Falling between end of summer barbecues and first days of school, Labor Day honors working people for the contributions we all make every day. This holiday represents something that JUST Capital consistently hears from people across America – that companies should recognize their workers’ contributions and treat them fairly. Pay people a living wage. Provide benefits. Create career ladders and training programs. Support work-life balance. Recognize the contributions that people make toward the success of their companies.
For four years, JUST Capital has been polling the American public on what it means to be a just company, and we consistently hear that workers should be the top priority for corporate leaders. In this time of economic uncertainty – with imbalances in our economy, and low unemployment but flat wages – we’ve put together a list of the top ten companies that are delivering on those priorities, based on our rankings of the largest publicly-traded corporations in the U.S. These corporations, all part of the JUST 100, lead the way in worker pay and treatment, according to our research. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of those that make the list are tech companies – known for their excellent benefits, competitive salaries, and unique perks. A couple more traditional industries break into the top ten, however – demonstrating that companies in any industry can and should provide excellent support to their workforce. And increasingly we’re seeing research that shows that this makes business sense – that companies will see a return on that investment. Zeynep Ton at MIT Sloan has done extensive research on the case and strategy for good jobs and our own analysis has shown that treating workers well can help improve the bottom line.
This Labor Day, we’re celebrating the people who keep companies running, as well the companies that recognize those people as their most valuable asset. Check out the full list here:
- NVIDIA
The top ranking company for workers, NVIDIA provides a host of benefits to its employees, no matter where they are in their lives and careers. Well over 90 percent of workers make a living wage, and pay equity is routinely prioritized through semi-annual pay analyses. NVIDIA also provides exceptional training and professional development to employees, through online courses, tuition reimbursement, as well as its own Deep Learning Institute for courses on artificial intelligence.
- Microsoft
The top Software company on the list, Microsoft announced this week a groundbreaking new requirement of their suppliers – that they will only work with service providers that offer 12 weeks of paid family leave to employees, showing that responsibility to workers doesn’t just end with direct employment. Microsoft also boasts a rich community of employee resource groups to help foster diversity and inclusion, and in 2016, Microsoft achieved equal pay for women as well as people of color.
In an effort to support its large team of contractors and vendors, Facebook implemented new standards on benefits for these workers in 2015 – including a $15 minimum wage, as well as paid time off, sick days, and support to new parents. For full-time employees, Facebook provides a holistic wellness program that includes on-site health and dental care.
- salesforce.com
Salesforce offers world-renowned benefits, with many employees qualifying for flexible (read: unlimited) time off, sabbatical leave, 6 percent matching for 401(k)s, and student debt financing. The Software company pays 90 percent of workers a living wage, and in 2017 announced that it had eliminated statistically significant differences in pay in its workforce.
- Adobe
At Adobe, new parents receive outstanding benefits, offering up to six months of fully paid leave to employees in the U.S. and India (80 percent of its workforce) and expanding globally. In addition to back-up childcare, adoption assistance, and test prep for children, Adobe also provides breast milk delivery services to help mothers overnight breast milk back home.
- VMware
The fourth Software company on the list, VMware is committed to gender equality, inclusivity, and diversity – as shown by their workforce metrics (see page 53), unconscious bias education, and executive sponsorship programs. Like many of the others on this list, VMware pays 90 percent of its employees a living wage.
- Eastman Chemical
The only Chemicals company on the list, Eastman Chemical pays employees fairly relative to peers, and is rated highly for benefits, work-life balance, and senior management by current and former employees. Eastman’s Code of Conduct includes strong freedom of association and right to collective bargaining policies.
- Alphabet
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is well known for its employee perks – like nap pods and a gym in its Mountain View campus. And these perks are supported by its high ratings for compensation, benefits (including health insurance), and career opportunities by current and former employees. Its 401(k) plan is especially highly rated, and includes a company match of up to 50 percent of the maximum contribution.
- Procter & Gamble
P&G is the only Personal Products company that makes the top ten for workers. The company provides generous retirement and work/life balance benefits to workers, including an automatic 5 percent 401(k) contribution from the company when employees are hired, as well as flexible work hours, remote working options, and generous paid leave.
- Intel
The top performer in our 2017 rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies, Intel provides strong in-house training opportunities to employees, with nearly 130,000 taking advantage of its skills and development courses in 2016. The company’s Intel Involved employee volunteer program offers workers the opportunity to give back to communities – from STEM education to empowering women in engineering.
These corporations, along with many others on JUST Capital’s list of America’s Most JUST Companies, have established strong workplace policies, initiatives, and standards that support their workers and align with the values of the American public. To dig more deeply into specific worker issues – such as living wage, anti-discrimination, or work-life balance – or other issues – like supply chain, customer treatment, or environmental impact – you can explore by each component and metric JUST Capital uses to score companies in its rankings.
We’ll continue to track companies on the issues that matter most to Americans – and will update our list this December based on our latest polling results and corporate performance. Stay tuned to see how companies measure up in 2018.
