We’ve always cared immensely about the well-being of our employees. The global pandemic has forced us to rethink and adjust many aspects of our home and work lives. These sudden changes have led to many challenges that don’t always have a simple solution and managing these challenges has placed a heavy mental burden on us all. With it comes a need for all of us to show greater understanding, care, and empathy to each other.
These challenges have shown us that empathy for employees is now more important than ever before. We think it’s important to listen carefully to each others’ needs and provide a safe and comfortable environment where we support and take actions to promote those needs. At Monzo, we strive to build a community that is kind, inclusive, and recognizes everyone’s unique needs.
As we continue to build an amazing team and product in the US, we want to share a few ways in which Monzo helps create a more empathetic workplace.
1. Work on your own time 📆
Monzo trusts its employees to get their work done at times that make sense for them and their teams. Monzo has never been a place of rigid work hours. This was true before the pandemic but it’s even more true now that not everyone can, or wants to, work the traditional 9-5. Employees are entrusted to complete their work on a schedule that best suits their life priorities and are not required or expected to be available off-hours.
2. Work remotely 💻
Monzo has supported remote workers since inception and has worked diligently to create an inclusive and productive work environment for everyone. We have been fully remote throughout the pandemic, which has given us the opportunity to refine our remote working practices. For example, we provide a budget to equip your home office and make it a more pleasant and productive workplace. We hold weekly meetings to discuss and collaborate on various projects and also have sessions that encourage more informal chats, in addition to peer 1-to-1s, to build more personal relationships with each other. For employees who seek an office environment, we have an office in downtown San Francisco where employees can meet for cross-team collaboration and social events.
3. Pick your public holidays 🏝️
Monzo US is part of a global enterprise headquartered in the UK and our public holidays don’t always line up across different countries. In the US, we give employees the flexibility to choose the holidays they want to take off by providing additional vacation days instead of fixed national holidays to use as they wish. This gives the opportunity to take whichever holidays are meaningful to each employee, whether they are traditional national holidays, special family days, religious holidays, or anything else. We also recently introduced a pilot program for a 3-month paid sabbatical to those who have worked at Monzo for 4 years, intended to provide space away from work to fully recharge.
4. Protect your mental health 🧠
We believe mental health is as essential as physical health. In addition to providing generous health benefits that include coverage for mental health treatment, we also offer paid sick leave that includes mental health (and does not count against paid vacation leave), the opportunity to take an additional month of unpaid leave each year, and an Employee Assistance Program that offers a 24/7 confidential advice line for health, legal, bereavement support, and much more.
5. Maternity and paternity leave 👶
We want Monzo to be a place where you have the opportunity to grow your family as well as your career. Once you have worked at Monzo for 13 weeks, we offer paid maternity, paternity, adoption, or shared parental leave. For primary caregivers, we offer up to a full year of leave (13 weeks paid at 100%, 13 weeks at 50%, and 26 weeks unpaid but with benefits). For secondary caregivers, we offer 6 weeks of care leave paid at 100%. And to provide added peace of mind to you and your family, Monzo offers paid life and disability insurance with the option to purchase additional coverage at very competitive rates.
6. Intentionally thoughtful language and culture 💬
When Monzo first launched, we wanted to create a company culture that was intentionally inclusive and caring for everyone. You can see it in our language and tone of voice, which we use with customers, employees, and even investors. It is a cornerstone of the Monzo brand and something we are equally passionate about bringing to our US company culture. We were also one of the first consumer finance companies to offer preferred names on cards for our customers. Both of these examples are just a piece of a broader, thoughtful ethos that we strive to include in every area of life and work at Monzo.
The global pandemic reminds us of the importance of being kind, patient, and empathetic with one another. At Monzo, we have been focusing on ways we can translate that into a better and more empathetic experience for all of us who work here. If you want to be part of our mission, check out our careers page for opportunities and more information about our benefits.