August 11, 2023
In partnership with Springbuk, we are excited to announce our honorees for the 2023 Healthiest Employers of New York City.
Three of these organizations – AAA Northeast, Northwell Health, and U-Haul International – were named to the 2022 Healthiest 100 Workplaces America award. We will announce the 2023 award winners in October of this year.
85% of the New York City companies surveyed are on a hybrid schedule where employees are in the office on specific days. 10% work onsite or in-person and 5% of companies are fully remote.
Additionally, some notable statistics from this year’s groups include:
- 85% of companies incorporate wellness into their company values
- 60% utilize champion networks to promote health and wellness programming
- 55% have access to a data warehouse to track health analytics data to help make decisions about benefits, wellness programs, and employee health
2 to 199 Employees
1st WRNS Studio – San Francisco, California (Local Office: New York City) – 166 Employees
WRNS Studio is an architecture, interiors, and urban design firm that works with today’s most transformative organizations to steward their brands with exceptional planning, architecture, and interior design. As long-time advocates for sustainable design, they explore ways to conserve resources while promoting health and well-being. WRNS Studio consistently earns a top ten spot in Architect Magazine’s annual ranking of firms across business, sustainability, and design, including the #1 spot in 2018.
Every January, the staff at WRNS Studio engage in a fitness challenge that encourages participation both individually and in teams. This fun and competitive event brings together employees from all locations. It serves as an opportunity to foster camaraderie and is designed to motivate staff to explore new fitness activities they might not have tried before. Generous incentives contribute to high participation rates.
In addition to the fitness challenge, WRNS Studio has also placed a heavy focus on financial wellness. An interest survey revealed a strong desire among staff to enhance their financial knowledge. To address this, the company organized seminars covering topics like budgeting, retirement planning, asset management and protection, and estate planning. These sessions were well-attended, with the budgeting seminar alone attracting over 50% of the entire staff.
2nd Lawline – New York City – 33 Employees
Lawline is a leading online platform that provides engaging continuing legal education (CLE) courses for legal professionals, offering convenient and accessible learning to stay current with the latest legal knowledge and elevate their careers.
Lawline takes pride in offering its employees a comprehensive compensation package that goes beyond a standard salary. A standout feature is their unique Fringe benefit program, which allows employees to accumulate 500 points per month for personal use. This program provides a wide array of health and wellness perks, ranging from spa days to hiring professional dog sitters. Employees can also use their points for practical needs like paying off student loans or for leisure purposes like vacation expenses – including flights, hotels, and Airbnb rentals.
The Fringe benefit program offers numerous options to cater to individual preferences and needs. The program enjoys full engagement, with 97% of employees utilizing their points each month. Even those who haven't used their points may be saving up for a significant leisure investment. Lawline believes that this program is a meaningful way to demonstrate appreciation for their employees, ensuring their contentment, motivation, and active involvement.
200 to 1,499 Employees
1st Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP – Washington, D.C. (Local Office: New York City) – 1,406 Employees
Since 1945, Akin has served clients, providing creative, effective transactional, litigation, and public policy counsel and representation. From a single office and two lawyers in Dallas, the firm has grown to 19 offices spanning the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and a diverse workforce of more than 900 lawyers, working alongside clients to address challenges and achieve goals where they live and work.
Akin recognizes that well-being encompasses various aspects such as physical and mental health, financial stability, family welfare, and community engagement. One notable example of their tailored approach is the Fitness and Well-Being Reimbursement program. In 2022, the monthly reimbursement allowance was increased from $35 to $50. More significantly, the range of eligible expenses was greatly expanded. Initially covering expenses related only to gym memberships and fitness equipment, the program now includes a wide array of fitness and sports equipment, wellness monitors, classes, coaching, memberships, well-being apps, healthy sleep solutions, and self-care resources.
In addition to the reimbursement program, Akin offers other innovative benefits such as access to on-site mental health advisors. These initiatives underline Akin's commitment to fully supporting their personnel by addressing their unique needs and circumstances.
2nd Walker & Dunlop – Bethesda, Maryland (Local Office: New York City) – 1,395 Employees
Walker & Dunlop is one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States that provides financing and investment sales to owners of multifamily and commercial properties. They offer deep industry knowledge, an unparalleled team of financing professionals, broad market coverage, and excellent customer service.
