Remote-first perks: how BetterHelp uses Uber for Business

From the White House to the World Health Organization, there is widespread recognition of the pandemic’s negative effects on mental health. Companies like BetterHelp are working to change that. As an online counseling platform, BetterHelp aims to make mental health services more accessible and affordable by connecting people with licensed online therapists. Given the company’s mission, it’s no surprise that the well-being of its own employees is a priority.

Even before the pandemic, BetterHelp went above and beyond to provide unique benefits to its teams, from dry cleaning services to catered lunch at its Mountain View, California, headquarters. “Our founder’s philosophy is to make our lives as efficient as possible and provide perks that map to that objective,” says Sahar Naim, BetterHelp’s Director of Operations and People Experience. 

In addition to perks, overall flexibility is a tenet of the work culture at BetterHelp. Although the company maintains its corporate office, it now has a remote-first model. Around 70% of the team is located in the Bay Area, but BetterHelp has increased its hiring outside the region and given everyone the freedom to work from anywhere. 

For this reason, it was important to find scalable and widely available perks that were equal (or better) replacements to those that in-office employees had become accustomed to before the pandemic. Food delivery was an obvious choice, so BetterHelp created a meal program with Uber for Business. Employees receive a monthly stipend they can use to order meals through Uber Eats. 

One of the main reasons BetterHelp chose Uber for Business is that getting up and running on the platform is seamless and straightforward, so employees can start redeeming their stipends quickly and easily. The team also appreciates the streamlined billing options. “Nobody really wants to deal with expensing,” says Suzanna Hodder, BetterHelp’s Workplace Manager. “Being able to add one corporate card was a huge relief, not only for the employees but also for people approving expenses.” Naim adds, “The platform is well set up for us to be able to keep an eye on spend per employee.”

The nimbleness and customization options of the Uber for Business platform are also beneficial to the BetterHelp team. Within their centralized dashboard, they can create programs that fit the needs of different employee groups, like part-time versus full-time, who receive varying stipend amounts. Amending programs is also simple, allowing administrators to add or remove employees themselves. 

From busy caregivers who want to take care of dinner to late-night workers who schedule their deliveries in advance, the anecdotes about how employees consistently use Uber Eats tout the success of BetterHelp’s meal program. Some employees like to stretch their dollars by sticking to the pickup option (rather than delivery), while others put their money toward a few large family orders each month. They’ve made it their own, fitting the perk into their lives both inside and outside of work. 

As BetterHelp grows and Uber for Business expands its product capabilities, there is potential to bring the popular remote meal benefit into the office as well. The team is excited about leveraging large group orders in the future. In general, they love being able to support the Uber for Business team with product feedback and platform suggestions, which ultimately helps both sides. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, says Naim. She adds, “[The] ultimate objective is to have something that is headache-free for our employees, makes them more productive, and makes their lives better.”

Uber for Business remains a proud supporter of companies as they continue to navigate remote, in-office, and hybrid work. Learn more here about how the platform can help your organization’s needs.