How Merlin Promotes a Positive Work-Life Balance

04 / 25 / 2024

MERLIN

01

Here at Merlin, we view a positive work-life balance as a fundamental aspect of our organizational culture. We recognize the well-being of our employees directly impacts their productivity, creativity, and overall satisfaction so we prioritize initiatives that empower our team members to achieve harmony between their professional and personal lives. From flexible working arrangements and remote/hybrid opportunities to flexible benefits subsidies, we are committed to supporting our employees in living fulfilling lives both inside and outside the workplace. Read on to find out directly from our employees about the many ways in which Merlin supports its team members!

Parental leave

Merlin’s parental policy offers employees 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for both the birthing and non birthing parent that can be used however they choose during the first 12 months of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster placement.

There’s nothing more important than being able to develop a relationship with your newborn. I have been fortunate to have an employer, Merlin, that shares these same values. During the time off with two of my sons I was able to form a bond with them early on and support my family and wife through the new chapter of our lives. During the first year there are so many “firsts” and I am grateful I was able to observe these moments first hand.

Wil Koch, Senior Staff Engineer

It was such a nice breath of fresh air to know that Merlin offered the parental leave policy that they do, especially as I was going to be a first time father. The policy even allowed me the flexibility to use it throughout the first year with our newborn instead of entirely up front. This really helped my wife and I balance gaps in daycare and also helped massively when my wife was transitioning to go back to work full-time.

Andy LoPiccolo, Senior Systems Engineer

Merlin’s generous parental leave policy afforded me and my growing family the opportunity to spend those critical first months of my child’s life at home. I will always cherish that extended time we had together and really appreciated the support I felt from the entire Merlin team. As I prepared for my return to work after the conclusion of parental leave, I was also afforded a transition period that allowed us to settle into the routine of daycare and the hybrid work schedule. That period made the transition far less daunting and allowed me to quickly ramp back up!

Ashley Ferguson, Vice President of Business Operations

Flexible time off

Merlin’s flexible vacation policy allows employees to take time as needed, recognizing that employees need time to rest and enjoy themselves outside work.

Merlin’s flexible time off policy has helped me maintain a really great work life balance. I’ve been able to go on hiking and biking adventures all over the country without sweating over saving a specific number of “vacation hours”.

Jackie Scanlon, Engineering Lead, Advanced Capabilities

With flexible vacation here at Merlin, I can dedicate myself fully to the interesting and novel problems I get to work on, and do what needs to be done knowing that I can take a break without having to worry about running out of vacation. This allows me to prioritize my work based on a schedule that suits my preferences.

Angel Macias, Software Engineer

Forma – Flexible Employee Benefits

Merlin’s Forma benefit provides employees with $150 per quarter that can be used on a robust number of lifestyle expenses.

Being the only dog mom to my fur babies, covering their daycare costs out of my own pocket to go to the office can be financially challenging. Thanks to Forma, I can now send my fur babies to daycare while I’m at work and receive reimbursement for the expenses!

Kirsten Kelly, People Operations Lead

I’ve had a great experience with Merlin’s health insurance, I’ve gotten a lot of use out of Forma, and I’ve been able to tailor my vacation/sick days to my needs and schedule using our flexible time off. Having previously worked at a large software company, I’m impressed at how similar the benefits are between Merlin and an industry leader.

Paul Galatic, Full Stack Software Engineer

The Forma benefits have been so helpful in covering my fiancee’s HRT and it brought her to tears when we first found out about it. Whenever I interview at a company, it’s important to me that the company is inclusive and welcoming. I’m thankful to have found that here at Merlin. You can also use the Forma benefit for all kinds of cultural reimbursements which is great!

Harlan Waldrop , Staff Software Engineer