At Walker & Dunlop, employees support each other's well-being, backed by CEO Willy Walker's active participation. He runs with staff, shares biking experiences, and emphasizes personal time for well-being. Over 50% of employees use the wellness portal, and the company paid $1.2 million in wellness rewards in 2022.
Walker & Dunlop is tackling the mental health crisis through an Employee Assistance Program available to all, regardless of medical plan enrollment. They've conducted mental health awareness seminars and offer free wellness webinars on topics like meditation, burnout, and stress management. Their proactive approach emphasizes the well-being of employees and their dependents. Walker & Dunlop prioritizes physical, mental, and financial health, reflecting their commitment to a holistic wellness culture.
3rd Schrödinger, Inc. – New York – 740 Employees
Schrödinger is a physics-based computational platform that leverages a deep understanding of physics, chemistry, and predictive modeling to accelerate innovation. Their platform enables collaborators to discover high-quality, novel molecules more rapidly, at a lower cost, compared to traditional methods.
Schrödinger has put significant effort into finding innovative ways to engage employees, whether remotely or in person. This includes monthly fitness, mindfulness, and team-building activities for the entire company. Their in-office events comprise family outings, diversity celebrations, and talent showcases. Amid the pandemic, they introduced "Project R&R," a week of paid time off for the entire company. This initiative remains a permanent part of their wellness approach, even as many employees transition back to in-person work.
Employees follow a hybrid schedule, working in the office two days a week, allowing flexibility for addressing work-life balance. Their insurance plan offers remote telemedicine, including mental health services, monthly fitness, yoga, meditation, and various other opportunities. Lyra Health offers online mental health services for eligible employees, including manager training and twelve free mental health sessions to prioritize employee well-being on multiple levels.
4th Squarespace – New York City – 1,496 Employees
5th Henderson Engineers – Lenexa, Kansas (Local Office: New York City) – 905 Employees
1,500 to 4,999 Employees
1st AAA Northeast – Providence, Rhode Island (Local Office: Garden City) – 3,097 Employees
For over a century, AAA Northeast has been a trusted and highly recommended brand. One of the largest and most innovative membership organizations in North America, AAA Northeast is a nonprofit auto club with locations spanning six states.
AAA Northeast is proud of their diverse culture, investing in the many talents, skills, passions, and expertise of their employees. Here, employees build professional relationships, further their careers, and grow with award-winning learning and development resources. AAA Northeast places a unique and critical focus on employee mental health by offering a range of impactful benefits. Their annual virtual health fair, which attracts over 2500 participants, features live yoga, meditation sessions, and calming rooms for nature and music connections. The partnership with myStrength, a club-paid subscription, provides accessible mental health coaching, education, and tools through a mobile app or website.
Additionally, employees can now enjoy 6 paid days per year for community service, known to reduce stress and foster positive emotions. AAA Northeast also provides a mental health rebate of up to $125 annually, covering expenses such as counseling, yoga, meditation, massage, and relaxation apps. These initiatives reflect their dedication to promoting mental well-being among their workforce.
2nd Gilbane – Providence, Rhode Island (Local Office: New York City) – 3,005 Employees
Gilbane is one of the largest privately held, family-owned, globally integrated construction and real estate development and facility management services in the industry. The company celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2022.
Gilbane provides a comprehensive and inclusive benefits package to cater to employees' diverse needs and their families. They've partnered with WINFertility to support family-building paths. This includes removing barriers to infertility diagnosis and expanding their Adoption Assistance Program to encompass surrogacy support.
Gilbane recognizes the construction industry's mental health challenges and has implemented a comprehensive mental health program. They offer counseling, coaching, and resources through medical insurance and EAP. Gilbane promotes work-life balance, flexible arrangements, and manager training for mental health awareness. Their "Mental Health Program" follows nine practices, including engaging leadership, open discussions, empowering well-being, peer support, and crisis management. Gilbane prioritizes a supportive work culture to ensure employees' mental well-being is valued and supported.
3rd Venable LLP – Baltimore, Maryland (Local Office: New York City) – 1,653 Employees
Venable LLP is a firm of trusted advisors serving businesses, organizations, and individuals in many of the most important aspects of their work.
