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A trio of Houston-area companies is among the list tabbed by People magazine for its fifth annual list of 100 Companies That Care.
Ranked No. 7, Houston-based Camden Property Trust, a major owner and operator of apartments, topped the list of local companies, followed by Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and Weekly Homes, both of Houston, at No. 10 and 29, respectively.
In tabbing Camden, People researchers, in partnership with California-based management consulting firm Great Place to Work, noted the company provided over $800,000 in emergency pay in 2020 for employees who were unable to work due to illness, child care or quarantine brought on by the COVID crisis. Camden also created a $5 million relief fund for locals and a $1 million program to aid employees whose spouses lost income as a result of social distancing mandates and mandatory shutdowns sparked by the virus.
At Hewlett Packard, home of the region’s largest technology company, authorities attracted attention based on their "Work That Fits Your Life" initiative.
"This progressive program centers on life outside of work, so our people can focus on what matters most to them at different times in their lives — whether they’re growing their family, reentering the workforce, or nearing retirement," HPE executive president and chief people officer Alan May wrote in 2019.
The program also includes such perks as Wellness Fridays, enhanced family leave, parental transition support and retirement transition support. According to People, HPE employees also receive 60 hours of paid volunteer time off every year and $25 credits from the HPE Foundation to donate to tech nonprofits.
With a focus on what’s transpired in the last year, David Weekley Homes also easily made the cut, largely based on its participation in the Leading Builders of America's 2020, which helped provide personal protective equipment across the U.S. The company also joined with others in organizing to collect and donate over 3,400 masks, 2,100 eye protection items, 12 surgical gowns and 1,400 pairs of latex gloves to health care workers, along with donating over $700,000 to organizations overseas.
In determining the latest rankings, researchers received survey responses from over 5 million employees, with questions asking about how their workplace impacted their lives and communities. In increasing this year’s list from 50 to 100 companies, researchers also assessed a company's generosity of benefits and philanthropic and community support, recognizing efforts such as COVID-19 relief, commitment to social justice and employee benefits.