If there’s one thing millennials can all agree on, it’s that work-life balance is crucial — whether that’s in the form of unlimited PTO or a stipend to put toward wellness-related activities.
These three NYC tech companies ensure a healthy work-life balance in their own unique ways. See which initiatives they’re embracing to keep employees feeling more like humans and less like cogs in the wheel.
A company dedicated to inspiring healthy habits, WW is focused on bringing that same mindset into the workplace. Chief People Officer Kimberly Samon, who has been with the company for 5 years, walked Built In NYC through all of the ways they promote a work-life integration.
How does healthy work-life balance affect the company?
I actually don’t believe balance is the right way to think about it, but rather work-life integration. A healthy integration means fostering a culture that promotes mutual respect and appreciation throughout the organization so that people can bring their whole selves to work and make time for life needs and events whenever they come up, which isn’t always before 9:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. We understand the value it has not only on retaining the talent we have, but also in attracting new talent we need to grow as a business.
How do you encourage employees to create work-life balance?
We go beyond a policy or a perk by setting the tone as role models. We expect our leaders to know the members of their teams and understand what is important to them both personally and professionally and help them achieve the integration that works best for everyone. We also value the importance of social communities and healthy habits, which are central to creating that integration. When we embrace one of our four impact behaviors, “Win together,” it exemplifies that we care about the whole person.
Do you offer any perks/benefits tailored specifically to promote work-life balance?
We offer PTO, flexible hours and remote workdays, as well as half-day-Fridays in the summer. We support our new parents with a strong parental leave policy and flexibility throughout the first year. We also offer a generous “wellbeing allowance” for employees to engage in products and services that support physical, emotional, social and financial health. This year, we are especially excited to launch complimentary memberships to One Medical and Snoo.
When it comes to fintech company DailyPay, it’s all about balancing a heavy workload with opportunities to let loose and have fun. Mariele Marki, manager of brand and talent, talked to Built In NYC about what kinds of perks are in place to make sure employees get a good balance of work and play.
How does healthy work-life balance affect the company?
Like most companies scaling rapidly and growing at an exciting pace, the DailyPay team works very hard. We provide for and encourage balance with unlimited PTO and a culture of celebrating great accomplishments through awards, happy hours and team outings. It provides for a healthy balance that aligns with our principle that we are only as good as our employees.
How do you encourage employees to create that balance?
The very first way is through servant leadership: Our managers, directors and senior leaders prioritize their team members’ performance and professional development. Work-life balance is a major part of that, which is why we ensure that our employees have access to key benefits that create equilibrium while still achieving their goals.
Do you offer any perks/benefits tailored specifically to promote work-life balance?
We provide daily catered lunches and host monthly happy hours, as well as quarterly department outings for the team. We also have a number of affinity groups for employees to join, and everyone is encouraged to take advantage of a professional training stipend.
Healthtech company Amplicare offers employees the opportunity to work remotely and join their annual staff retreat to escape the office — sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery to rediscover your balance. Executive Assistant Kayann Imari explained what other work-life initiatives they have in place for the team.
How does healthy work-life balance affect the company?
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance helps increase productivity, attendance and overall employee health. It is also an essential part of creating a happier and less stressful work environment.
How do you encourage employees to create that balance?
With everyone connected all the time, we know it can sometimes be difficult to take a step back. So we make a deliberate effort to check in with our team members to make sure they are taking some downtime for themselves. We've created a comfortable work space that allows people to unplug and take breaks when they need to — and we encourage them to do so. We also have an open-door policy so people are empowered to bring any issues forward. This really helps us find out and meet the needs of the team.
Do you offer any perks/benefits tailored specifically to promote work-life balance?
Encouraging employees to create a work-life balance is extremely important to us and we have a number of perks to promote that. We offer the option of working remotely, and we organize annual staff retreats to escape the office every now and then. We also offer a gym reimbursement program to promote physical wellness, and provide healthy snacks and fruit.
