Traci Schweikert is the Chief Talent Officer here at POLITICO. Below, she shares updates on our new workplace and employee benefits.

POLITICO, like most employers, is working to define our new workplace. We are finalizing plans to give employees options for partial or complete remote work via our flavor of a new hybrid work model. We are investing in new technology and training to ensure all POLITICOs have the resources they need to support their work. We are reviewing work processes and internal communications to ensure information parity as we transition from complete work-from-home (WFH) status. Our guiding principle: Create more flexibility within POLITICO’s new workplace while increasing diversity and protecting equity.

One place of particular focus for POLITICO is our benefits programs. Employers offer benefits as a way to enhance the employee experience. In addition to salary and training, benefits are a significant investment in employees and their families – all places where employees must continue to see value. It is no surprise that the employee experience is changing, so it makes sense that our benefit programs may need to change as well.

Last week, I was proud to announce that POLITICO increased our paid parental leave to 24 weeks for all POLITICO parents regardless of gender, length of service or location. The benefit is equally available for births, adoptions, foster placements or any type of family expansion. Employees may use the benefit for up to one year and may take the time continuously or in two separate instances to fit their particular family need.

Earlier in July, POLITICO also revamped our commuter benefits which were traditionally a monthly benefit for those parking in our Rosslyn, VA headquarters or riding commuter rail in the DMV and NY. In addition to increasing the benefit, we expanded reimbursement to all employee locations, all variations of commuting frequency and all forms of commuting – parking, metro, rideshare, bikeshare, etc.

Both our parental leave and commuter benefit are examples of the application of our guiding principle. We looked beyond how each benefit had historically been offered, then opened our thinking to more inclusive ways for more POLITICOs to utilize the benefit based on their personal situation.

Later this month, POLITICO will survey all employees to ask in more detail about evolving benefit needs and preferences, then follow-up on that survey with employee focus groups. Through this process, we will ask POLITICOs what other types of leave might be helpful in finding a new work-life rhythm. With more POLTICOs working remotely part and full time, we want to brainstorm ways to build upon our wellness initiatives as we continue to encourage healthy lifestyles. We also want to identify new options for employee benefits and ask POLITICOs to prioritize those options so we can create the best support systems to enhance the employee experience.

Review of our benefit programs, like all other aspects of our new workplace planning will be on-going. POLITICO’s Talent and Culture team will continue to use our existing new hire and exit surveys along with our annual engagement survey to gain feedback on the changes we make and tee up creative changes as our employees’ needs evolve.

It is an exciting time to be leading Talent and Culture at POLITICO! I am looking forward to sharing our progress and new ideas as we rethink our workplace.

Want to hear more from Traci? Follow her on Twitter. Have a question or want to connect with the POLITICO Careers team? Email us at [email protected].