VIBE Awards 2023: Best Companies for Health and Wellness Benefits

A woman smiling as she exercises outdoors in a group. — Getty Images

Employees today expect to be treated as people, rather than mere worker bees whose only purpose is to contribute to the bottom line. Case in point: 77% of employees agree that their employers have a responsibility to make sure they are mentally healthy and emotionally well, according to a 2022 study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Plus, 59% of respondents say mental health wellness programs have become more important for employers in the past year.

Health and wellness is just one of the categories we spotlight in the 2023 VIBE Awards, which we created to showcase companies on The Muse with the strongest employee benefits programs. “VIBE” stands for “voted in by employees” because our methodology combines proprietary data about our partners and votes from their employees, who are asked to rank the strength of their company’s perks and benefits. For each of the seven VIBE Awards categories—which also include vacation and time off and work flexibility—we feature winners from small, medium, and large businesses.

In the small company category, top-ranked Health-E Commerce offers perks like gym stipends and access to the mental health platform BetterHelp. “Health-E Commerce cares about its employees’ well-being, from coordinating wellness seminars through Nivati and company-wide weekly check-ins to time off during the summer,” says an employee.

Healthtech company Arcadia—a winner among the medium- and large-size businesses—is beloved for its commitment to both physical and mental health. One employee says, “I was going through a troubling time in my life and the flexible PTO as well as the mental health benefits helped me make it through without the stress of worrying about my job or the cost of therapy.”

Read on for the full list of winners in the health and wellness category.

Small Companies

Health-E Commerce

Who they are: This e-commerce retailer sells health and wellness products that qualify for FSA and HSA spending.

What employees are saying: “Having my gym membership reimbursed every quarter is a huge perk that keeps me physically and mentally healthy.”

GameChanger

Who they are: This tech company and app helps youth sports teams stay connected, live stream games, keep score, and more.

What employees are saying: “I love how GameChanger has worked so hard to prioritize health and wellness in a remote environment. GymPass is a perk for all employees. I love leveraging this service to workout in different gyms, whether I’m at home in Seattle, visiting the office in New York, or at a convention in San Antonio. In addition, they offer apps for mental health, classes, and more to ensure my work-life schedule is always balanced.”

Intradiem

Who they are: Intradiem develops AI-powered technology that allows back-end offices and contact centers handling customer service issues to work more efficiently.

What employees are saying: “Intradiem grants us four ‘Wellness Days’ over the summer. I used mine for some much needed downtime to relax and recharge. It’s been highly effective for me in preventing burnout.”

Good Apple

Who they are: This independent ad agency works with clients in a range of industries, from fashion to healthcare.

What employees are saying: “The company provides Peloton membership through our insurance as well as GymPass. The founder is personally interested in fitness and health and has led company-wide challenges that encourage healthy habits.”

Medium & Large Companies

Arcadia

Who they are: This healthtech company has created a data analytics platform that helps organizations advance care and research.

What employees are saying: “I was diagnosed with a chronic medical condition that severely impacted my quality of life. Our wonderful insurance covered all of my appointments and medical equipment without any hassle. Later, during our annual Spring Fitness Challenge, I took up rock climbing and running. Because of Arcadia’s benefits, I was able to treat my condition and I now have the energy to continuously improve my quality of life through company-wide health initiatives.”

Autodesk

Who they are: This design software company provides CAD and 3D modeling programs to businesses in a variety of industries.

What employees are saying: “Autodesk provides all employees with $1,000 each year to help take care of themselves. The wellness benefit can be used for gym memberships, massages, therapy, workout clothes, a spa day—anything related to your physical or mental health. I used it this year to get new hiking boots and a yoga app so I can stay fit with my two exercises of choice.”

Hudson River Trading

Who they are: This fintech firm develops automated trading algorithms and brings a scientific approach to trading financial products.

What employees are saying: “We have an in-office gym with the most insane views complete with treadmills, weights, bikes, and showers. Our healthcare is entirely covered and is super comprehensive.”

Advia Credit Union

Who they are: Advia Credit Union offers financial and banking services to people in lower Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

What employees are saying: “Advia completely pays for my health insurance. That is unheard of these days. In addition, even though the cost of benefits has gone up for the organization, Advia has not increased the cost to employees.”

Instacart

Who they are: Instacart is a leader in online grocery, delivering groceries and everyday items to people across the U.S. and Canada.

What employees are saying: “Instacart offers a ‘treat yourself’ benefit of $100/month to be used for mental or physical health. I’m using the money to rejoin our city’s community center, which offers a variety of health and wellness programs for my whole family. This includes a gym, an indoor and outdoor pool, rock wall, yoga classes, youth sports programs, and many other things.”

TransUnion

Who they are: TransUnion is a global information and insights company and credit reporting agency.

What employees are saying: “My son has health issues and our insurance is so good that we never had problems in our claims and we have the best doctors and health care available to us with TU helping with most of it.”