Humans of Meraki — How Benefits Offered at Meraki Helped One Employee Care for Her Son
When seeking a job in the tech world, there are many companies that offer a range of benefits and perks to employees. But we like to think that Cisco Meraki is unique in the expansive benefits we provide that holistically support employees, their families, and beyond. But don’t just take our word for it — hear it from Merakians who are actually living it. For this series of Humans of Meraki, we interviewed Jessica Gutierrez, Project Manager for Talent Acquisition Operations, who shares how the benefits offered at Meraki have supported her in more ways than one.
What attracted you to Meraki?
When I began my interview process with Meraki, I was immediately impressed by the leadership. Specifically, the people who interviewed me were women, which highlighted the fact that there is strong female leadership at Meraki. Seeing women in high-level positions was inspiring and sent the message that there would be opportunities for me to grow at Meraki.
How would you describe the working culture at Meraki?
The working culture at Meraki is laid back and relaxed. While it’s important to get your work done in a timely manner, leaders are flexible and would prefer to change the due date of a project rather than create stress for employees. As a Merakian, I’ve needed to unlearn some of the self-imposed stressors that I picked up working at previous companies. Meraki has a very different culture than most other organizations.
Meraki offers many different benefits and perks meant to support employees at work and beyond. Can you share some of the benefits that have been most meaningful to you?
There are a ton of benefits at Meraki. Some of the benefits that have been most supportive for me are Critical Time Off and Volunteer Time Off (VTO). Critical Time Off is different from regular Paid Time Off (PTO), and applies to unexpected or unavoidable life situations like natural disasters or medical emergencies. Two years ago, after recently joining Meraki, my son was admitted to the hospital just before the family vacation we had been planning. Since my son was sick, I canceled the vacation and intended to use my PTO to care for him, until I realized that I could use Critical Time Off instead. This enabled me to be with my son and save my PTO for another occasion.
Meraki also offers 80 hours a year of VTO, where employees can volunteer at any organization of their choosing and get paid for their time. It’s an awesome benefit that has afforded me the time to volunteer at my son’s school and consequently spend more time with him. I also volunteer with Feed My Starving Children, Loaves and Fishes, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank. My goal is to use all 80 volunteer hours by the end of this calendar year.
How have these benefits helped reduce feelings of burnout?
The benefits that Meraki provides are people-first and support work-life balance, which inherently reduces burnout. Having the flexibility to both care for my son and go on a vacation was enormously helpful for me personally and professionally. Similarly, through VTO, I can give back without sacrificing pay or feeling guilty about taking time off. The philosophy at Meraki is that volunteering is still work, but just a different kind.
What would you tell candidates about the benefits who are considering a role at Meraki?
The benefits that Meraki offers employees are second to none. You’d be hard-pressed to find benefits as expansive and supportive at any other company. When I volunteer at my son’s school, people ask me how I can take this much time off from work, and when I tell them that my employer endorses it, they are amazed. I feel like Meraki puts their money where their mouth is. They’re not just talking the talk, they’re walking the walk.
Interested in career opportunities with Cisco Meraki? Check out our careers site!
