Social
We support employees’ physical, mental and emotional health within an inclusive and safe workplace. Our wellbeing and benefit programs help employees achieve their goals, care for themselves and their families, and engage with coworkers.
Fostering Wellbeing
Equinix pursues wellbeing practices that prioritize inclusivity and help all employees thrive. We regularly engage key stakeholders to ensure our efforts resonate with the diverse needs and preferences of our global workforce.
In 2023, we took a data-driven approach to revitalizing our Global Wellbeing strategy. Our efforts included:
- Conducting active listening sessions involving employees from diverse regions and job functions
- Performing a quantitative analysis using Employee Assistance Program (EAP) data and pulse survey feedback, specifically focusing on the ranking provided by employees to the survey question, “I feel supported by my manager in prioritizing my wellbeing”
- Hosting three virtual workshops with regional teams to explore the factors influencing employee wellbeing in their area, including identifying challenges, needs and preferences
- Requesting feedback from 70 operations leaders on short- and long-term improvement opportunities
Exploring Flexibility
Prioritizing flexibility for varied work norms
Prioritizing Rest
Balancing cultural values with rest and recovery
Tailoring Wellbeing Offerings
Adapting offerings for diverse needs, especially in an operational environment
Addressing Economic Changes
Identifying internal changes and economic factors causing uncertainty and frustration
Providing Managerial Role Modeling
Encouraging managers to model wellbeing for sustained performance
Fostering Connection and Social Cohesion
Aligning initiatives with togetherness, learning and shared purpose in the digital revolution
In response to our listening sessions, we incorporated the following items into our updated strategy:
- Wider access to wellbeing programs and resources
- Leadership role modeling and enablement
- Anchor in our Future of Work initiative
Working With Cancer Initiative
In 2023, we signed a pledge with the Working With Cancer initiative. This pledge aims to abolish the stigma and insecurity that exists for people with cancer in the workplace. At Equinix, we stand together to provide a more open, supportive and recovery-forward culture at work for all employees with cancer.
Access to Wellbeing Programs and Resources
Our wellbeing programs and resources encourage and support positive mental and physical health; include tools to prevent burnout; and promote a thriving, balanced lifestyle.
Key to our wellbeing efforts is our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which provides access to confidential guidance on a range of topics, including family issues, legal matters and finances. Employees also benefit from an extensive library of resources with helpful tips and guidelines on these topics. In 2023, we focused on boosting EAP awareness, increasing EAP utilization and activating our EAP ambassador program. Overall, we saw an annual utilization rate of 19% for 2023. Seventy-five employees trained as ambassadors to help colleagues utilize EAP resources moving forward. Additionally, we identified anxiety as the number one concern among those who used the EAP in 2023, and we are exploring additional programming to address this.
During our annual Mental Health Awareness Month, we provide resources and activities aimed at supporting employee mental wellbeing. Recognizing the impact that finances can have on mental health, our offerings included the webinar “Psychology Behind Saving Money and Other Good Financial Habits.”
Our U.S. employees can access Virgin Pulse, an app that incentivizes healthy habits, like daily exercise and diet, and rewards employees with points they can convert into monetary rewards. We regularly assess its impact through our quarterly pulse survey, which includes measurement of our employees’ ability to prioritize their wellbeing. Of our over 4,000 eligible full-time U.S. employees, 60% used the program in 2023.
Leadership Role Modeling and Enablement
To promote a culture of wellbeing, we empower leadership with the tools and guidance needed to prioritize and enhance the wellbeing of their teams, including:
- Defining specific wellbeing behaviors and work norms
- Encouraging leaders to share their experiences through storytelling
- Integrating wellbeing into our overarching leadership framework and across all programs and platforms
In 2023, we integrated wellbeing into six leadership programs. Participant assessment scores for these programs were significantly higher than in 2022. Learn more about these programs in Attracting and Developing our Talent.
