Employees at M. Holland Co. — called Mployees — participate in fika time, a Swedish practice that brings together small groups to take a break for 45 minutes to discuss nonwork topics and improve cross-department connections. (Fika roughly translates to 'coffee and cake break.')
Fika is as ingrained into daily routines in Sweden as brushing teeth and answering emails, according to Swedish home furnishings retailer Ikea. Some Swedish companies make fika time a mandatory part of the day, which means more productive employees.
M. Holland is a Northbrook, Ill.-based resin distributor with a culture based on trust and transparency. It was founded on the core values of integrity, honesty, loyalty, trust, work ethic, character, passion and respect.
"Beyond compensation and benefits, Mployees are given ample opportunity for input into the company's strategy, access to resources to help them advance professionally and support for personal growth," the company said in its Best Places to Work submission. "This family business truly treats its Mployees as part of the family, allowing each individual to bring their whole selves to work — even if the workplace is virtual."
The family-focused atmosphere translates to benefits for its employees: M. Holland offers 100 percent paid maternity leave of eight weeks, paternity leave of two weeks and grandparental leave of one week. Mployees and two dependents have access to 24/7 behavioral health coaching and free therapy appointments.
Diversity is emphasized, too, with diversity and inclusion council development programs including all-company unconscious bias training, a book club event during Black History Month and a women's employee resource group.
"At M. Holland, we're united by our uniqueness," according to the company's website. "For us, inclusivity is critical to making the world a better, more humane place. People are freer to innovate when they're free to be themselves. And with a supportive and empathetic culture at our backs, there's nothing we can't do together."
