While many companies have added a few wellness
Jennie Rogerson is the global head of people at Canva, an Australia-based multinational graphic design platform. Alongside her team of 320 workers, Rogerson is curating a list of benefits that prioritizes
"One of the biggest opportunities companies have right now is to balance employee well-being with their business goals," says Rogerson. "That's why people roles are becoming increasingly important to any business. We are ensuring that our team is set up to do the best work of their lives."
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For Rogerson, one of the best ways to do that is to give people time away from work. In addition to an 18-week
Canva even provides 10 days of leave for any employee experiencing domestic abuse, along with $3,292 as part of the company's global family and domestic violence policy. Employees can access this benefit without telling their manager, and instead contact a third party, who guarantees confidentiality.
"We recognize that team members may be going through times they can't easily talk about, and we want to support them," says Rogerson. "We saw the biggest impact we could make was to let people take time away without needing to explain why."
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Well-being doesn't stop with strong leave policies — Rogerson wants Canva's workers to have flexibility in their day-to-day work lives. Canva's global pass, for instance, allows workers to work from anywhere in the world for six weeks. This is an especially vital benefit for expats who want to spend time with their families abroad, notes Rogerson. On top of that, every employee gets an annual stipend of $2,000 to spend on whatever they want.
"People use it for their work-at-home set-ups or a pair of rollerblades so they can go rollerblading with their kid," says Rogerson. "Whatever works for you is the best for us."
Still, Rogerson recognizes that all the benefits in the world mean nothing if employees are too overwhelmed by work to use them. That's why Rogerson helped roll out the "Fewer Things Well" philosophy, which focuses on re-prioritizing and narrowing down the most crucial projects and assignments employees should be working on.
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Rogerson continues to survey workers every six months to make sure the right benefits are available. In turn, Rogerson has paid more attention to her own wellness, reaping the benefits of a work culture she helped build.
"At Canva, I have become more focused on ensuring that my well-being is where I want it to be," says Rogerson. "It's really important for leadership to make sure they go on that journey themselves."