Anchor in the Future of Work
Recognizing the importance of a healthy and happy workforce for the future of Equinix we integrated wellbeing experiences into our Future of Work initiative, which seeks to unleash potential within Equinix and allow employees to do the best work of their careers.
As part of this initiative, we launched a Global Recharge Campaign to address the importance of taking time away from work to rest. The campaign featured a video with leadership recognizing and candidly addressing the challenge of finding time to recharge while emphasizing its crucial importance to overall health and wellbeing. This effort included a two-day company-wide shutdown to recharge.
In 2023, we introduced serenity rooms—quiet, comfortable spaces designed for employees to decompress and recharge—at 12 operational sites. Initially piloted in Dublin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan and Madrid, this program is set for global expansion in 2024.
Inclusive Work Environment
Equinix is dedicated to providing office workspaces that not only meet, but also celebrate the needs of our diverse employee base. Equinix corporate offices are designed for everyone and our global design guidelines include accessibility considerations in restrooms and passageways to meet or exceed local regulations, private mothers’ room with locking door in all offices, wellness and serenity rooms where locally feasible, and more. We know that many individuals benefit from further considerations that are in addition to the above standard and local provisions, so we encourage our employees to request personal accommodations in partnership with our HR teams as our teams are committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment for all employees.
Engage and Activate Our Global Strategy
To integrate inclusion and wellbeing across our business, we localized global initiatives through strategic partnerships, collaborating with 82 WRE wellbeing leaders, 19 new Operation Inclusion and Wellbeing Champions, 17 Virgin Pulse Champions and 75 new EAP Ambassadors. These partnerships helped increase awareness of resources available to employees and participation in wellbeing-based activities.
Equitable Pay and Benefits
We address employees’ professional and personal needs through equitable, market-competitive pay and comprehensive benefits—including medical plans, employee assistance programs, life insurance, tuition reimbursement and more.
Remaining Dedicated to Inclusion
In 2023, we conducted an annual global benefits review that benchmarked all core employee benefits across regions, including life insurance, risk plans and health plans. Based on the assessment findings, we allocated resources to certain regions, aiming for consistency and fairness for employees among and across our global offices.
We also implemented a feedback loop with our Equinix Employee Connection Networks (EECNs), collecting input on employee priorities to better understand their needs and preferences. By incorporating both the business perspective and employees’ voices, we strive to ensure that our benefits align with and prioritize the most critical components identified by our diverse workforce.
Redefining Our Benefits
This year, the ConnectAbilities EECN conducted a crucial quality assurance (QA) assessment of current disability accommodations. We examined the existing services and performed extensive outreach to communicate and clarify available types of support. This initiative aims to educate ConnectAbilities employees and the broader workforce about adjustments and accommodations available to those within our employee population who identify as having a disability. Looking ahead, we are working to broaden access to additional benefits, including for neurodivergent individuals.
Because Equinix recognizes the importance of supporting employees who become parents, we provide a paid time off benefit for parental leave. This benefit extends to all new parents, allowing them to bond with their newborns, newly adopted children or foster care children.
In 2023, we implemented a global minimum standard of eight weeks for parental leave, emphasizing our commitment to fostering a supportive and family-friendly work environment.
Commitment to Equitable Pay
We believe in equitable pay and opportunity at every level of the organization. Equinix remains committed to ensuring we have consistent practices in place to recognize, reward and promote all employees, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation or other protected classes. Equinix operates a rigorous governance framework to manage pay and other compensation elements, ensuring equitable decision-making free of discrimination or bias. All roles are mapped and graded to one consistent global organizational framework. Each grade has a specific pay range created by benchmarking against the external market in the country in which the role is located. This global framework is also used to determine target levels for annual bonuses and long-term incentives. We strive to annually update our market data globally, where information is available.
A key component to fostering equitable pay practices is pay transparency. We demonstrate our commitment to pay transparency by complying with relevant laws, aligning with emerging regulations and engaging in proactive dialogues.
