The Good Wages Initiative certifies, celebrates, and showcases Marion County employers that are committed to providing full-time employees both a wage of at least $18/hr and access to employer-sponsored health insurance. EmployIndy launched the Good Wages Initiative in April 2022 and now has 49 partner employers, including Newfields. We spoke with one of their employees about her experience working at Newfields and what it means for the organization to sign on to the Good Wages Initiative.
Katelyn Toplis is a Lead team member in Guest Services at Newfields, and her role has her wearing many hats throughout a given day; she oversees the guest services team for the day, helps fill in for breaks, helps and assists guests with anything they might need, ensures the team knows where they will be for their shift and what events might be taking place that day, and supports the management team with any items that pop up. She has been in her current role for just a few weeks, having been promoted after moving up from a part-time position hired to support a special event to a full-time associate to her current role as a Lead.
At Newfields, Toplis loves the people. As she put it, “This place has an incredible attraction for people with amazing passion and talent. I see it across departments, there’s so much love for the arts, and there’s love for collaboration and connection. You never know what kind of conversations you’re going to have, with people who have such diverse backgrounds. Seeing how all those pieces fit together to make our campus as lovely as it is and to create the experiences we do for our guests is just magical.”
When asked about how Newfields’ decision to sign on to the Good Wages Initiative and commit to raising wages to $18/hr over the next two years impacts her both professionally and personally, Toplis said it was fantastic and shows the organization’s appreciation for its staff. She shared that it helps her be more economically self-sufficient and allows her to also prioritize her passions and dreams outside of the workplace by removing financial stressors. She also mentioned that it allows her to be her best self at work, as she does not have to worry about her financial situation.
Toplis also shared that Newfields’ decision to apply for Committed Status with the Good Wages Initiative reflects well on the organization. In her words, “Newfields cares about its staff; they have an appreciation for us. Especially in my department, the growth I’ve seen from when I started here a year ago to the progression they’ve made up to this point, it’s been amazing. You don’t necessarily see that in every work environment. You can see that even when it’s slow-moving, they’re still advocating for us. They’re making sure our needs are met.”
When Toplis started as a part-time associate at Newfields, she was balancing her role with another part-time role, and she found it challenging to find balance and struggled to have a day off. When the opportunity presented itself to go full-time at either place, she said it was a no-brainer to pick Newfields. Toplis shared, “A lot of people are struggling with finding a full-time job. It’s a lot of part-time, a lot of trying to balance those different things. Having the opportunity to have a full-time job in an environment I love, to finally be able to have health insurance and benefits, it’s amazing.”
If you’re looking for tips on what to see when you visit Newfields, Toplis gave us the inside scoop. She said, “When you walk into The LUME the first time, you feel like you are part of something special.” Toplis loves that this exhibition brings together multiple art forms into one incredible experience, and she shared that it is even more impressive knowing all of the moving parts and how many people had to work together to make it happen. She also suggests heading to the second floor to see the Love sculpture, mentioning that it sends home what Newfields is all about.
Toplis ended our interview by sharing that Newfields has had an extremely positive impact on her life and that while she loves Guest Services she has the opportunity to explore other departments and follow her passion for the organization, an intentional strategy Newfields has implemented to retain top talent. She ended on a note about the organization’s culture, calling her position a job with a soul and stating, “At Newfields, you’re a person, not an employee.”
To learn more about the Newfields, visit https://discovernewfields.org.