Long story short: Employees are prioritizing culture and benefits in 2023

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As 2022 wraps up, employers are hard at work debating how to make sure their company will be successful next year. For most, the answer is pretty clear: keeping work arrangements as-is. 

Ninety-seven percent of employees want a remote or hybrid option in 2023, despite an increase in return-to-work mandates and other in-person work requirements. But hybrid and remote work options have many benefits: employees enjoy the flexibility, thrive from knowing their employer trusts them to do their work, and report being more productive overall. They also save money on commuting costs, an important factor during today's economic climate. 

Read more: How Synchrony avoided the Great Resignation in 2022

If employers want to put their employees first and prioritize a healthy culture, work arrangements are just one piece of the puzzle. Comparably, a platform that provides compensation and culture data for public and private companies, released their sixth annual "Best Company Culture" winners, ranking the top 100 companies with the best work-life environments. The winners boast a fun and collaborative workplace, along with stellar benefits and perks. 

Check out more of this week's top stories to gain insight into building a better culture in 2023.  

The best benefit for 2023: A hybrid work schedule

Employee benefits can be traced back to Caesar Augustus in 13 BCE, when pensions were awarded to retired soldiers to keep them from rebelling against the emperor. In today's job market, it's not rebellion that is feared, but a quiet exodus of talent and the inability to replace it. Years from now, history books will write about a new kind of benefit that worked wonders for the professional world: the hybrid work model. 

In a recent survey of over 1,000 HR professionals, workspace provider IWG reported that over 90% of respondents said they use hybrid working to recruit and retain. An overwhelming 97% of those surveyed believe there is a direct correlation between productivity, wellness, and the number of days spent in a physical office, citing the need for a certain amount of face-to-face collaboration. Editor Lee Hafner dives into these perks and their payoff. 

Read: The best benefit for 2023: A hybrid work schedule

As 2022 comes to a close, employees are still craving remote and hybrid work

Less money wasted, increased productivity, better work-life balance and environmentally-friendly benefits —  hybrid and remote work continue to be the workplace trends that check off all the boxes for employers and their employees.

According to multiple surveys conducted throughout 2022 by flexible-work job site Flexjobs, a resounding 97% of workers wanted a fully remote or hybrid position, and 84% of respondents said that these types of work arrangements would make them a happier person. At a time when people are looking for more flexibility in the workplace, organizations are seeing the benefits as well. FlexJobs found that 48% of employers are planning to maintain some form of remote work moving forward, and gives good incentives for more companies to follow suit. 

Read: As 2022 comes to a close, employees are still craving remote and hybrid work

10 companies with the best work cultures in 2022 

Since the onset of the pandemic, many benefits and HR leaders have invested time and resources into creating an engaging and compassionate company culture that attracts and keeps talent. Comparably, a platform that provides compensation and culture data for public and private companies, has announced its sixth annual "Best Company Culture" winners, rating the top 100 companies with 500 or more employees. 

This year HubSpot took the top spot, dethroning RingCentral, which was ranked first in 2021. A total of six companies that were named top 10 last year remained in the top, with companies like Farmers Insurance and Zoom Media Communications not even making it to the top 100 despite previously placing sixth and ninth, respectively. Associate editor Deanna Cuadra wrapped up the top 10. 

Read: 10 companies with the best work cultures in 2022 

13 companies that expanded their benefits in 2022 

Forty percent of employers made changes to their benefit plans this year according to a 2022 survey conducted by research non-profit Integrated Benefits Institute. Forty-two percent added remote work options, 27% added EAP or behavioral health options and 20% added some form of caregiver leave. 

In an effort to cater to employees' personal and professional lives, employers including Amazon, Walmart and Cleo revamped their benefits in 2022 so that they better meet  the new needs of their workforce. Associate editor Paola Peralta wraps up what companies changed and what benefits make the grade.  

Read: 13 companies that expanded their benefits in 2022 
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