by Laura Durst, Contributor July 14, 2022
I have anxiety – the kind that can make going to a restaurant hard without extensively researching the menu ahead of time, and the kind that means I will sit in a parking lot for 15 minutes working up the energy to go into the mall.
If reading that made you think, “Oh, she gets it,” you might be looking at remote work as a means to alleviate some of that stress. I get it. I completely do. More and more, companies with a demonstrated history of respecting mental wellness stand out from the crowd – companies that understand that every employee is as unique as each customer.
While I’ve never been employed by these companies (and no company, of course, is perfect), extensive research and deep dives into their company policies suggest that they might be a great place to start if you’re seeking remote work that honors and gives space to your mental health.
The following companies stand out in employee benefits for either direct mental health care, promotion of effective work-life balance, or by offering above norm medical benefits.
Unum Insurance – now hiring for entry level Customer Benefit Advisors in Central and Eastern Time Zones here. Here is what we know about the company as it pertains to mental wellness – 81% of polled employees say that it is a great place to work.
According to Unum’s site, employees have 17 to 30 paid days off, plus personal days and company closure days on top of offering six weeks of paid parental leave. Also noted are virtual fitness memberships for all employees. After scouring Glassdoor and Indeed reviews from employees, many employees praise the PTO, bereavement leave policies, family support in place (they even offer pet insurance), work life balance, and to quote one review, “talk about the ability to take care of your mental health!”
Unilever – now hiring for an Executive Assistant (must have 3-5 years experience in this role). Taken from their site:
“The Unilever Global Employee Assistance Programme provides access to counseling services, mindfulness-based stress reduction courses, life coaching, financial wellbeing, and resilience training. We also have an internal Global Health Champions Network, which enables our employees to have peer-to-peer mental health conversations when they need it.”
Of remarkable note with Unilever is their commitment to upskill every single employee by 2025 – in other words, they will put in the time and effort to meaningfully engage their employees with the process of professional development. Unilever states that they work with their employees to create upward mobility – in every facet of the company. Out of over 1,200 employee reviews, they rate as a 3.9 for work life balance and a 4.0 for benefits on Indeed.com. Something else to note is that “Unilever’s family support for its United States employees includes: inclusive paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers, fertility support, adoption assistance…”
Modern Health – accepting resumes and applications for positions that might not even exist yet here. Modern Health is a female-founded mental health program that offers employers the opportunity to support their employees through a self-guided app. Though a smaller company of less than 200, it’s accepting applicants engaged in their mission from the Pacific Time Zone at all times.
Of the 54 reviews on Glassdoor, a staggering 98% approve of the CEO. They offer 100% medical insurance to employees and offer stipends for work from home services as well as stipends for supporting your mental health. The company also offers support circles and professional teams of employees who are LGBTQIA.
Quoting the company, “the members of our Black and Latinx community have taken space with their allies and created Employee Resource Groups Modern Melanin and Mi Gente. Our full team also participates in regular training with DEIB leaders on topics such as allyship, anti-racism, and unconscious bias.” Finally, again pulled from the site directly, “We celebrate all paths to parenthood by offering the fertility benefit Carrot, 16 weeks parental leave, and a child care stipend. We also offer access to Outschool which provides over 100,000 (and counting!) live, online activities for learners ages 3-18.”
BetterUp – hiring for Customer Service Advocates with one or two years of customer service experience (call center OR retail accepted). It’s a refreshing trend to see insurance companies AND mental health companies that excel at offering the same service to their employees as to their customers, right? Taken directly from the job description:
At BetterUp, we are committed to living out our mission every day and that starts with providing benefits that allow our employees to care for themselves, support their families, and give back to their community.
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- Access to BetterUp coaching; one for you and one for a friend or family member
- A competitive compensation plan with opportunity for advancement
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Flexible paid time off
Per year:
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- All federal/statutory holidays observed
- 4 BetterUp Inner Work days (https://www.betterup.co/inner-work)
- 5 Volunteer Days to give back
- Learning and Development stipend
- Company wide Summer & Winter breaks
- Year-round charitable contribution of your choice on behalf of BetterUp
- 401(k) self contribution
With over 250 reviews on Glassdoor, the CEO has earned a remarkable 92% employee approval rate, and the absolute worst review I could find as it relates to working from home for BetterUp??? No free snacks.
RingCentral – to see what careers with this company might fit, click here. Of all the companies Glassdoor has in its database, RingCentral ranks as the number 18 best company to work for and has the 73rd highest ranked CEO. Taken directly from their site:
RingCentral offers on-site, remote and hybrid work options optimized for the ways we work and live now. We know our employees power our success and truly value putting our employees’ health, wellness and opportunity, first. With the addition of mediation guidance through Headspace and TaskHuman for 1:1 wellness and coaching, employees have access to learn and participate in workshops that nourish their mind and body. We value and foster career development, providing leadership training, education, workshops, and coaching for all employees. In addition, offer flexible PTO and wide range of wellness programs to keep our employees well balanced and refreshed.
ThermoFisher Scientific – Rounding out the list for today, ThermoFisher Scientific is a company of over 100,000. Positions are open in a variety of categories, ranging from customer service to specialized remote scientific work. If you happen to be fluent in both English and French, check out this current listing for customer service support here or use the link here to search for all possible careers. (Try searching in location for “remote” and look for your region, OR type in your specialized focus like “customer service.”) Unusually, with over 7,200 reviews on Glassdoor, the company still maintains a 77% recommendation rate and 86% of employees approve of the current CEO. Given that this is such a large company, dissecting their benefits can be a big job, so here are some snippets taken from their site:
- We offer paid volunteer time and charitable gift matching.
- Our U.S. paid time off (PTO) donation program empowers colleagues to help one another in times of need.
- When colleagues start or grow a family, they receive company-paid parental leave benefits. In the U.S., for example, we offer 3 weeks of paid bonding leave and 8 additional weeks of paid leave for primary caregivers.
- A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan
- A wellness program, and valuable health incentive opportunities
- Discounts for a leading weight loss and weight management provider
- Access to our proprietary, company-paid cancer care program that offers personalized support and direct lines of communication to Thermo Fisher experts in cancer genetics and genomics. Every journey is unique, but services may include genetic counseling and access to cutting-edge tests not typically covered by most companies’ health insurance plans.
- A company-paid second opinion service that connects U.S. colleagues with leading doctors for expert opinions on their health status — all without leaving home.
Keep in mind that with so large a company, experience may vary based on supervisors. But with the ratings seen on both Glassdoor and Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that Thermos Fisher does indeed support their employee base in their journey towards emotional, mental, and physical well being.
For more jobs like these, see our Newest Jobs & Gigs page. To be the first to hear about jobs like these, like our Facebook page. Good luck in your next steps!
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