Cultivated over more than 120 years, Venable’s capabilities span virtually every industry and all areas of regulatory and government affairs, corporate and business law, intellectual property, and complex litigation. They also foster a diverse culture that helps ensure their ability to attract, retain, and elevate the most talented professionals in the country, who work on behalf of their clients.
Venable has experienced a consistent increase in engagement in their wellness programs over the past year. This includes greater enrollment and engagement on their wellness platform, heightened participation in semi-annual health challenges, and increased involvement in monthly webinars. The introduction of a new Wellness Orientation is expected to further boost these numbers in the coming year. Venable's dedication to employee well-being is evident through this growing participation trend.
4th MongoDB – New York City – 2,368 Employees
5th West Monroe – Chicago, Illinois (Local Office: New York City) – 1,998 Employees
6th Marcum LLP – New York City – 3,503 Employees
5,000+ Employees
1st Northwell Health – Lake Success – 76,852 Employees
At Northwell Health, employees are led by esteemed senior leaders for a common goal—to raise the standard of health care for all. They strive to improve the health of the communities they serve and are committed to providing the highest quality clinical care; educating the current and future generations of healthcare professionals; searching for new advances in medicine through the conduct of biomedical research; promoting health education; and caring for the entire community regardless of the ability to pay.
Northwell's Employee Wellness team provides a holistic well-being program for their vast workforce. With 11 experts, they oversee programs covering physical, spiritual, emotional, social, and financial health. Northwell prioritizes flexibility, manager training, and various initiatives, making well-being accessible to all employees, including through Business Employer Resource Groups, spiritual services, mental health assistance, financial programs, and physical wellness initiatives like Virgin Pulse.
Their unique Virgin Pulse partnership offers personalized well-being experiences, and creative walking challenges have promoted engagement and healthy habits. Employee Experience and Well-Being Support Surveys gather insights, informing programming. Northwell's approach is inclusive and comprehensive, reflecting their commitment to their employees' overall well-being.
2nd Regeneron Pharmaceuticals – Tarrytown – 10,090 Employees
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led for 35 years by physician-scientists, their unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to multiple FDA-approved treatments and numerous product candidates in development.
Regeneron has taken substantial steps to prioritize mental well-being, especially in response to the pandemic. Their initiatives and benefits include an improved structure for mental/behavioral health support by covering out-of-network providers at in-network rates with no copays. They have also enhanced their Employee Assistance Program, introduced onsite behavioral health consultants for live therapy sessions, and added three Flexible Work days in addition to regular paid time off. The company provides Mental Health First Aid training for managers and leaders, equipping them to support colleagues facing mental health and substance abuse challenges.
This year, Regeneron has introduced several unique benefits, such as a Genetic Testing benefit through Invitae available to all employees. They have extended Mental Health First Aid training to managers, leaders, and sponsors of employee resource and interest groups. Additionally, they offer comprehensive onsite biometric screenings at all locations, free financial counseling services for all employees, and free Medicare transition services for those approaching retirement.
3rd U-Haul International – Phoenix, Arizona (Multiple Local Offices) – 17,170 Employees
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the number one choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 876,000 rentable storage units and 75.1 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading “Best for Vets” employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.
In 2022, U-Haul introduced Virta to their benefits package, initially focusing on the Type 2 diabetes program. The outstanding outcomes prompted them to expand offerings to encompass all three Virta programs: Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity reversal. Virta's research-based approach effectively and sustainably reverses these conditions without medication or surgery-related risks, costs, or side effects. The program leads to lowered A1c levels, weight loss, and reduced or eliminated insulin use. Since implementing Virta, participants enrolled in the treatment plan have experienced an average reduction in insulin usage by 54% and collectively shed over 3,200 pounds.
To further support mental well-being, U-Haul introduced a Mindset App Reimbursement program in 2022, covering mindfulness, breathwork, and meditation techniques. Executive leadership actively promotes these benefits and encourages team members to utilize them and seek the help they need. The onsite medical clinic integrates mental health benefits into its services, with providers trained to assist team members in accessing the appropriate resources.
4th Westgate Resorts – Orlando, Florida (Local Office: New York City) – 6,100 Employees
5th National Grid – Waltham, Massachusetts (Local Office: Brooklyn) – 16,525 Employees
6th CBIZ – Cleveland, Ohio (Local Office: New York City) – 6,471 Employees
