Delivering Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSA) to meet global demand
Mapbox is a U.S.-based technology company with ten global locations. Struggling to find an equitable and inclusive reimbursement solution for its global population, Mapbox went from multiple disparate solutions to a single, unified platform.
Our previous LSA would only incent physical health. There wasn’t anything around financial wellness or emotional health.
Interview with Stephanie Moore, Global Benefits Manager, Mapbox
“Our [reimbursement] solutions were all decentralized. Some were going through finance, and others, like cell phone reimbursements, were done through business expenses, and we had no idea what we were paying. There were different payrolls that were never viewed together. And then our Lifestyle Spending Account existed in seven different iterations around the world, or those locations had nothing at all.
We decided to pull all the good things about what we were doing together and make them more holistic. Our previous LSA would only incent physical health. There wasn’t anything around financial wellness or emotional health. There was no centralized Total Well-Being program.
For example, we had already bought into LSAs as the right thing to do versus just paying for gym memberships. We had already done that, so this was more of figuring out who can do it for us in such a way that we’re going to be comfortable with how it all plays out.”
Read How to Fund a Lifestyle Spending Account and Save Your Budget
That’s when Mapbox started working with Newfront consultants and ultimately found Espresa.
“We were struggling with our global voice because everybody was doing their own thing. The US had an outsourced [reimbursement] program. Canada didn’t have anything. Helsinki had its own unique way of doing things. We were trying to recreate whatever we were doing in the US in these little pockets around the world. So, we said, “We need to find something unique or somebody who can do all of this.”
We talked to a couple of players, but Newfront brought us Espresa, and we were just impressed with the flexibility from the beginning. We thought, “They may have a system, but we need it to be rigorous. We need flexibility within this program to do things a little differently because, for example, it’s Belarus, and how do we pay people in countries like that?”
From the very beginning, Espresa didn’t say no. Instead, it was like, “Yes, we can do that, we can do it that way. You want us to send this report to your outside payroll vendors and integrate them? Sure, we can do that.”
Delivering an HR tech solution with the power of yes
“From the very beginning, Espresa didn’t say no. Instead, it was like, “Yes, we can do that, we can do it that way. You want us to send this report to your outside payroll vendors and integrate them? Sure, we can do that.” Before, it was like, “Well, we could do that, but it’ll cost more, or it’ll cause delays.”
It’s just been so nice to hear. “Yes, and we can or can figure out how to do that.”
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Mapbox delivers LSAs and reimbursements to its global population
Moving well beyond the standard LSA, Mapbox went from a gym membership-based reimbursement to adding robust, strategic solutions with Espresa’s LSA Plus: Total Well-Being and family-friendly offerings, including body therapy, personal growth, dependent support, financial fitness, mindfulness, nutrition, fitness equipment, student debt relief, and WFH support.
“We provide therapy sessions for all things, plus financial, legal, and dependent care assistance for finding dependent care. That’s a benefit we also rolled out in tandem globally.
We also do fertility, adoption, long-term family planning, egg preservation, plus menopause and low-T [low-testosterone]. I’m also looking at adoption benefits.”
Download the 2023 Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSA) Global Trends Report
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“Our LSAs, where I’m hearing it the most, is candidates or when employees explain; we can use a fund for whatever, and it’s not just a gym.
A lot of times, people think, I can buy fitness equipment, or I have a work-from-home allowance. It’s more than that. We meet you wherever you’re at, and it’s not just physical well-being. We’re going to pay if you’re going to have to put money on a lease. We’re going to help you with your closing costs on a house. We’re thinking about you as a whole, not just you at work. Employees are looking beyond the basics, and we’re building our benefits to meet all the generations.”
