Working for a mission-driven company means having a hand in a movement where businesses prioritize people and the planet over profits. It also means experiencing the many employee benefits that are consistently coming out of Certified B Corporations. From extensive benefits packages to unlimited time off with full health coverage, here are 5 B Corps that put their employees first.
Green Engineer is a sustainable design consulting firm offering sustainable design solutions for the built environment. In 2014, Green Engineer became 100% workers-owned, giving employees the option to become equal partners in the business after two years. Offering unlimited time off, total health care coverage, and a professional development budget for employees, Green Engineer prioritizes its workers’ growth, health, and general wellbeing.
Not only does this marketing and growth consultancy “with the soul of an innovation and design agency” offer a complete career growth model to employees, but customizes each workers’ career path based on each individual’s talents. Playing into the theme of holistic growth, Bluedog’s annual all-company Summit training gives all employees the chance to educate themselves on topics like emotional intelligence, reader-centered writing, and conscious capitalism.
Chances are you’ve almost certainly eaten bread made with flour by the King Arthur Baking Company. What you may not have known about this 231-year-old company is that it is entirely 100% employee-owned. Along with standard benefits life insurance and medical benefits, King Arthur offers tuition reimbursement, fitness classes, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), not to mention hands-on classes, virtual training, and peer-to-peer learning.
Rhino Foods started out in 1981 as a small ice cream shop called Chessy’s Frozen Custard. Over the years, founders Ted and Anne Castle dedicated themselves to fulfilling the promise of making a positive impact on the community and their staff while changing the way people eat cookie dough. Well, mission accomplished. They now create all that delicious cookie dough you find in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. They’ve created sweet perks like payment advance, an employee exchange program, and open-book management inspire Rhino’s employees to “think like an owner, rather than just an individual who punches in and out each day.” The result? A thriving bakery with a happier and more productive workforce.
You can’t talk about B Corps without mentioning the Gold Standard in mission-driven business: Patagonia. On-site childcare, paid parental leave, company-paid health care and sick time, and free yoga are some of the many benefits of working at this iconic outdoors brand. Patagonia also offers access to local hiking trails as well as company-subsidized, locally grown organic snacks.
We got in to this business with the vision of doing things differently — a sentiment that extends to our trusted employees. Dirigo Collective draws a massive amount of inspiration from the guests we have on our show, directly leading to the implementation of perks like professional development opportunities, an interest-free payment advance program, and 16 hours of paid volunteer hours to the growing list of employee benefits. Plus we made election day a company-wide paid holiday. As we continue down the road to B Corp certification, we’ll always take the opportunity to evolve the way we do business and how we use it as a force for good.
by Jeremy Glass, September 2, 2021