being and engagement.
“These employers have excelled at creating effective workplaces yielding tremendously positive results for business success, as well as for their employees’ well-being and productivity,” said Ellen Galinsky, then president of the Families and Work Institute.
Lisa Horn, then director of SHRM’s workplace flexibility initiative, said the 2016 winners showed that leading employers were “continuing the movement toward effective workplace strategies that benefit both business and employees.”
About Demme Learning
Demme Learning is best known for Math-U-See, a math curriculum built around manipulatives and video instruction that is widely used by homeschooling families. The curriculum was created by Steve Demme, a former math teacher, who began developing it in the 1990s. The family-owned company later expanded its offerings to include other subjects, among them Spelling You See and Analytical Grammar.
The company has been based in Lititz for many years and is one of a number of educational and publishing businesses in the Lancaster County area.
Why workplace awards matter
For small and midsize employers, recognitions like When Work Works can help with recruiting. Job seekers increasingly look for signals about culture, flexibility and support for families, and third-party awards based on employee surveys offer a credible signal.
For employees, the evaluation itself can be useful. Surveys that ask about trust, autonomy and supervisor support give leadership a clearer picture of what is working and what needs attention.
Flexible work then and now
In 2016, flexible scheduling and remote work were still considered progressive benefits at many companies. Since 2020, they have become far more common, and many employers have had to rethink how they support employees’ lives outside work.
Demme Learning’s recognition came before that shift, as part of a broader push to show that family-friendly practices and business performance can go together.
Learn more
The When Work Works initiative shared research on effective and flexible workplaces with the business community and published lists of award winners by state. Lititz businesses interested in workplace practices can find resources through SHRM and local business groups, including the Lititz area chamber and economic development organizations in Lancaster County.
For a Lititz company whose products are used at kitchen tables across the country, the recognition reflected a consistent message: family comes first, at home and at work.