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Monday, Mar 18, 2024
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Best Places to Work Give Employees More Than Pay

Looking for a job with an unlimited number of vacation days? Check in with DKN Hotels in Irvine.

How about an annual ski trip to Mammoth? Irvine-based Swinerton Builders will foot the bill.

Not a snow aficionado? Then take a weeklong vacation to Maui, courtesy of Bisnar Chase Trial Lawyers LLP in Newport Beach.

Now, if you’d prefer your own escape room—whatever that may be—Numa Networks in Orange has a few, just ask.

Some local employers are offering an array of benefits to incentivize and retain their workforces—perhaps not a surprise, given Orange County’s 3.8% unemployment rate.

The group includes the 100 firms on this week’s Best Places to Work lists, which reflect employees’ views on workplace conditions. Harrisburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Group conducted the research on behalf of the Business Journal, grouping companies by the size of their staffs: large, with 250 or more on the payroll; medium, with 50 to 249 workers; and small, with 15 to 49.

Highlights include:

• Vaco Orange County LLC, with a staff of 642, leads the large employer category. The Irvine-based consulting firm specializes in administration, finance, accounting and technology, and offers—among other perks—a fully stocked fridge and team outings to baseball games, horse races and hiking.

• Swinerton Builders, No. 2, employs 1,585 nationwide. The construction company’s “Fun & Passion Team” plans monthly activities and impromptu social gatherings, and makes sure employees are taking “5-minute mental health breaks” throughout the day, according to the survey responses. Swinerton, in addition to the Mammoth ski trip, offers various financial incentives to top performers, including annual bonuses and a Spot Bonus Award, which can be given at any time during the year to any employee as “immediate recognition of outstanding efforts.”

• Stream Realty Partners in Irvine, a newcomer to the list, placed at No. 3. The real estate firm, which employs 768, provides staff paid time off to volunteer in their communities. It also distributes 5% of net profits to “all nonpartner team members.” Other benefits include “legal counseling, free comprehensive wills, and identity protection for adult and minor age dependents.”

• San Diego-based commercial real estate company Hughes Marino, which has an Irvine office, topped the medium-size employer category. Its office features “a living room with plush sofas, a flat-screen TV, shuffleboard, billiards, a Pac-Man machine, gourmet kitchen and an on-site gym.” It also keeps guitars around for the musicians on its team. Hughes Marino’s 68 employees are given five “Wow” cards worth $50 to “recognize other teammates for distinguishing themselves by doing something above and beyond what is expected and/or leaving an emotional impact.”

• Momentum Group placed No. 2 on the medium-size list, up from No. 5 last year. The Irvine-based textile designer, which uses solar energy to power its office, also cares about how its 153 employees get to work—it provides a $1,500 incentive to all who purchase a vehicle that gets over 40 miles per gallon. Its perks list also includes “tuition reimbursement and training and development courses.”

• Glaukos Corp. in San Clemente, No. 19 among medium-size companies, goes beyond jeans for casual days—it has flip-flop Fridays, Glaukos gear Wednesdays, and of course, monthly superhero Fridays. The ophthalmic medical technology company, which develops products and procedures to treat glaucoma, also grants company stock to its 236 employees, along with other financial incentives and “spot” bonuses. Its leadership training program “spans over four months, and includes eight courses designed to prepare employees for leadership roles.”

• The Bisnar Chase law firm leads the small employers category, offering its 31 employees flexible schedules and rewards for clients referrals.

• Optimal Outsource moved up five spots to No. 2 among small firms. The Lake Forest-based company focuses on “streamlining homeowner association dues collection and community news distribution.” Its 38 employees can participate in a monthly carwash drawing, plus golf and paintball outings. It offers monthly bonuses to production staff for “exceeding goals,” and pays for registration to athletic events, including Mud and Spartan runs.

About 46% of companies that made the list provide “workplace facilities to promote exercise and fitness.” About a third pay for 100% of medical coverage premiums, and 58% require no overtime work or keep it to a minimum.

Nearly all employee survey respondents—93%—say they have “flexible hours to accommodate school events, taking a family member to the doctor, etc.,” and about 98% say they have “employee bonus or incentives programs.” The majority of employers—90%—offer “cafeteria or meal subsidies, free daily snacks or beverages,” while about 70% match employee contributions to a retirement savings plan account.

About 97% of surveyed employees from companies that made the list said they’re “very satisfied” with their employer, and 95% would recommend theirs to a friend.

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