Unlimited Vacation? Work from Thailand? Eight Weeks Paid Leave for New Moms? How These Employee Benefits and Perks Actually Work at Tech Company Motus

Any HR director knows that promoting employee health and happiness should be a priority. Motus, a tech company headquartered in Boston, is providing progressive employee benefits and perks that are typically unheard of in corporate America. Director of People Operations Jessica Chronchio shares more detail with us…

Unlimited Vacation and Sick Time Are Real — And They’re a Dream Come True

“Our employees are huge fans of our unlimited vacation and sick time. There are companies where this perk falls flat, yet there are plenty of companies where it thrives.

We put a lot of thought into how we would execute unlimited vacation as part of our employee benefits and perks package, and it’s been a success for the past year. We do enforce people to track their time off in our (HRIS) system and all requested days must have manager approval.  Managers must make sure that their whole team is not out of the office at the same time and that their team is producing the expected results. We’re clear in communicating that work has to get done. If you’re producing results, then go to Austrailia. Go take two weeks off, and enjoy it to the max! People don’t abuse it and it’s less of a liability for our company.”

Work From The Beaches of Thailand?

“Obviously, we want employees to unplug, but sometimes that’s hard to do since we’re a growing company. This is why we tell employees you don’t need to be here, you can be anywhere as long as you’re getting your work done. If you’re traveling and exploring Thailand, you can work from your laptop there too.

Even though we support remote work, the office is still bustling and lively on a day-to-day basis. Our reimbursement cycle is very cyclical for our end users so we have a very busy week at the beginning of the month. We bring in meals to incentivize employees to be on site during these busy weeks. Flexibility around working remote has become one of our most valued employee benefits and perks”

A Surprising Perk for New Parents

“New families love our rich maternity leave policy. Expectant moms are surprised we honor eight weeks paid leave, which many companies our size don’t. When new moms return from their paid leave, they can take advantage of a completely flexible work schedule. We currently have new moms working remote or part-time and we’re completely willing to work with them so they can best adjust and coordinate a healthy balance. This flexibility takes a huge worry away from new parents as they learn to balance work and family with the complexity of a new baby. New parents feel valued, so this helps with retention.”

From Home or In The Office: Just Get Your Work Done

“We want to make sure people are successful and are getting done what they need to, but don’t feel like they’re tied to their desk. We all have the flexibility to work from home as needed. Obviously flexibility works a little differently at every level and varies by department. For example HR is a very face-to-face type of role, so I’m personally in the office a lot, but I have the flexibility to be at home whenever I need to be and when I’ve completed my in-office responsibilities.”

Being Brave and Fighting for Those Who Can’t

“Bravery lives inside all Motus employees and is supported by everyone in and outside the office. We dedicate at least two days a year to participate in philanthropic activities–Martin Luther King (MLK) Day and 9/11. On MLK day, rather than just taking a day off to sit around the house in our pajamas, we get out and support civil service and volunteer at the soup kitchen or help underprivileged kids. On 9/11 we volunteer in some way to support our country’s first responders and our military. This year we delivered lunch to Boston fire stations and really took the time to connect with firefighters. We also put together care packages for our troops serving overseas.

Outside of company-wide volunteering, we support charities that our employees are passionate about. One employee just participated in a charity event called Belles of the Brawl–a charity to fight cancer. One of our core values is bravery and we fully support employees who are stepping out of their comfort zone to make a difference.”

Inspiring Teamwork with the US Navy SEALs

“Every quarter we put an incredible event together for people to connect and celebrate their personal achievements outside of work. In 2015, a member of the Navy SEALs who took down Osama bin Laden came into the office to talk to our group about the importance of teamwork and collaboration. We were blown away–it was phenomenal! We took this inspiration back to the office and infused every team with even more energy and purpose.”

Are you looking for unique employee benefits and perks to implement at your company?
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