In a recent survey conducted by job site Indeed, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has emerged as the top-ranking company for employee well-being, beating out industry giants like IBM Corp., Nike Inc., and Apple Inc.
The survey, which analyzed millions of anonymous employee reviews, awarded Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores an impressive score of 83 out of 100. Only companies with 1,000 or more employees were considered for the survey, and the top 20 companies spanned various industries, from airlines to consultancies to fast food chains.
Family-owned and in operation for almost six decades, Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores goes beyond just being a truck stop chain. With a truck fleet, hotels, and a logistics firm, Love’s employs over 40,500 individuals, including 1,500 individuals, at its Oklahoma City headquarters.
Employer rankings have been updated to reflect a growing emphasis on employee well-being, which has become a top priority during and after the pandemic. With the rise of burnout and mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, employers are now more concerned about their employees’ mental health. According to the American Psychological Association, over 70% of individuals have noticed their employer’s increased focus on mental health.
Not all efforts to improve well-being are equally effective, however. In a survey by Alight, less than half of the 2,000 U.S. workers believed their employer genuinely cares about their well-being.
Measuring employee happiness can be a difficult task, according to Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, who assisted with Indeed’s research. The four key indicators of well-being, happiness, stress, satisfaction, and purpose, were given equal importance. Employees rated each indicator on a five-point scale, with scores ranging from 40 to 100. A minimum of 200 unique ratings were required to be considered for the U.S. list. Indeed also compiled rankings for employers in Canada and the U.K.
Love’s ranked first on the list, thanks to factors such as flexible work schedules and a friendly environment, says Gabrielle Davis, a career trends specialist at Indeed. “Surprisingly, the data shows that Love’s prioritizes the well-being of its employees,” she added. Last year, the company introduced a program to train 300 employees in heavy-duty truck systems, and they plan to expand the academy this year. Love’s has approximately 644 rest stops spread across 42 states.
“We didn’t go into a board room and invent our values, they came from how my dad behaved and the example he showed,” said chief culture officer Jenny Love Meyer, whose father Tom, now deceased, founded the company in Watonga, Okla., in 1964. “Respecting others and what others say is what people remember him for.”
Retail and food service businesses have been struggling to hire and retain staff, but Love’s is taking proactive steps to overcome this. Data from the recruitment firm Korn Ferry shows that turnover for parttime retail employees has skyrocketed to 95% since the pandemic, compared to the pre-pandemic rate of 75%.
In addition to dealing with unpredictable hours and low pay, retail workers face the challenges of increased shoplifting and unruly customers.
It’s not just Love’s recognizing the importance of employee well-being. A recent Gallup poll revealed that four out of 10 U.S. workers said their job negatively impacted their mental health. In light of this, more than eight in 10 people believe that employers’ support for mental health will heavily influence their job search in the future, according to the APA.
Source: Transport Topics
