Behind the Scenes
Be Well: The BrainPOP Approach to Employee Wellness and Well-Being
When I think about wellness at BrainPOP, I think about our most valuable asset: our people. That’s why the BrainPOP People Team leans heavily on two of our work values—lead with empathy, and learn and improve together—as we plan our annual wellness roadmap.
Our colleagues have experienced a lot during the last two years, including a pandemic, social injustices, and a shift to remote work, followed by a return to a new remote-first hybrid work environment—all while supporting the changing needs of our customers. Internal initiatives and external partnerships that contribute to a positive, holistic employee experience go a long way. These are some of my favorite success stories:
- Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee comprises volunteers from across departments. They advise company leadership on programming, initiatives, and volunteer opportunities that reflect our mission, vision, and values. Recently, we rolled out Brave Spaces—optional virtual gatherings where employees engage in dialogue about timely topics, share unique perspectives and experiences, and learn from and support one another.
- We leverage partnerships with Bravely (professional coaching), Ginger, and Talkspace (mental healthcare and therapy) to support employees when they need it most.
- Employees are encouraged to take time off whenever it aligns with their personal needs. We recently enhanced and expanded our time-off policy, moving away from accruals to a more flexible approach.
- We conduct quarterly engagement “pulse” surveys through Culture Amp to continuously measure employee engagement. This real-time data empowers us to create new employee-centric solutions that reaffirm our commitment to well-being.
There is no perfect science to creating wellness and well-being initiatives, but the first step is understanding that we have to look at both as a continuum. I recently checked in with a group of BrainPOP colleagues to learn how they prioritize wellness and well-being, and which resources and benefits help them thrive!
Daniela Pietrantoni, Talent Acquisition Coordinator
“I keep a 15-minute meditation slot in the middle of my day. This way I can get up and take a walk, listen to a meditation track, or just unplug. I also use ClassPass to get out of the house, stay active, and maintain my self-care as a top priority.
Bravely has really helped me settle into my new role. I had never been encouraged to take the lead on projects that fuel and challenge my mind, which was honestly a bit scary. Using our professional development resources has provided me with the confidence that I needed to lead my own projects.”
Marie Swepson, Senior Account Manager
“I try to be intentional about not eating lunch at my desk in front of my computer. During that time, I try to do something for myself. It could be reading a book, watching a show, or going for a walk outside. I find this helps me come back a little more refreshed, and I’m able to fight off the afternoon slump.”
Nicolina Abruzzese, Account Director
“During the week I go to the gym 4–5 times—that is my decompressing place! I go to different classes (strength and conditioning, Olympic lifting, cardio) as a way to release some stress and feel good about myself. I also have strong morning and nighttime routines that include journaling, reading, drinking coffee or tea, and walking.”
There is no perfect science to creating wellness and well-being initiatives, but the first step is understanding that we have to look at both as a continuum.
Julia Bailey, Copywriter
“Like many, I’ve found it’s really important for me to get outside every day, but walks around my neighborhood got borrrrrring! I tried roller skating (ouch), hula-hooping (um, not for me), and now I’ve settled into walking to a studio and my local YMCA a few times a week for modern dance, kickboxing, Salsa, yoga, and Reggaeton. I love the joyous community vibe after a day of remote work, and it never feels like exercise. Until after.
I’m excited about all of the ways BrainPOP is actively supporting our mental health and well-being. I had a few sessions with Bravely when I started working at BrainPOP to help me be very intentional about my own onboarding, and to hit the ground running while being true to myself and my values. I also found our recent mental health day to be a wonderful way to reboot and recharge.”
Casi Graddy-Gamel, Associate Director, Product Management
“A daily walk when the weather is nice is one of the most important things I do for my well-being. Typically, I’ll do it when I close my laptop for the day and before I do anything else (have dinner, do chores, etc.) because it’s a good beat to signal the end of work time and the start of personal time.
I make sure I take all my annual PTO, and I encourage my teammates and reports to do the same—especially if someone hasn’t taken time off in a while. Sometimes unplugging and stepping away for a long weekend reset is exactly what you need to rest and energize. The new PTO policies are really great, and I do always feel like I can work flexible hours, as I need to, with minimal concerns, which is great given that our teams are spread out over so many time zones.”
Sarah Mondestin, Content and Community Manager
“Our company-wide mental health day was a great experience—especially for those of us who are accustomed to overworking, even on days off. When you take your own personal day, there is still that looming feeling that your team is working without you. So, there’s something special about knowing everyone is taking the same day off for the same reason. Seeing other people talk about their work-free day with pride is encouraging! It was really a team effort to take care of ourselves, and we heard it from the top down. We were constantly reminded to protect it. Sometimes we glorify the grind so much on social media and in our conversations about work, that we may give the impression that working hard is the top priority. But when we pause and glorify rest, it normalizes healthy spaces, and actually makes us more productive people at home, at work, and in our community. Our company-wide mental health day made me realize how much I need to stop and take care of myself more often. When you work at a company that agrees with this, it makes life so much easier.”
Life moves quickly, and so do we. At BrainPOP, we’ll continue to learn and improve together, and keep empathy as our guiding light when it comes to promoting wellness and well-being. I encourage everyone to make both a priority every day.
Angelo Martin is HR Manager at BrainPOP.
