Delivering the difference for employees and their wellbeing

At Genius Sports, we pride ourselves on building close relationships with our customers – which includes hundreds of world-class sports, betting and media brands globally – to be there to help them maximise their long-term growth and success. We apply the same logic to our employees.

Whilst delivering and supporting the latest technology innovations across live sports data, video streaming and audience engagement for the likes of the , the NFL and Ryder Cup requires huge amounts of hard work and dedication from our global teams – we try and balance that out by ensuring we prioritise and support our employees’ health and their mental wellbeing in particular.

For example, for the third year running, we’ve gifted our employees with an extra day off to coincide with World Mental Health Day (which falls on 10 October 2023). This ‘time-out’ day is a day when we ask employees to just disconnect from work and do something beneficial for their own wellbeing.

“Having an extra day’s leave is a game changer. I think it shows how Genius values and understands the importance of self-care. I’ll be using the day to recharge and focus on my wellbeing and I’ll be able to return to work refreshed and motivated. It’s an incredible benefit which enhances my productivity and happiness.” Strahil, Sports Data Assurance Manager.

“We work to ambitious deadlines – it’s a very productive environment – so we sometimes get lost running from task to task. Having everyone ‘stop’ together, means we all get to rest and recharge, and return to work refreshed as a team.” Ivan, Data Operations Director.

“I’m using my time-out day to visit relatives at the seaside after the season – when the sea and the city are more calm and more beautiful than ever.” Kristiyan, Integrity Assurance Team Lead.

But the support goes way beyond an extra day of leave. In the run up to World Mental Health Day and during the week of it, we’ll also be hosting several virtual workshops for employees to join. Their aim is to share knowledge and practical tips and strategies to empower employees to look after their own health and wellbeing.

A couple of years ago, we also selected and trained a network of employees to be Mental Health First Aiders. This global team act as a first point of contact for their colleagues and are on hand to help them should they feel like they are struggling and want to talk in confidence – without necessarily having to speak to HR or their line manager.

Of course, we also ensure our HR team and line managers are equipped to support employees in these matters, but we also have specialist professional health support and resources in place in each of our main offices through our local Employee Assistance Programmes.

“Genius organises a range of different interventions, providing constant help and support in relation to employee mental health. There’s a huge variety of options for employees – from our People team, Mental Health First Aiders plus the services of Psychologists and Psychotherapists as well.” Ivan, Director of Data Operations.