Pandemic benefits: How LinkedIn Top Companies are supporting workers during COVID-19

Over the last year companies have been forced to rethink employee benefits as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Here at LinkedIn we've just launched our Top Companies lists for countries around the world. We asked many of the Top Company honorees what special programs or benefits they've offered, or are now offering, employees because of the pandemic.

The honorees widely responded with a host of wellness and mental health programs, work-from-home equipment stipends, virtual employee assistance programs and much more.

Let's take a look at some of what benefits have come to be because of the pandemic at some of our LinkedIn Top Companies in Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and China.

? Annual leave, time off, and 'break time' benefits ??

COVID-19 drastically impacted employee time off and annual leave policies, and a few of our Top Companies responded in kind.

In Singapore and Malaysia, OCBC Bank gave its employees the flexibility to carry forward additional days of their annual leave to 2021. In addition to carrying over leave, employees could cash out up to five days of annual leave for flex credits, an extension on the initially allowed three days to cash out. Employees could then use those cashed out flex credits to "reimburse co-payment of their personal medical expenses, medical expenses of their family members, insurance premiums, wellness expenses and other personal expenses." Citi Singapore was another bank that allowed employees to carry over more annual leave to the following year.

Parents have been some of the most impacted during the pandemic. Need proof? Here's me last year when lockdowns first kicked in.

In Australia, Origin made it a point to address the needs of parents by introducing "pandemic leave" which includes caring for children if schools or daycare were locked down.

BDO encouraged staff in Canada to take more breaks, but more than that, to get out there and get some sunshine with a 1-hour daily "sunshine break." Oh, and they reduced meeting times from 30 minutes to 25 minutes or to 50 minutes from 60 minutes. Like many companies, Supermarket chain FairPrice Group in Singapore identified Friday as a good day to step back from the grind with rule of "no meetings on Friday afternoons." We all know long or excessive video meetings are no fun and they're starting to take a toll, particularly on women.

Over in Malaysia, Standard Chartered increased employee volunteering days from three to four days to encourage staff to share their time and skills to help communities impacted by COVID-19, while Manila Water in The Philippines implemented professional friend volunteer programs.

? Work-from-home support ??

As many of our Top Companies shifted to a work-from-home model, employees had to quickly adjust. Benefits given to help address the sudden shift ranged from companies like Arcadis in the Netherlands twice giving employees $350 Euros to spend on work-from-home equipment, to PNB in Malaysia providing laptops to all staff to replace their desktop PCs, and Standard Chartered offering reimbursement of self-purchased items for employees working from home. 

In China, Volkswagen delivered fresh vegetables, eggs and necessary health supplies directly to employees’ homes.

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines implemented economic support, offered meals and even accommodation for all associates while they were under enhanced community quarantine.

Then there's Citi Singapore offering an extension of their cross-border remote work program which enables employees to work from another country for up to 30 days.

? Special medical care benefits ??

When it comes to supporting employees medically Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines also fully covered COVID-19 related medical expenses for employees and dependents.

Walmart Canada offered eligible employees to get vaccinated at participating locations "on the clock" or take two hours paid time off at a clinic of their choice.

Citi Singapore offered complimentary insurance coverage and corporate rates for medical teleconsultation services for all employees and their dependents, while OCBC Bank quickly developed a Covid-19 Vaccination Support Program when COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out.

? Transportation perks ??

For employees who had or still have to travel to work despite quarantines, actually figuring out how to safely get there can be a challenge. Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines is currently still providing point-to-point transportation shuttles for employees under general community quarantine in the Philippines.

In China, Volkswagen provides daily transportation and parking reimbursement for employees along with a hotel accommodation and reimbursement policy for employees impacted by quarantine policies.

In Singapore, Citi offered reimbursement of ground transportation expenses for employees required to report to a Citi location to work.

? Compensation extensions ??

While some companies paid employees a one-time COVID-19 bonus, SAP in China took an approach in May with greater long-term potential by providing a participation program where all employees will receive restricted stock units over four years.

Citi Singapore offered a special compensation award for all eligible staff in April of 2020 where they gave over 1,600 employees a one-off special compensation award of SG$1,200 to help ease the burden of the impact of COVID-19.

? New communication platforms and initiatives

A common theme among many Top Companies was the launching of various remote virtual wellbeing and information platforms with corporate-y names but helpful and worthwhile content. For example, in Malaysia, Standard Chartered launched a new digital platform that "offers employees access to tools created by experts in neuroscience, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness and positive psychology."

Prudential plc has offered machine learning training for all employees in an online certification exercise, to help employees better utilize data in their daily tasks.

If accessibility of COVID-19 information is key, then Kraft Heinz in the Netherlands is on top of their game. The company live translates every single COVID-19 related press conference in the Netherlands for all their international employees.

In Canada, Hatch I think takes the cake for coolest guest speaker for bringing in astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield for a livestream on how to remain positive in challenging times and on how to stay connected amid isolation.

Here's probably the single most awesome video ever filmed in space, and it was done by Hadfield.

? Netflix, Christmas trees, and coffee mugs ??

COVID-specific benefits from Top Companies have also leaned towards the entertaining, wholesome, and quirky. As a part of an expansion of benefits coverage, PwC Malaysia included streaming sites like Netflix. At Christmas, MSD (Merck) in the Netherlands sent its employees a Christmas tree while another Netherlands company Arcadis sent all of their employees a coffee mug to attend virtual, mystery coffee events.

?? Want to see where the companies in this edition rank on their respective LinkedIn Top Company lists? Here you go:

• LinkedIn Top Companies Singapore
• LinkedIn Top Companies Malaysia
• LinkedIn Top Companies the Philippines
• LinkedIn Top Companies Canada
• LinkedIn Top Companies the Netherlands (Dutch)
• LinkedIn Top Companies China (Mandarin)
• LinkedIn Top Companies Australia

?? When considering a role at a new company, what are some of benefits you consider either attractive or essential?