NIST employees in both Boulder, CO, and Gaithersburg, MD, have access to many on-site conveniences and services.  Here is just a sample of what we offer our employees:

Cafeterias/Snack Bars

At the Gaithersburg facility, multiple cafeterias provide breakfast, lunch, and beverages/snacks.  Also available are two snack bars/news stands, executive dining facilities, and vending machines.

The Boulder facility has a full-service cafeteria, the Techno-Cafe, which serves breakfast, lunch, and beverages/snacks.  Vending machines are also available throughout the site.

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Childcare Services

Both our Gaithersburg and Boulder sites offer on-site childcare.  The Gaithersburg Childcare Center was established in September 1983 and cares for children, ages 18 months through fifth grade, from 6:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  A full-time, state-accredited kindergarten is provided as well as a summer program.  The center was the first program in Maryland to receive accreditation through the National Association of the Education of Young Children and is staffed by qualified childcare professionals licensed by the state of Maryland.  All staff have extensive training in childcare development and developmentally appropriate curriculum planning.

Founded in 1990, the Commerce Children's Center (CCC) is located on site at the Department of Commerce Laboratories in Boulder, Colorado.  The Center is a year-round NAEYC accredited program that provides care Monday through Friday from 7:00 am - 6:00 pm for children aged 6 weeks through 6 years old.  Developmentally appropriate programs are offered for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.  Children are provided with consistent daily routines that offer a nice balance of teacher-directed and child-directed opportunities.  We share a core belief with the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation that children learn by doing, and base our curriculum on their model.  CCC has received numerous awards including the Scholastic Early Childhood Professional Award Winner for Infant Teachers (Jackie Eberl, CCC Infant Nursery Supervisor) and Best Child Care Center Recipe for 100 Children, National Child Care Association (Shirley Smith, CCC Kitchen Supervisor).

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Credit Unions

The COMSTAR Federal Credit Union, located in Gaithersburg, is an employee-owned and -operated, federally chartered organization with fully insured savings.  It offers a full line of financial services to members including personal, home equity, and auto loans as well as checking and savings accounts at competitive rates.

The Elevations Federal Credit Union (formerly the University of Colorado Credit Union) provides financial services to NIST Boulder employees.

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Employee Assistance Program

NIST's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free counseling and referral service for employees and their families.  EAP counseling services are confidential, and employee rights to privacy are stringently protected.  EAP can help employees with problems affecting work performance including stress management, change management, concern over job uncertainty, work-related distress, emotional distress, alcohol/drug related problems, child or spousal abuse, marital/relationship problems, legal/financial concerns, grief and loss, worries over health problems, coping with elderly or infirmed relatives, and AIDS-related issues.

EAP services in Gaithersburg are provided by the Health Unit in the Gaithersburg Administration Building; EAP services in Boulder are provided under contract with Ceridian Corporation.

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Employee Associations

The Gaithersburg Standards Employees Benefit Association, or SEBA, is a volunteer, employee-operated organization that sponsors various welfare, recreation, and social activities.  Activities include sports teams; recreational clubs (choral, aerobics, amateur radio, and astronomy); operation of the SEBA store which offers candy, greeting cards, NIST mementos, and discounted entertainment tickets.

The Boulder Laboratories Employees Association, or BLEA , offers similar services for Boulder employees.

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Fitness Centers/Gym

The Gaithersburg Standards Employees Benefit Association operates an on-site fitness center/gym which provides 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week access to weight, exercise, aerobic, and training equipment to its members.  The facility includes exercise, locker and changing rooms, and showers.  A number of membership options and rates are offered including rates for spouses.

In Boulder, a Fitness Center is sponsored by the Boulder Laboratories Employees Association.  The center has a weight room and machines as well as an aerobics room where classes in aerobics, karate, and tai chi are offered.

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Health Units

Convenient health units in both locations provide a variety of health services including emergency medical treatment of illness or injury; arrangements for emergency ambulance service; administration of special medications and treatments requested by employees' physicians; allergy/immunization injections; periodic disease detection programs for diabetes, glaucoma, and hearing; immunizations for official travel to other countries; and counseling on any health problem affecting job performance and referral for private treatment to other qualified health professionals.

The Gaithersburg Health Unit is staffed by a physician three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and by occupational health nurses Monday through Friday.  In Boulder, registered nurses are available every workday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and a physician can be seen by appointment.

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