Giant Companies Who Treat Their Employees Awesomely
When you think of big companies, you might think of big corporate and the seemingly evil stories that have emerged over the years from disgruntled employees. But not all big companies are created equal, and some truly go above and beyond to take care of the people they bring on staff. One impressive example of this happened recently, when Starbucks created a program available to all 135,000 of its U.S. employees, that offered full tuition reimbursement. Eligible employees need to be juniors and seniors in order to receive the full boat, but freshmen and sophomores could also receive partial scholarships. While it might be limited to a few employees (for example, only the Arizona State online program is covered), it’s definitely better than nothing, and proves that Starbucks cares about helping its staff get educated.
But Starbucks is not alone in the doing-well-by-doing-good camp—here are a few other big companies who you might not know are doing amazing things.
Wegmans
For those of you on the West Coast, I’m sad that you’ll never be able to experience the greatness that is Wegmans. Although honestly, you have In-N-Out Burger, so I guess we’re even.
Wegmans is an awesome grocery store and they also treat their employees really, really well.
Their benefits package includes affordable quality healthcare coverage, dental coverage, life insurance, paid time off, employee wellness programs, disability benefits, a retirement plan, and scholarships for eligible employees. Even better, these opportunities are offered to both full-time and part-time employees.
Also? Employees get gift cards, up to $250, at a 10% discount.
eBay
Working at eBay is much less frustrating than bidding on eBay. Not only do they have a quality health and wellness program for their employees with good benefits, but they recognize the fact that an individual has more to their life than work – and they strive to help their employees with mundane, annoying chores that take time away from their family. Over at eBay, they offer dry cleaning pick up and delivery, as well as oil changes. As someone who waits till the last-minute (or the following month) for an oil change, I’d love this perk.
Genentech
Genentech is a company that uses human genetic information to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize medicines that help our community, and they’re pretty used to landing on “Top 10” lists that rank which companies are the best to work for.
Not only do they have amazing health benefits, but their work perks are extremely cool – such as on-site haircuts, weekly car washes, and Ho-Hos – which is what they call their company get-togethers that help employees relax, and bond with each other.
The Walt Disney Company
When you vacation at Disney, you expect a few things – for one, you imagine the parks to be remarkably clean, family friendly, and pretty friendly in general. It’s probably why news of Tigger getting distressed one day and not following protocol soon becomes international news – because it rarely ever happens with a company that seriously wants you to have the best possible experience ever.
Disney offers its employees paid holidays, vacation time, child care centers, company-wide special events, and of course – complimentary theme park admissions. That’s just on top of healthcare benefits, a prescription plan, and educational reimbursements, to help expand career opportunities. “You’re more than your job, and your rewards reflect that,” Disney proudly boasts.
And hey – if you happen to be assigned the role of a Disney Princess, all the better.
Southwest Airlines
Traveling can be super expensive, especially during peak seasons. If you work with Southwest, they guarantee that employees, spouses, eligible dependent children, and parents fly Southwest for free. They’ve also made deals with other companies that help discount the cost of hotels, theme parks, and rental car companies for their staff. And of course, they get all of the standard medical coverage.
Employees also get to participate in chili cook-offs, spirit parties, and an annual Halloween event, since Southwest believes that their staff should have some fun every once in a while. In turn, the staff also has the chance to give back to their communities – many of their pilots volunteer their time visiting fifth grade classes and corresponding with students throughout the year, since they believe in the importance of a strong education.
Zappos
We’ve all benefited from Zappos before, but here’s how Zappos helps out it’s own: not only do they host company picnics, but they held an event for them called the Zfrog awards, which let employees pitch their own business ideas. Employees have also gotten the chance to be creative with “laughter yoga” classes, Tank Top Tuesday, and realizing that Zappos recognizes all types of employees – not just the sales reps.
For the animal lovers out there, this is the first company I’ve seen that also offers pet insurance to their employees. All hail Zappos!