Epsilon, MiQ and Pinterest are among this year’s WorkLife Awards finalists
Companies are prioritizing people-first cultures that support employees as whole humans, not just workers. In this landscape, flexible, modern work models are becoming foundational — giving employees autonomy while maintaining strong connections and collaboration. As reflected by this year’s WorkLife finalists, workplaces are investing in community-building programs that foster stronger connections, whether employees are new, remote or navigating major life stages.
For instance, in the Best Onboarding Process category, finalist Epsilon is recognized for an onboarding program that reinforces the company’s core values while helping nearly 9,000 associates across global teams feel connected from day one. Built for a workforce shaped by growth through acquisition, the program addresses the complexity of Epsilon’s business with a structured three-day experience that blends IT and HR essentials with clear insights into the company’s platforms, clients and mission. Rather than treating onboarding as a one-time event, Epsilon positioned it as a launchpad, ensuring new hires quickly understand how their roles contribute to broader business outcomes and client value.
MiQ is nominated in the Best Employer for Parents category for its inclusive approach to parental support, designed to eliminate inequity between birthing and non-birthing parents. MiQ introduced a unified parental leave framework that treats all caregivers equally, regardless of how a family is formed. The policy provides six months of fully paid leave, protects bonus eligibility and commissions and encourages employees to take meaningful time off to focus on family and recovery, reinforcing that care and ambition can coexist. MiQ extended that commitment beyond policy with programs, such as the Parent Pals program, that support parents before, during and after leave.
In the Best Employer for Remote Employees category, finalist Pinterest is nominated for its PinFlex work model. Introduced in 2022, the model allows the work itself to determine how and where collaboration happens, recognizing that some roles benefit from in-person connection while others thrive remotely. Employees in eligible roles can choose to work from home, a Pinterest office or another virtual location within their region, an approach that has expanded access to talent and supported a more distributed workforce. Since launching PinFlex, Pinterest’s global headcount has grown by 31%, and flexibility remains the highest-rated area on its internal employee survey, underscoring the model’s impact on engagement and retention.
See the complete list of finalists below, and stay tuned for the reveal of this year’s winners.
Best Employer for Parents
Pathlabs
MiQ Puts Inclusion into Action for Working Parents
Best Employer for Remote Employees
LPK
Coterie: “coh-tur-ee”
Pinterest – PinFlex work model
Cambium Learning Group
Bald
OLIPOP
Best Experiential Program for Employees – NEW
Seismic Activity: Celebrating Success and Igniting Growth
Chomps Champions Learning Through Meat University
Justworks Leaders Fellowship Program
Camp Collectively
Best Global Team Integration – NEW
Taboola
Equativ
Best Hybrid Work Environment
MOO
Placements.io – Where Balance Meets Impact
Sabio – Connection, Not Location
Equativ
Whalar Group People Team
Good, Better, Betty: Building a winning hybrid culture
Best Mentorship Program
Critical Mass
IPG Health
Best Onboarding Process
Epsilon: Creating Connection from the Start
Best Rewards & Recognition Program
EvolveMKD: Evolving Our People-First Culture
Critical Mass
Best Use of AI in the Workplace
Allen & Gerritsen’s ‘Ask A&G’
Asana
IPG Health
LivePerson Unlocks Talent Using Betterworks AI
Rokt – Using AI to Transform the Workplace
MiQ Sigma & MiQ Home: Smarter Trading & Stronger Teams
Best Use of Gamification in the Workplace
Valvoline’s Award-Winning Oilympics
Best Wellness Program
Wellbeing at EY US
My Code
Open Influence
EvolveMKD: Evolving Our People-First Culture
Best Workplace for Young Professionals
Big Happy
L’Oréal Groupe
EvolveMKD
Pathlabs
Seedtag
Critical Mass
Best Workplace Technology Provider – Administrative Solutions – NEW
Deel AI Workforce: The Future of AI-Human Collaboration
Envoy – The Tech That Powers Modern Workplaces
SAVVI Financial – Turning Benefits Into Financial Confidence
Upwork: AI Innovation that Amplifies Human Brilliance
Wisq – Harper, the World’s First AI HR Generalist
BambooHR – AI Innovations
Best Workplace Technology Provider – Collaboration & Culture – NEW
CoachHub – Launch of AIMY™ and Scalable Workforce Coaching
Owl Labs
Skillsoft’s Percipio Platform – Building a Skillforce™
Zoom Communications, Inc. – Zoom Workplace with AI Companion
ezCater
Best Workspace
Sabio – Offices Built for Collaboration That Spark Ideas
Employer of the Year
BetMGM
EvolveMKD: Evolving Our People-First Culture
Aircover
BRAINS
Tinuiti’s North Star: Growth, Value, and 200+ Promotions
January Digital
Macmillan Publishers Leads as an Employee Champion
HR Team of the Year
Critical Mass
Whalar Group People Team
Cambium Learning Group PX Department
Most Collaborative Culture
fullthrottle.ai® – Redefining Collaborative Culture
Inside Keynes Digital’s Collaborative Culture
LPK – Wins for a Culture Built on Collaboration
Two Tango Most Collaborative Culture: Humans Before Brands
Open Influence
Hairstory – Simply. Better. Haircare
Most Committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Agency Guacamole
Critical Mass
Most Committed to Employee Appreciation
Do > Celebrate > Repeat: Inside Lewis
Most Committed to Social Good
PagerDuty Committed to Social Good
SYBO: Cultivating a Culture of Purpose-Driven Gaming
Most Committed to Sustainability
Seed: Where Sustainability Shapes How We Work
Most Committed to Work/Life Balance
Placements.io – Where Balance Meets Impact
National Projects Office – Where Work and Well-Being Thrive
McKinney: Fueling Creativity with Smarts & Hearts
Basis Technologies
Most Dedicated to Employee Growth
Tinuiti’s North Star: Growth, Value, and 200+ Promotions
Critical Mass
IPG Health: Most Dedicated to Employee Growth
MiQ Builds Careers Through Continuous Learning
Most Innovative Culture
Bounteous – Fostering A Culture of Innovation through AI
Instrument: The Workplace of the Future
Typeface – Big Brand Concept to Campaign, Fully Personalized
Emapta
Terakeet: Propelling Performance With a Culture of Curiosity
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Recognized as a Top Workplace
Most Passionate Employees
Halo Collar Aims to Keep Dogs Safe and Healthier
Digiday Names AI Squared: Most Passionate Employees
Sabio – Where Passion Meets Innovation
Open Influence: Most Passionate Employees
YuzuYello, an IPG Health Company
People/HR Leader of the Year
Khadija Ben Hammada, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt
Nicole Brown, Mediaocean
Melissa Yates May, Cambium Learning Group
Katie, Western Digital
Tracey Weber, Critical Mass
Kaleen Love, PMI U.S.
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